Juan Lago and Abel Fuentes interviewed for THE LOGICAL WEB the American musician Brad Beyer, one of the members of Ricky & The Rockets, the band with which Rick Davies played his last concerts in Long Island.
TLW: When and where were you born?
BRAD: Born on June 9, 1951, in Southampton, Long Island, New York. Grew up in Sag Harbor, New York.
TLW: How did you get started playing music? Did you take any lessons?
BRAD: Two drum lessons. No piano or harmonica lessons. My dad's family, which has origins to 1635 out here, has been playing music locally for one hundred years, continually, and publicly. I am one of four boys, all musical. There was always music in our house.
TLW: Was the drums your first instrument?
BRAD: Yes. I started as a drummer back in late 50s. My dad, who was a great trumpet player, and my mom played the drums in a community band that started in 1957. They were the last married, charter members when they passed in the early 90s. So we had this old wood drum hanging around, and I started banging on anything I could find! I continued with the drums through high school, playing in garage bands, etc. Family went out to Santa Barbara in 1968 and I finished my last year of high school there, returning home in June of 1969. I had done all 11 years into first week of 12th grade in the same school where my grandmother Hildreth was in the 1st graduating class in 1908! She played music too!
TLW: What happened when you finished high school?
BRAD: I returned to Santa Barbara in January 1970, soon was paying my way through college playing the drums in some really good bands. We played in a lot of military bases in a 250 mile radius around Santa Barbara. It was the Vietnam era. We got paid whether the NCO club was full or not, and the checks never bounced! Great scenery, great times, great music and best of all I stayed clean and healthy. Within the first month of me being in Santa Barbara, I was playing with a well known regional band called The Calliope and we landed a recording spot at Columbia Records in Los Angeles. I couldn't believe it! They had some regional success in Southern California. It was a fun experience, but typical of the business, we got ripped off, and that was the end of that.
TLW: How did you start to play piano?
BRAD: I came back to Sag Harbor in 1974 or 1975, and since my brother Bruce was a good drummer too (he started on the sax), and as I was always fascinated with the sound of a piano, I was determined to learn. I was fortunate in Santa Barbara to hook up with a great player, and fellow student, Bob Long, who, as a teenager, won the Scott Joplin Ragtime award, and was given the award by Mr. Hubie Blake himself. Anyway Bob showed me a few things and I was hooked. So I did a deep dive for a bit and soon was playing publicly in piano bars and some really great spots out here in The Hamptons (LAUGHS).
TLW: When did you get your first harmonica?
BRAD: My brother Bruce gave me my first harmonica 50 years ago I think, and I used it on a neck brace to accompany the piano and just add some different sounds. I wasn't a great technical player, but I knew how to keep a crowd happy! As the years went by, I stated playing in my hands more, learning how to bend notes and listening to the greats! Now, it's what I play most. It's easier and quicker to pack up!
TLW: What were your main musical influences in your early years?
BRAD: We had an old Seeburg Select-O-Matic from 1958, always full of the best 45s. Living in this musical family musical osmosis was so easy. We didn't have a lot of dough, but we always had good hi-fi, and later stereo stuff to play records on. My oldest brother Bob, now 80, was, and is, an electronic genius. He loved the old records and if it weren't for him and Bruce (76) I may not have heard Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, etc., when they arrived on the scene (1954-1955).
TLW: So your brothers were very important in your development as a musician...
BRAD: My older brothers let me into 'the fort' or 'the tent' or whatever secret place they were tuning in on an old RCA portable radio, or with the old 78s and early 45s. The rhythm and the energy were infectious and instantaneous addictions! My brother Bob went to the RCA electronics school in New York City, and he worked at Macy's on 34th St, in the Stereo-Hi-Fi dept. So he always was bringing home albums and new stuff. We had a blast!
TLW: And what about your parents?
BRAD: My dad, who was a skilled toolmaker/pressman at Bulova Watch Co. and his brothers, all depression kids, were all brass instruments, and they used to play brass quartet cantatas at Christmas in the Old Whaler's Church in my home town of Sag Harbor. My uncle Ellis (dad's youngest brother) lived with us way back, as dad's folks died young. He was a huge Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, Artie Shaw, Billie Holiday, Teddy Wilson, Fats Domino, Hank Williams, Stan Kenton, etc., all the big bands and bop too. Music was playing all the time, and my folks didn't even drink! My dad played in small combos, and the guys would come over and rehearse once in a while, and we loved it. Soon, we were sitting in, learning all we could by listening. Also, Bruce, me and our dad used to sing in a Barbershop chorus of 60 guys called 'The Whaler's Chorus'. I was 16-17 years old, and it was amazing to hear harmony broken down like that. We were also in the school band and chorus, and all the musicals. Some kids drifted to sports. For us, it was music.
