How many neighborhood garage bands from the 60s (not counting the Rolling Stones) are still kickin’?    Well, East Montgomery has a grand one – The Drones.  These guys played for our 35^th high school reunion recently and they ROCKED! The hard core dancers and sentimental party animals stayed late that night and the fellas kept the joint alive with a big sound.  They must have played 50 songs -- Twist and Shout, Whiter Shade of Pale, Spanish Harlem, and on and on and on.  And while they would argue that a few more practice sessions could have helped a bit, it was a super success and e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e loved “the band”.  Certainly having old & dear friends (and fellow classmates) on stage was a big plus and we even let them take a couple of breaks to mingle and eat and rest. 

The Drones, who we’ve talked into performing for the reunions of 1994 and 1999 as well, consists of still-performing musician & local businessman Jimbo Jones on Vocals and Guitar, Montgomery restauranteur Michael Monroe on Bass Guitar, local pharmacist Blake Vinson on Rhythm Guitar, Houston attorney Mike Roebuck on Lead Guitar, Birmingham businessman Billy Tanner on Drums, and debonair (and spiritually soulful) Chris Clark on Keyboards. Remarkably, all six are the original guys from around 1964-65 and they still have the magic.  The undisputed kingpin of the group (Jimbo) was honored at the Reunion for his awesome talent and his lifetime commitment to quality entertainment.  Reunion committee chairman Snapper Wade presented Jimbo with a beautiful plaque to mark the occasion.  All agree that Jimbo is a treasure and his five bandmates will attest to his importance in “pulling off” these reunion gigs with very little time to rehearse.  But these old friends still click and they still play up a storm!  We’ll also thank a couple of sidemen who pitched in – Wes Sullivan on right-handed Fender and Snapper Bill on left-handed Gibson.

Highlights on this night included Born to be Wild (dedicated to Snapper Jack), Crossroads featuring the unexpected vocal skills of bass thumper Monroe, Good Lovin’ with singing help from Snapper Glenn and the lovely Glenda, and Wipe Out, which Tanner played to absolute perfection.  The Lee High Class of 1969 Reunion was a fantastic party and, if I say so myself, the reunion committee did an especially good job in lining up “the band”.   Thanks to The Drones, it was truly a night to remember!    GD