John was born in 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.

  John and his wife, Beth live in Overland Park. 

  John has two sons and one daughter.

  Gordon was born September 27, 1939 in Rock Port Missouri.

 

  His  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”, he says. 

  He really started playing  a lot while in the service in Germany.  A few others in his outfit

  had guitars and there wasn’t much else to do.

 

  When he returned home, he worked with Larry Smith and they began playing together

  in  about 1965 and still do an occasional gig together. 

  He played Bluegrass with the Elsloo family (Jeff Elsloo played banjo for Green Side Up) for a       few years.

  Then, he played gospel music with Larry Smith .  He met Bill Clark who introduced him

  to Larry Dean (Inman)  and Garry and Mary Bichelmeyer.  They began playing every

  Tuesday  at the BK Lounge in Lenexa, Kansas.

 

  Gordon and his wife Doris live in Overland Park Kansas and they have one son.

 

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

  the Ozarks about 10 miles west of Springfield, MO.  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 and learned to play it but eventually it broke. 

  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", 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, they

  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 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!

 

  Marvin was born February 20, 1937 in Norborne Missouri.   He 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 Cow town 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 Cow town

  Jubilee and the Brush Creek Follies they also 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 from California called Andy Parker and the

  Plainsmen.  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 and 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.

 

  He married Norma Jean Boyd (better known as "Sug") on February 7, 1959.  They have

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

        

     LARRY DEAN (INMAN) 

MARVIN BREDEMEIER

   JOHN MALONE

LEAD VOCALS & RHYTHM GUITAR

MARY BICHELMEYER

GARRY BICHELMEYER

VOCALS & BASS GUITAR

SONGWRITER, COMEDIAN, VOCALS,         RHYTHM GUITAR & BANJO

Mary was born February 28, 1947 in Kansas City Kansas.  She has 3 daughters and one son.

When she is not playing Bass in the band she operates a title company in Tonganoxie, KS.  She is also an excellent singer in her own right. 

Gary was born May 12, 1948 in Kansas City, Kansas.  He has four daughters and one son

He is an amateur archeologist and a prolific songwriter.  His family has long been established in the meat business around the Kansas City area.  He and Buffalo Bill Cody are the only persons to have been contracted to butcher buffalo

for the United States Army. 

Mary and Gary were married on August 14 and today they live on a small farm near Tonganoxie KS. 

They originated the STRANGER CREEK BAND many years ago.  After a few years they   reformed it with Larry Dean on vocals and Rhythm Guitar, Gordon Riley on Lead Guitar,

John Malone playing Drums, Mary on Vocals and Bass Guitar, and Garry on Vocals and   Rhythm Guitar.  Sometime later Marvin Bredemeier joined with his outstanding Fiddle

playing. 

GORDON RILEY

LEAD GUITAR & VOCALS

DRUMS

FIDDLE & VOCALS

 

  Born November 23, 1955 in St Joseph Missouri, Dave got an early start on his musical career

  beginning with the drums at age 7.  He was just 8 years old when he played his first gig in

  his Father's band.  He continued playing drums in his Father's band until he was 39 or 40

  years old.  He left that band and started a band of his own, after his Father passed away some

  time later he quit the music business altogether. 

  Years later, he met Garry and Mary Bichelmeyer, they found out about his musical background

  and invited him to come out and sing a few songs with the band.  He had never sang in public

  before but they convinced him to try it.  It was soon discovered that he sounded amazingly like

  Willie Nelson.  In addition to that talent he soon began singing in his own voice and quickly

  became a very popular favorite with the Stranger Creek fans. 

  Dave and his wife Rajean now live in Bonner Springs and are the parents of 1 son

  and 1 daughter.   

 

 

DAVID PURCELL

SPECIAL GUEST VOCALIST

THE STRANGER CREEK BAND