TLW: What music do you highlight from those years?
BRAD: We were lucky then. The hit parade top ten, was full of all sorts of musical genres: The Four Seasons, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, The Calif sound, Motown, The British Invasion, Herb Alpert, Al Hirt… And Louis Armstrong, who knocked the Beatles out of #1 with 'Hello Dolly'. At 62, he was the oldest person at that time to ever have a #1. What a time to be listening to records!
TLW: What drum equipment did you use by then?
BRAD: We couldn't even afford real drums back in 1964. We improvised on cardboard boxes, and old junk drums guys would throw away. Our high school got a nice 3 piece Slingerland kit in 1963 that we played the hell out of. Wipeout was the rage (LAUGHS). I remember buying a $150 funky little Kent kit. Then, our first good kit was in March 1966, a beautiful Red Sparkle 4 piece Shelly Manne model set of Leedy's. We still have them, and they look and sound great! Presently, I have a beautiful 1970 Gene Krupa mother-of-pearl 4 pc kit in mint condition. Brother Bruce spotted me them. He has 8 kits, all vintage!
TLW: What other bands have you played in the 70s, aside from the classic rock and roll group Hot Wax?
BRAD: Hot Wax was actually my brother Bruce's band. These guys played all over the East End. I sat in with them several times. They were great and made everyone happy, every time. Best band out here at that time. Bruce and I also played with two other Beyer boys and called ourselves The Beyer Bros. Once I moved onto the piano scene, the piano bar route was my avenue for a long time. I didn't have to worry about a band and all the complications. I started writing songs fairly quickly, and was playing in some of the best spots out here, such as Bobby Van's. He was a personal friend, and a great piano player. Rest in peace, his saloon in Bridgehampton was legendary! I pretty much did that until me and my new wife Wendy moved to Houston, Texas, in February 1979. Don't tell anyone, please (LAUGHS).
TLW: How was your musical experience in Houston?
BRAD: I found my way into some cool clubs there, mixed around with a few good local bands, and found myself on stage with Mickey Gilley in the club of that name. What a trip that was! I almost ended up on the road with them. His cousin Carroll Gilley came in to do the road trips. Anyway, I was still writing songs and doing local radio spots, all the while holding down a regular job. I continued playing and writing tunes for all the six years we were in Houston, don't tell anyone (LAUGHS). Our first child Haleigh was born in 1984, and in her sixth month, we returned home in May 1985. Thereupon, with a family, starting new work, and building our home, which we designed and built. The music on a large scale was pushed back for almost thirty years except for some small local stuff, benefits, etc. I was still finding a little time to write some tunes.
TLW: Have you ever planned to record a solo album of your own music?
BRAD: No, I don't have a professional recording or CD of my music, but it's on my bucket list and it will get done!
TLW: In addition to your music career, you are a visual artist... Did you study Art?
BRAD: I always liked to mess around with 'art stuff' and used to draw what I saw outside my window, imitate cartoon figures, etc. When I went to Santa Barbara that senior year, within the first week, I happened to be looking in the window of the art building. It was after school, and I was waiting for Bruce to pick me up. A gentleman walked up and started a conversation. Right away, he knew I wasn't from Santa Barbara! I told him how impressed I was with the talent level of high school kids. He agreed and said, "They are my students, and I am very proud of them". His name was Mr. Remick, and he helped change my life. He quickly asked if I did any art, and I said I always wanted to, but never had the chance. He then said, "Would you like to join my class? I can talk to your guidance counselor". I was in. I did my first water color of Butterfly Beach with the Channel Islands in the background. It was chosen by the vice-principal to be in his office the remaining school year.
TLW: What other pieces did you draw at that time?
BRAD: Then came my first John Lennon piece, 12 ft in the air, with a strobe light behind it. It was a big hit, and this 'green novice' from little Sag Harbor took another step forward. When I went to the Santa Barbara City College the next year, I took two more classes I loved every minute of it. All the rest was self taught. In 1973, after a charcoal portrait of Ernest Hemingway, I stopped doing any serious drawing until this whole new style came about in 2014 with the 'John Lennon - An Incomplete Work' I did for Bruce's 65th birthday. Again, my life was changed...
TLW: Apart from John Lennon, you've drawn many rock music icons such as Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Cher, Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix and Aretha Franklin... Are you a fan of all of them?
