Ken B.
Bass Guitar
Ken is the “music enthusiast” rather than a musician in the group. He claims his musical background consists of Do-Re-Mi in grade school and Every Good Boy Does Fine in junior high. He even flunked his mixed choir attempt!
His devotion to music developed as a result of a young couple moving to town and the bonding of Ken and his wife Mary with Norm and Jan. They not only became lifelong friends, but Norm had an old flat-top and a yearning to learn and play in a group. His incessant campaign to get Ken to play and sing with him soon verified a desire, but absolutely no “voice” or sense of musical rhythm. In a desperate attempt to participate, when Norm ordered an electric guitar from Montgomery Ward, Ken ordered a bass! Soon his nickname “thumbpicker” became the mode of his play to this day.
Ken and Norm and their wives morphed into “The Versatiles”. They played through the middle ‘60's in and around NE and E Central Iowa until Norm’s job took him to Minnesota where his family oriented Versatiles continued. Ken played with various groups for a few years, then “retired” until the mid 80's when he renewed his interest with a group from the quad cities who camped in the same camp ground.
Ken retired from John Deere in Waterloo in 1993 and in an effort to expand his hobby, began playing weekly in Beaman, Iowa every Wed. Night in a jam session which endured from the early 60's till present.
The rest of “The Other Band” members also participated in that jam and the group developed from that source.
Ken takes great pride in being part of such an eclectic group as this band and is enduringly thankful for the opportunity!
