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The Band Background--- Scroll the text areas to find out some past history on the members of the Mountain Memories Band. Pete Lissman -- Guitar and Vocals Guitar player and lead singer Pete Lissmann has been playing Bluegrass for forty years. He grew up in New York City and in the early 1970s played with the only working Bluegrass band in in that area, the Southern Express. He moved to Roanoke, Virginia in 1976 where he played with a number of bands including the original version of Mountain Memories. At various times Pete has played on the same bill with such Bluegrass greats as Bill Monroe, Charlie Monroe, Ralph Stanley, the Country Gentlemen, and the Lilly Brothers. He has recorded two albums, one with the Southern Express and one with an old time group, the Camp Creek Boys. Pete is now retired and lives in Largo, Florida where he plays with the current Mountains Memories group. Jim Harris -- Guitar and Vocals Jim Harris is a true native of Tampa Bay, born in Largo, Florida. He is the descendent of Patrick and Edna Harris who settled in Largo in 1929, arriving in Florida from Dothan Alabama in a Model -T Ford. Jim's father ( An Alabama raised Fiddle player and peanut farmers son) went to work for the Florida Fruit Growers Association, managing the Jamaican workers citrus harvest. Jim grew up in a small house in the middle of a large citrus farm on Ridge Road in Largo. He always loved country music and decided to pick up the guitar at 15 years old. His first guitar was a Sears Silvertone and Jim was very determined to learn to play and sing the old Hank Williams tunes that his Dad played. Jim played with several local country bands back in the 70s; Lucky Black And The Boys, and Spring Gap. These were the local tavern and beer-joint bands that helped Jim overcome stage fright while learning what it takes to make and keep a band together. Jim could also be found every Sunday playing for the church choir and playing and singing solos for the church. His love of the old time hymns is the foundation for the blend of County and Bluegrass in his style. When Jim plays and sings Bluegrass you will hear some country flavor blend into the mix and when he does the old hymns you will hear strong expressions of the old camp-meeting songs that had that old Bluegrass feel built in. Although Jim loves the old traditional bluegrass style, he favors the more modern versions of the old songs along with the new music Jim's Bluegrass idols are Ricky Skaggs and Tony Rice. Jim does not consider himself a great guitarist and says that before he is called to that great band in the sky, he hopes he can learn to play one tenth of what Tony Rice plays he would die a happy man. Doug DeMaire -- Banjo and Vocals Doug DeMaire is originally from Lamar, Missouri. He started playing the banjo in high school and continued playing in college. Doug's first exposure to Bluegrass was a Country Gentlemen album. Eddie Adcock was their banjo player at that time and his version of Grandfather's Clock convinced Doug that he had to learn how to play. Doug taught himself to play using the only banjo book he could find. It cost $2. After working for 30 years Doug Retired and took up the banjo again, enjoying jam sessions and the great people he meets playing Bluegrass. The most influential banjo player for Doug is Douglas Dillard. Of course Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley and JD Crow are also among his favorites. His favorite bands include the Dillards, Flatt and Scruggs, Stanley Brothers, Country Gentlemen and Seldom Scene. The things he likes best about Bluegrass are the drive, the vocal harmonies and the people who make the music. Bluegrass gospel is his favorite. Doug also likes country music and he also plays the guitar and pedal steel guitar. Bobby Hillis -- Dobro Bobby Hillis was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee at a time when lots of things were happening in music. Rock and Roll, Rhythm and Blues and a new style from Great Britain was just beginning to be heard. Bobby grew up in a neighborhood near Roy Cash, brother of Johnny, Jerry Lee Lewis and at one time even lived in the same apartment complex near downtown where a young man named Elvis was just starting to make news. Bobby’s mother was doing bookkeeping and accounting for The Blackwood Brothers, the backup group for Elvis. Bobby played bass and guitar in several R&B, Blues and Rock bands in the Memphis and mid south area, sometimes driving two or three hours just to make a few dollars, but loving the music kept him on the go. While attending the University of Tennessee, he met a friend who loved a different kind of music… Bluegrass. It became the fire in his music and that fire is still alive. After picking bass, guitar and a brief encounter with the five string banjo, Bobby was handed a dobro… and he never set it down! Bobby was a member of the recently retired Lost River Bluegrass Band and now plays throughout the year with several groups in Tampa Bay and Central Florida. Lee Schlafley -- Bass and Vocals Newest member of the Mountain Memories Band Lee Schlafley. Lee was born and raised in Northern Michigan, and has been involved in music his entire life. At the age of 16, Lee started playing the saxophone in his family's band where his mother played piano, his father played the banjo, and his brother Bill, played the drums. Lee's has now convinced the entire family to play music, and has converted most of them to play Bluegrass! Lee is especially proud of his granddaughter Danielle, who plays mandolin and sings for the Michigan-based bluegrass band, HardLine Drive. Lee's oldest daughter Debbie, plays clawhammer banjo and sings in a band in Atlanta,Georgia. Lee's youngest daughter Sandi, plays bass and sings for a bluegrass band in Michigan. Lee's son Dave, plays drums for the Florida-based blues band, Straight-Up Blues. To say the least, Lee's family reunions are morelike concerts than gatherings! Don't be suprised if you find Lee playing something else besides the bass, he also plays saxophone, drums, keyboard, fiddle, and even the banjo when his wife allows it! He can be found sitting in with his son's band, as well as playing with several other bands in the area many nights of the week. After owning his own plumbing business for 35 years, Lee now makes his winter home in Largo Florida with his wife Sharon, and they spend there summers in Northern Michigan with family. Todd Bowman -- Mandolin and Vocals Growing up in eastern Ohio, Todd Bowman spent much of his young life sitting below his father's pulpit learning hymns and listening to some mighty fine preachin' of God's Word! The Church was a natural incubator for Todd's love of music. In addition to the musical influences of his family, Todd was forunate to participate in a rigorous musical program in high school where he studied jazz, classical, symphonic music, and theory -- playing woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion. It was not until college that Todd picked up his first mandolin -- it was love at first pluck. Enamoured with the mandolin, and studying all the material he could get his hands on (this was prior to the wonders of the Internet), Todd fell head-first into Bluegrass and the mandolin sounds of David Grissman, Sam Bush, Jethro Burns, and John Duffy. He later learned that Bill Monroe was the father of the music he had come to love -- Bluegrass! While traditional Bluegrass continues to be a driving influence, Todd continues to learn from the modern styles of Sam Bush, David Grissman, Mike Marshall, Ricky Skaggs, and Jim Van Clefe. Todd has recorded with numerous artists and is currently playing mandolin and fiddle with Mountain Memories. He can also be seen/heard playing electric/accoustic guitar for Christ Fellowship Praise Band as well as pedal steel, dobro, guitar and mandolin with Brett McMullen and Rob Demorrow.