BRAD: Yes, all these very much so. As I said, I grew up in a special time, and we were spoiled with the music we had to chose from. Sometimes I get asked to do an artist I am not familiar with, and I'll do a deep dive into their life and music. I need to get a feel for what makes them 'tick'.
TLW: Your art has been showcased in galleries like The White Room Gallery in East Hampton... Are you happy with the recognition you're receiving for your drawings?
BRAD: Yes, very much so. That was my first real show. I did a few local shows with a few pieces at Ashawagh Hall in Springs, East Hampton. My friend Huck Esposito told the White Room owners about me, and they asked ne to bring in my stuff. It was a real happening back in April. They never had such a large crowd in 20 years of showings! I had a tremendous reception there, and I even sold some pieces. The whole run of the show was great, and Andrea and Kat are just terrific. I have 5-6 pieces there now till the end of the month. Keep an eye on their website, The White Room Gallery. You may have seen the photos.
TLW: One of your drawings exhibited at The White Room Gallery is of Stephen Talkhouse, the Montaukett Native American from the 19th century... Are you the artist behind the drawing of him that can be seen on the stage at the Stephen Talkhouse live music venue in Amagansett, where Ricky & The Rockets used to play?
BRAD: Good one! Yes, I can take credit for my drawing that is left of the stage, but that famous photo backdrop is a blowup from one of the few photos available of him, Stephen Taukus Pharaoh. He has an amazing story. He used to deliver mail by walking from town to town. He was in the Barnum circus too, outwalking a horse. He is buried out here I mention all this in his 'backstory'. I do one for each piece, which I now have on QR codes. Without the backstory, the viewer misses the whole 'eyecon' (I’m 'conning' your eye to see what I want you to see) that is happening. Little sidebar: his ancestor was Chief Wyandanch, the Chief of the Long Island Montauketts. My ancestor Lion Gardiner met with him in Napeague, between Amagansett and Montauk, and traded that land for the Proprieters of East Hampton around 1643. Pretty cool, huh? The Pharaoh family is still alive and well in Sag Harbor. Coincidentally, they lived right next to where my dad grew up.
TLW: It seems you're an amateur as a musician and as an artist... What do you do professionally?
BRAD: Since 1989, I have owned a home inspection company called 'Beyer:Buyer Home Inspection Services, Inc.'. Somebody wants to buy a house, I go through the whole house or commercial building, or whatever it is, check it out, and do a report on it. I've probably been through over 20,000 houses.
TLW: Did you like Supertramp music before meeting Rick Davies? Are you a fan of the band?
BRAD: Great vocals and musicianship always caught my ear, and I thought Supertramp was great the first time I really listened to them. When I was in Houston they were huge, and I really appreciated what they did. I wish I had seen them when they were there May 5, 1979. New in Houston, we were stone broke and trying to get on our feet. There was no extra dough at that time.
TLW: How did you meet Rick?
BRAD: First met him in the 90s. The Beyer Bros were playing for a benefit, and he came in with a friend of ours, related to my wife. He asked who these Beyer Boys were, and was amused by our local story, etc. Through this same 'cousin', Wendy and I were invited to one of his Boxing Day parties around 2012. I made myself at home and played some Christmas songs on his beautiful piano. Mike Reilly, of Pure Prairie League, was there playing bass, and I think he asked me if I had any harmonicas with me, and I had a few in the car. We played some tunes together, and I did OK. When the drummer had to split for a gig at the Talkhouse down the road, I asked Rick if it was OK if I sat at the kit. He said, "Oh, you play the traps too?". I said that's what I started on. He replied, "Me too!". So, I sang a little, played the piano a little, some harmonica and a little drums. Plus I knew most everyone there. So, I guess Rick must have remembered, because we were invited again the next year.
TLW: And what happened the next year?
BRAD: When I came the next year, Rick asked if I brought any harps with me, and I told him no because I didn't want to be presumptuous and assume that I was going to play. He said I was a 'bloody fool' and rushed me downstairs to the studio/rehearsal room which just blew me away. I had never seen anything like it. We grabbed a few harps from a drawer full of them and went upstairs and had a blast. Sue and Rick really throw a great party. They are so gracious! Best of all, they live just minutes away, now that we are in Amagansett, right down the street from the Talkhouse! It was very helpful being so close to Rick and Sue when he was sick. I could get there real quick if they needed any help.
TLW: Have you ever spoken to Rick about your drawings, since he was an Art student in his teens?
BRAD: I remember at one of the Boxing Day parties, it must've been 2014 before he got sick, that I showed him the John Lennon piece I did that previous July. I knew he was an art student. I remember him saying, "Oh Johnny Boy!". He liked the concept behind the piece and was intrigued with the approach I was taking. Later that year, into 2015, I did a piece for Rick of himself in three poses. Something to look at while he was 'hanging on the couch'. Anyway, Rick was so supportive of my artwork. I smile when I think of him telling me “the importance of the correct signature”.
