The Metro St. Louis Live Music
Historical Society
Spirit of St. Louis
|
Jim Zimmer /Vocals Jay Marino /Guitar RIP Johnny Koppe /Drums Dan Farrell /Bass Rich Burnley /Trombone Pete DeLuca /Sax Bill Keenan /Keys Mike Bennett /Sax Charlie Johnson /Sax, Trumpet Jim Kalbfell /Trumpet
|
|
|
|
RIP Mike Zimmer /Drums Tom Ostermueller /Vocals Ed Kotowski /Drums Brian Clarke /Bass, Vocals Al Kramer /Keys Mike Connell /Trumpet Ludi Hendrix /Trombone Steve Schankman /Trumpet Claude Kauffman /Sax Joe Rumbolo /Bass, Vocals Tommy Zuzenak /Bass, Keys, Terry Toon /Guitar, Vocals Robby Halmachek /Keys Joe Turek /Bass, Vocals Barry Levin /Guitar
Gary Vierheller /Roadie
|
|
Listen to : Spirit of St. Louis
|
|
...at the Terrace Lounge
.JPG)
At a 2008 Reunion, left to right: Mike Bennett, Pete DeLuca, Ed Kotowski, Dan Ferrell, Jay Marino, Al Kramer
Listen to: Spirit of St. Louis
Here's a live recording of Spirit:
Spirit was managed by Music Palace owner Joe Russo
Roadie Gary Vierheller relates this historic tale:
The beginning of the end of my working with Spirit was a gig, I believe was in Springfield at SW Missouri State in the late winter. The very next day I and the second singer Tom (name?? he was in the Spirit photo on stage holding the mike between Jay on the left and Jim Zimmer on the right) were to drive the van with all the instruments, lights, and PA, to Iowa for another gig.
It was heavily snowing with only
Interstate 55 and 70 passable and even then the State Police were requesting that people NOT travel. East of Columbia with me driving and only 1 lane open, we hit a patch of ice and wind simultaneously.The van started to slide sideways with the nose going right. I gently pulled out only to have it go left, down into the median and roll. I went through the windshield and Tom was suspended by his seatbelt.
Both side and back doors sprung open and the tightly packed instruments et. al., were strewn in the median. I only received a cut on my back, upper left shoulder. Tom was uninjured.
Many cars stopped and helped us gather up all the band equipment, we were towed to a truck stop and finally found our way back to St. Louis.
If you have any info about, or photos or recordings of this band, PLEASE email me at: greg@dejawho.com
