My musical career started about 1968 with my buddies in our neighborhood. We were all just learning, but eventually turned out to be our town's number one party band. We had many names, but I'll always think of us as the Fairview Gang. (Chuck and Mike Caudill, Paul D'Angelo, Pat Markham, Harvey Cantrell, and Jim Miner). We all still remain friends and will be for life. Check out the Games of Fairview!  [Photo on right - Foreground: Chuck, Jayne - Background: Dave, Mike, Pat (behind Chuck), Harvey, Paul, Jim]

My first professional gig was backing up a country singer (Gary Miller). We were the Southern Revue. I backed Gary up for four or five years, made several singles (45s), which were recorded in Beckley, W.Va. It was a great experience. I learned a lot and the good and bad times helped me grow as a player. It was also the first band that fired me. (Gary Miller, Charlie Mankin, Mike Demmick, and Bobby Martin).

In the early 70s, I kind of floated around. I played in a band, Passin Lane, (Mike Ault and Darell Bacon). Then I took another job as sideman with a 40s back-up guy named Kim Soy. The band's name was Saucer. Soy was a big Korean who knew how to play and sing every song ever written. I don't think he every really cared for me much, but the band liked me, so he put up with me. We rehearsed a show for about a month and got booked for our big gig. He didn't play one song we had rehearsed - and we were unable to follow our leader. So I was part of another first - firing Kim Soy.

We continued as Saucer. (Gary Carroll, Keith John, Jerry Piper, Steve Spencer, Eddie Davis, and Mike Demmick). Saucer had a house gig from the mid-70s on. We learned a lot about our craft over those years. We played six nights a week and rehearsed four days a week. We were just about living in the club. We were one of the first bands looked at by Virgin Records in England, but we could not wait for an answer. So, we signed with White Horse Records in Nashville, Tenn., and released a single, I'm Flying/Thank You. It was a bad record deal, but we learned a lot about what not to do when you sign a record deal. I still stay in touch with Gary Carroll, a great songwriter and friend.

In the late 70s came The North Star Band. They were ready to go on the road and needed a bass player - and I was their man. We went all over the country for a few years and played with every famous country act you could think of. We recorded a live album while I was in the band and we have a studio album that never got released. We had a great management team, which included my father, Oliver Watt Besley Jr. But even with the great people backing us, we could not survive as a band. We broke up in the early 80s. I learned a lot with those guys. I still miss you all. (Al Johnson, Lou Hager, Jay Jesup, and Paul Goldstein).

I was a little lost after North Star. I did an open mike night at the Pickett Inn in Fairfax, Va. It was a hell of a party and included notables, Bob Margolin, Hevry Country and Kill Devil.

I played in a couple of groups: Ludwell Newton (Ricky Meyer, Billy Mahoney, Danny Menzie, Kevin Ball, and Kevin Kirkman); and Bob Margolin (Bob, myself and a host of drummers).

What a great player and person, Bob Margolin is. I learned a lot from that man. That was also the only time I got a chance to play with my ex-brother-in-law, Matt Abts (Government Mule).

Dewhite (Jim Staford, Bob White, Deny Desloge, and Bill Mahoney). They were from my favorite band, Kill Devil. It was a dream come true to get a chance to play with those guys. I think about them a lot.

In 1986, it was time to leave Virginia. I headed to Jekyll Island, Ga., where I still have an address. I started playing with my half-brother, Ed Pickett. We had a duo and recorded a cassette that a lot of people talk about and a lot of the songs are kept alive on Those Guys 1 release. I have since moved to Florida, but Ed remains on the island. I miss Ed, but I talk to him at least once a week. He's doing good. Look him up if you're on the island. (The Seiners: Ed Pickett and Brady Green).

When I met Walt and Chris, Ed and myself were playing in St. Augustine, FL. They sat in and it wasn't long before Those Guys was a trio.

Those Guys have seven CDs. Currently, we are working on number eight. We have had great people around us (Artimus Pyle, Banner Thomas, and Billy Annin). The former band members of Those Guys are Shelton Irwin, John McGee, Michael Howard, and Chris McVey.  Those Guys are Walt Kulwicki, Barry Dunaway, Woody Pernell and myself.

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