TLW: I saw one of your drawings of Rick on Facebook and loved it...
BRAD: I did that for a mutual friend of Rick and ours, a local East Hampton guy. God, I wasn't aware I had that online. Thanks for letting me know that. I appreciate that. I also have a drawing of the A&M Records guys Rick and Sue asked me to do for Herb Alpert after Jerry Moss died. I write backstories up for each of these. I've got about 70 drawings now, I didn't draw for 40 years.
TLW: Do you know if Rick continued drawing in latter years?
BRAD: Once he started feeling better he picked up his brushes and started dong some abstract pieces. He always loved art. Whenever I finished a new work, I would always go see Rick and bounce it off of him. He was always honest. By the way, Rick was such a friend for coming to my first show at The White Room Gallery this past April to play some 'background music', as he called it for my friends. I told him I would tell them all to be quiet. He said, "No, this is your night, go and visit, enjoy yourself, I'm here as your friend, not as Rick Davies, the famous rock and roll star" with a chuckle. He always joked about that. It was the farthest thought from his mind. He never bragged about any of that, he was so humble. He cared about the music so much. The fact of being a pop star was not his mission. And yet, he became a musical legend.
TLW: How did you start playing live with Rick?
BRAD: Piggy backing on the Boxing Day nights, which were important, I had stopped by now and then checking in on him... When Rick started feeling a bit better, he called looking for a good piano tuner. We went back and forth on that and I found him a good one on, and on one of the conversations, he suggested I bring some harps and a keyboard over and we could start messing around a little bit so he could get back in shape. That's when the 'regular' sessions started. Me, Mike Reilly, drummer Dave Giacone and then Bosco Michne. As talk of a show buzzed about, Ron Delsener suggested GE Smith come into the fold too. Then I got Scott Kreitzer to come in. Then the first two shows at the Talkhouse was a solid date, and we got to work. Rick really pulled it together.
TLW: You played seven shows with Ricky & The Rockets between 2018 and 2024... What did it mean to you being on stage with Rick Davies all those times?
BRAD: I lived for those shows, and loved every moment of the prep work and performance. I was very insecure at first I may add because I wasn't a 'pro' like all the others. I was a home inspector who loved to mess around with music and had an amazing amount of energy. Mike and Bosco taught me so much about music, timing, 'leaving holes' and listening. To stand next to Rick, Mike and GE on the same stage with all those guys was overwhelming. And then to have a horn player like Scott with a great rhythm section was just over the top!
TLW: It must have been an honour for you to be chosen by Rick to be part of his band...
BRAD: I remember we were at the Talkhouse one night seeing GE or Pure Prairie League probably, and I asked Rick, "Why, with all the guys in your 'Rolodex', am I in this equation?" He quickly retorted, "Because you're my iron man, and you can move any piece of equipment I own!". (LAUGHS) I guess I kept him 'juiced up'. I am so proud of all those shows and all the time we spent in that rehearsal room. It's been a major highlight of my life. Best of all, I found an excellent friend that trusted me.
TLW: What do you remember from your very first show with Ricky & The Rockets on August 28, 2018?
BRAD: I was up in the Talkhouse green room and I was soooo excited. This was a huge night for me, the local hack (LAUGHS). I said, "I'm so excited it would probably take four quaaludes to calm me down"... Rick answered, "That wouldn't be enough!". Like I said, I have a lot of energy, without any chemicals or even coffee.
TLW: A few Supertramp musicians such as Mark Hart, Carl Verheyen and Marty Walsh took the stage too... What impression did they make on you?
BRAD: All those 'Supertrampers' were so gracious and kind. I remember saying that Mark should get a chance to play more, as he was a real 'band member' and one of them said, "No way, this is your night". They loved Rick and were so glad to see him, especially on a stage doing what he does best. We had some time together after the shows, and they were all so great. I would love to see them again some day. I'm so grateful they made the journey to be with Rick. All such great and gracious players.
TLW: I attended the last concert by Ricky & The Rockets at the Talkhouse in October 2024, and it was clear that you and Rick had a great rapport...
BRAD: We certainly did. I didn't like being behind him a 100% because I couldn't really see what he was doing, and when he would be singing so I could keep my phrasing with him. But all in all it was such a great thrill. You see in the photos how I'm keeping an eye on what he's doing. I definitely stayed very busy in those shows. It was such a great time.
