Originally from Lawrence, KS where as a youngster he bought a set of drums from

  Dewey Richardson and got much of his knowledge and experience from playing

  jams, dance bands and the like around town.  While playing with a blues band, it

  was discovered John was adept playing bass as well!  He played with Jimmy Rodgers

  (who we heard at Leland Jones' Country Pickin Opry) and for Byron Jones in

  Richmond, MO. at the old Farris Theatre.  Recalling those days, he remembered

  playing with Tommy Cash who wouldn't sing any of his brother Johnny's songs

  ("I don't see why I should; he doesn't sing any of mine!"), Buck Trent who played

  banjo for Porter Wagoner for so many years, Randy Travis and Larry Moore, who

  although he has been a television newscaster on KMBC for over three decades,

  could have been a singer or stand-up comedian if he had chosen, according to John. 

Gordon's interest in guitars and music started in grade school.  "There were a couple

  of kids in my class who had guitars and my uncle had a guitar which I still have, a

  1941 or 42 Dobro!  I play a little dobro today, but only a little.  One of the finest Dobro

  players around, I think, is Fred Uzzell with Annie's Country Jubilee in Tonganoxie."  I

  really started playing a lot when I was in the service in Germany, a few others in my

  outfit had guitars and there wasn't a lot else to do.  When I returned home, I worked

  with Larry Smith and we began to play together in about 1965 and still do an

  occasional gig together.  I played bluegrass with the Elsloo Family (Jeff Elsloo

  played banjo for Green Side Up) for a few years, then played gospel music with Larry

  Smith.  I met Bill Clark who introduced me to Larry Dean (Inman), and Garry and Mary

  Bichelmeyer and we began to play every Tuesday at the BK Lounge.   My wife, Doris

  and I live in Overland Park KS and have one son.

  Larry was born February 12, 1941 in Bois D' Arc, Mo, a small community

  about 10 miles west of Springfield, in the Ozarks.  His mother played

  piano and he enjoyed that, but one day his uncle came over with his

  guitar, played it for them and Larry was fascinated from that day forward.

  Larry got his own guitar at age 12, learned to play it but eventually broke

  it.  He acquired another at about 18 years of age and has been playing on and off

  ever since.  "I didn't get too serious about my music until I retired about 6 years ago,"

  Larry said, "then things kind of took off!"  Larry went on to explain that he worked in

  the construction business, installing plate glass, mirrors and the like for 35 years. 

  He and wife Rosella (we all know her as Rosie) raised two children, a boy and a girl.

  After living in many different parts of the metro area through the years, have

  now settled in DeSoto, Kansas; a small community just west of Kansas City.  It's

  noticed that Larry has committed so many songs to memory and never seems to refer    to music or lyrics as many artists do.  "Actually," Larry told us, "looking at words

  on a piece of paper tends to distract me.  I have to know the song, both the lyrics

  and music as a single unit, in order to perform it right.  Right now, I have probably

  400 songs committed to memory and the list grows almost daily.  I started memorizing   songs even before I took music seriously; lyrics always fascinated me.  "And...by

  the way," he chuckled, "Dean's not my last name.  It's a stage name and

  really my middle name.  People would misspell 'Inman' or forget it, so I

  decided to use 'Dean' instead."  Larry works on his music at a home studio and has

  released several CD's.  That's just the beginning of Larry's talents and abilities.  He

  also builds and repairs guitars and is a world-class woodcarver to boot.

  These days Larry and his wife travel to many of the music festivals throughout

  the 4 state area and he appears at many of the local oprys as well.

 

  We think Larry is a great talent and we're sure you will too!

Created by Jason Gilmore & Maintained by Keith Nielsen.

  Marvin began playing the fiddle when he was eight years old.  His Father played fiddle

  and his Mother played rhythm guitar.  In his early years, they played lots of music

  together for dances both in his home town of Norborne, Mo and around Kansas City. 

  His parents never really played professionally but they did whatever they could to 

  encourage and support him.  In 1950 he won the talent contest at the Cowtown

  Jubilee which was broadcast live on WHB radio; from then on the stage

  performances never stopped.  Marvin joined the Westport Kids in the early 1950's. 

They appeared on the Cowtown Jubilee and the Brush Creek Follies and were

  regulars on the Tidwell Jamboree.  At that time all three shows were playing to nearly

  full houses and all three were being broadcast live on radio.  In 1953 and 1954 the

  Westport Kids played the "Million Dollar Cowboy Bar" in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  They

  shared billing with Hank Penny whose big hit was "Won't You Ride In My Little Red

  Wagon", Sue Thompson (I'm Red Hot Henrietta Brown) and an Old-West quartet called

  Andy Parker and the Plainsmen from California.  They had just finished a movie with

  Marilyn Monroe called "The River of No Return".  In the late 50's and into the 60's, he

  played fiddle for Jimmy Dallas on his live Saturday night television show.  Marvin has

  had the pleasure of playing back-up fiddle for the likes of Little Jimmy Dickens,

  Kenny Price and Justin Tubb.  For approximately seven years he traveled and played

  fiddle for Country Music Hall of Fame star Hank Thompson and his Brazos Valley Boys.

 

  He played on an album with Johnny Nace (Warrensburg MO disc jockey) recorded at

  Porter Waggoner's studio in Nashville.  He also did some tracking on an album for

  Boxcar Willie at B.J. Carnahan's studio in Mack's Creek Mo.  He managed Midwestern

  Recording Studios in Kansas City.  Currently he can be found playing fiddle at Annie's

  Country Jubilee in Tonganoxie KS every Saturday Night.

  In 1959 he married Norma Jean Boyd (I call her "Sug" and you can, too).  They

  have two daughters and two sons as well as a number of grandchildren.

  Garry & Mary Bichelmeyer founded the Stranger Creek Band many

  years ago.  After reforming the band with Larry Dean on vocals,

  Gordon Riley on lead guitar and John Malone on drums they decided

  to keep the name.  Garry who is an amateur archeologist and song

  writer is also from a family well established in the meat business in

  Kansas City for many years.  Garry and Buffalo Bill Cody are the only

  persons to this date to have a contract to butcher buffalo for the

  United States army.

  Mary runs a title company when she is not playing bass for the band

  and is a singer in her own right.

  GARRY (VOCALS, RHYTHM GUITAR, SONG WRITER & COMEDIAN)   & MARY  BICHELMEYER (VOCALS & BASS GUITAR)

        

       LARRY DEAN (INMAN)  -- LEAD VOCALS & RHYTHM GUITAR

   GORDON RILEY  (LEAD GUITAR &  VOCALS)

  MARVIN BREDEMEIER (FIDDLE & VOCAL)

   JOHN MALONE (DRUMS)