BACKGROUND - Jonnie Bandy
Jonnie is a native to Florida, born and raised inTampa grew up in the Seminole Heights area. Lived a couple blocks North of Hillsborough Avenue and attend Henry & Ola playground as a child. Ever chance she gets she loves heading out West to Arizona. Some of the favorite places she has visited is Sedona Arizona, Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park and Moab Utah being some of her most scenic and memorable places she has visited. Truly inspiring are natures beauty. Sandstone rock formations, valley streams and golden sunsets that takes your breath away and make you realize we are such a small part of God’s creation. Of course she brings her guitar with her on most vacations.
Music has been a part of her life as long as she can remember. Coming from a background of music her father Jake Chapman was part of the Bucaroos band back in the late 30’s and played live CBS live radio shows until he went into the service. After the service her fathered played many local venues in Tampa and surrounding
counties along with the joy of playing the fraternal organization like the American Legion, AmVets, Elks, Moose and Eagles lodges. Jonnie was no stranger to those affiliations when joining her father and mother back in 1985 as the drummer of their group Country Comfort trio. Dad played lead guitar and Mom played keyboard while Jonnie drummed and sang country songs.
The last few years she was self taught at playing rhythm acoustic and electric guitar. Most recently a friend suggested she start playing her dad's guitar. I was just learning guitar when dad passed so his (Gibson ES335) sat in the closet for 3 years. A friend said "hey your dad would be so proud of you" to see you playing music and having a band of your own, so now she proudl performs with her father's Gibson ES335. Once learning a few chords she couldn't wait to try and play some of the Classic Rocks styles she had grew up listening to on the radio. My roots were in country music which will always have a special place in my heart but there are so many Classic Rock tunes that I love I just. I just try to learn as many songs as I can possibly learn. She spends most of her time learning new material and perfecting her performances by viewing videos taken at each performance.
I would wither away if I didn't have music in my life. The highlight of my week is a performance. Seeing people smiling, dancing and having a good time. That is all I want to achieve is to make people have a good time, forget their troubles for little while and of course make the venue owners happy so we are invited back. Before creating Bump in the Road band Jonnie performed for several years with Billy T. Ray and the Country Gentlemen each year playing for Macdill Air Force Base
Retired Officers Christmas party. “What a great group of people to play music for”. “She looked so forward to it every year.
Jonnie has performed solo, duo, trio and full band with long time friend Phillip McGill. Before Bump in the Road their was a trio with Jonnie, Phillip and Lex. Co-workers who normally got together each year to perform for a local non-profit organization.
She also enjoys giving and sharing her time and talent for charity work. Jonnie has performed the last
5 years for LifePath Hospice Camp Circle of Love for grieving children along with other public
functions for LifePath Hospice such as many volunteer appreciation banquets and memorial
services the last several years. “There is no other feeling quite like the feeling of thanks and
appreciation you receive”.
Jonnie worked full time for HPC Healthcare the last 10 years and enjoys being able to do her
music as a hobby. Jonnie takes her music seriously but wants to have fun doing it.
She says, “I encourage anyone to follow their dream especially in music. I couldn’t imagine the world
without it.”
BACKGROUND - Pete Cooper
Pete was born in Karlsruhe, Germany in 1952 and graduated from Hope Mills High School in 1970 while achieving the National Honor Society
status.
He got his first acoustic guitar for Christmas in 1966 and while mastering the guitar he also started playing bassprofessionally at 16. He got his opportunity to take on lead guitar when a bass guitarist for his band was hired and the lead player quit. Their group at the time was booked out of Charlotte, N.C. and was a "Hit Attraction" playing all the ACC schools for many frat parties and beach clubs.
Pete played many garage bands during his early years but one of his most memorable last performances back in the day was at the Carter Finley stadium while opening for Big Brother and the Holding Company (Sans Janis Joplin).
Pete met his wife to be Jerri at a NCO club while performaing a gig in Goldsboro, N.C. and it was love at first site .He has stated "she was my first love and my one and only love". They got married Aprill 1, 1972 ( now celebrating 37 years of marriage). Pete had joined the Air Force and he was deployed just ten days after getting married. His military travel enabled him to be stationed in Illinois, New Jersey, Spain and California.
Pete and Jerri have one son who’s a drummer and now works for PSAV, a Disney contractor in Orlando. They also have two remarkable grandchildren, Kiera and Taryn.
Pete enjoys all kinds of music and cut his teeth with the Beatles, the Stones, Iron Butterfly,
Black Sabbath and whatever was top forty at the time... Pete is is a selft taught guitarist whom plays by ear. A method enjoyed by many musicians of his era.
Pete enjoys music and while performing he " gets in his own world". His heart and soul comes out in his music and you can see this first hand while providing electric and acoustic lead guitar, vocals and also playing keyboard for Bump in the Road. Jeri, Petes wife is a breast cancer survivor.
Background - Phillip McGill
Phillip grew up in Southern Illinois and has been playing guitar in bands since gradeschool for a total of 50 years. Phillip has been performing in Florida since the 1980's and enjoyes not only being the bass man for Bump in the Road Band but also plays guitar and provides lead and back up vocals. He dabbles in keyboard, trumpet and does a fine job mixing and recording as a hobbie. During those 50 years Phillip has performed Rock, Southern Rock, Bluegrass, Country and Folk but loves all genres of musc. His earliest influences came from groups such as the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton music from the 60's and 70's. Phillip also has a big heart and has volunteered the last 16 years for Camp Circle of Love, and Camp Braveheart, kids camp for grieving children.
Background - James Carroll (Professional Back-up Drummer and Friend)
James is a veteran drummer who has played with many country music stars and honky tonks. Stars such as: Stonewall Jackson, Narvel Felts, Hank Thomspon, Lila McCann and Carroll Gilley. With 45 years of experience and years of entertaining fans James has seen many beautiful places in the U.S. and in Canada that people dream of seeing. Years of hard work and on the road travel lead him to an opportunity not to pass up, the opportunity to be staff drummer at the world famous "Gilleys" club from 1978 to 1982. At the present he's very proud to be picken and a grinnin with this outstanding "BUMP IN THE Road" group out of theTampa Bay area and would like to recomend anyone who enjoys music to stop in to see a performance of the group! "You"ll be happy you came and leave with a smile on your face".