TLW: At the after-party, Rick told me he'd been revisiting some old Supertramp songs like 'Try Again' and 'Forever', and he was willing to release an album with The Rockets... What other songs were you working on? Did you record anything with him in his studio?
BRAD: Yes, we did get into some of the other tunes. When Mike, Bosco and I were with Rick in those near weekly sessions, we went through lots of old Tramp tunes: 'Asylum', 'Forever', 'You Started Laughing', 'Still in Love', 'A Sting in the Tail', 'Goldrush', 'Put On Your Old Brown Shoes' and some others. I did all the drumming on those practices. The rehearsals kept Rick in shape, and gave him a chance to sing, keeping his voice up. Nothing was ever recorded beyond what I put on my phone.
TLW: What can you tell me about the notebook Rick had where he wrote down the jokes he liked?
BRAD: Funny that you mentioned that. I brought that up some nights ago. Sue took The Rockets out to a nice dinner in East Hampton and saluted all of us, thanking us for the music and friendship and basically keeping Rick going with the laughter, the involvement in what he loved. He was keeping his voice up. The meetings gave him something to look forward to. Calling back-and-forth and saying, "Hey, can we rehearse? Can we get together Wednesday or Thursday? Whatever?". And that night, I mentioned that composition book with his little jokes written down, and now you mentioned it, so that's too funny.
TLW: How was that dinner?
BRAD: We had a good time, a really nice gathering. We were happy to all get together and see each other. I hadn't seen them in a while. All really good guys, and they all loved Rick deeply, or they wouldn't have given their time, you know, they didn't go over there to get paid. We got 'paid' in other ways, the privilege of being together. Rick and Sue were so generous. They would take us to dinner or have us over and this and that, but we didn't care about the money. We were sitting and playing and laughing with not only a first class caliber musician but a great guy that was so easy to be with. Never condescending, never abrupt. Just that sharp humor would keep you on your toes. And Sue is something else, she's a real good, strong woman, and I love her too. She stays busy, and is doing well.
TLW: What do you think about Roger Hodgson not sharing a condolences message for his old bandmate and partner? Isn't it a bit disappointing?
BRAD: If that is true, I agree. That's when ego and all that other pride stuff has to move aside. We're talking about a human being to a human being, and anyone that is ever crossed your path in your life. We all know we want to share that we feel something and feel things for and about people we may not even know when we hear sorrowful stories. And we can share an emotion of grief, sadness or shame. I don't know if he contacted Sue or not. She didn't say, but let's hope he did. I think the absence of 'acknowledgement' is shameful. It's like, you know, even Paul McCartney and John Lennon, with all that they went through, they loved each other and they were not afraid to tell each other that they loved each other. So I agree with you, I think it's very disappointing trait in any human being not to share a little bit of sorrow at someone's passing. But let’s not pass judgement if we do not know what may have transpired.
TLW: Just to finish off... What do you think of Rick, as a musician?
BRAD: "A friend in need, a friend indeed", from 'Indelibly Stamped'. Quite fitting. Rick was a serious musician, a teacher, a jazz nut, a classical fan... I learned so much from him about music, music history, classical stuff, jazz and all the great history that goes with all the years of his experience. He knew so much about all the phases of music, and all the people that made it all happen. All the time we spent preparing for the shows was so enjoyable with laughter, stories, great music and get-togethers upstairs that we will never forget. In the months in between, if Rick was feeling up to it, Mike, Bosco and I would get together and go through a series of jazz and standards, rhythm and blues and some good old rock and roll just for fun, keep in shape. All these musicians taught me so much, and the time with them was invaluable. I owe them a great debt.
TLW: And as a person, after being his friend for many years?
BRAD: Rick was so humble. So clever. So funny. So honest. He didn't think he was anything special. He was a gentleman, a great storyteller, historian, and most of, a genuine friend. We became great friends and did many things together with him and Sue. As I said, they really made you feel comfortable in their home. Sue worked her butt off keeping it all together. They were married almost fifty years, since July 9, 1976, and it was a great love story. Rick and Sue joined us, our son and daughter in law, and Bruce and my sister in law for my birthday, and Wendy and I joined Rick and Sue with 12 others for his 81st this past July. Rick stood up and saluted "the best friends any man could ever have". I will truly miss the stories and the great times we had. Never to play 'From Now On' again saddens me so. I love Rick and Sue too. She made it all work. I'm forever sad, but forever grateful and privileged to have been his friend and have the amazing time with him that I did. Rick was a special man. Certainly, it’s not 'Goodbye Stranger'.
Brad Beyer with Rick Davies, in April 2025.
One of the drawings of Rick made by Brad.
