Junell Street is where the party is!
Members:
Gary Fights (founding member): 12 & 6 String Guitar, Bass. Percussion, Vocals.
Karen Jaggers (original member): Vocals, Percussion.
Forrest Pollock: Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Bass, Vocals.
Jon Fights: Drums, Bass, Guitar, Percussion.
For nearly a decade, Junell Street has been performing in the Central Kentucky area. They have performed in bars, festivals, fairs, charity events and other functions throughout the area. The band performs both original and cover tunes. The covers include rock, pop, blues, r&b, and country classics ranging from the 40's through today. Their original music is of a similar style and is written by members Gary Fights and Forrest Pollock. They also perform original music written by area songwriters, including, former bandmember and co-founder Kim Weber, Mark Dewitt, Gary Brangers and Gordon West.
The "Junell Street Sound" combines two, three and four part harmonies with a strong rhythm driven sound. This sound is accented by Forrest Pollock's lead guitar.
Member Bios:
Gary Fights (founding member) 2004 - 2014: Bass, 12 and 6 String Guitars, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals, Songwriter.
Gary is the unofficial leader/manager of the band. He and Kim Weber formed the band together in 2004. Fights arranged most of the music both originals and covers from the time the band started until 2011 and after Weber's departure was the sole songwriter of the group until Pollock joined in 2011. Much of the music the band performs in live shows were songs he has been playing either as a solo act or with other performers over the years. He also produced, engineered and mastered four of the band's five albums. While playing mainly 12 or 6 string guitar on stage, he also played bass, keyboards and percussion on all the band's studio albums. He sings both lead and backing vocals. He started performing at the age of 6 and performed with a number of bands on drums or bass starting at the age of 12. From that time through today he has performed with a number of bands, duos and as a solo performer. Most notibly, as bassist/vocalist in Blue Rock Project and one half of 2x12. He also is serving his fourth term as President of the Heartland Songwriters Association of KY.
Karen Jaggers (original member) 2005-2014: Vocals, Percussion.
Karen is the younger sister of Gary Fights. Her musical background prior to singing with the band was mainly gospel and chorus. She broke into the local music scene sometimes sitting in with her brother in his solo shows or in different bands he performed in. She began sitting in with Junell Street in early 2005 at some of their local shows when they were still called 2x12. Her natural soprano vocal styl INVALID fit perfectly with Fights and Weber's vocal mix. In late 2005 she became an official member of the band as a backing vocalist and was a key figure involved with band's name change. After Weber's departure from the band in 2008, Jagger's role in the band expanded from background vocals to sharing lead vocal duties with Fights. She also took over the vocal arrangements for the group and is responsible for the band's signature harmonies.
Forrest Pollock 2011-2014: Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Harmonica, Sax, Vocals, Songwriter.
Like Fights, Pollock is a veteran performer and a multi instrumentalist. He has been a fixture in the Central KY music scene for decades. He has performed in a number of area bands and in military bands as well on various instruments. Since joining the band in 2011, he has shared the duties of arranging the band's music with Fights and now his handling most of the arrangements. He is also a songwriter who has worked and recorded with a number of other performer/writers. He has recorded both as a solo artist and with other area musicians and now is providing some of the original music for Junell Street. His lead guitar adds a great deal of flair to the band's rhythm driven sound. He also provides both lead and background vocals for the band.
Jon Fights 2011- 2014: Drums, Percussion, Harmonica, Guitar, Bass, Vocals.
Jon is the son of Gary Fights and Karen Jaggers's nephew and is the youngest member of the band. He began sitting in with them on harmonica and drums in 2005 at the age of 12. His first full length shows with the band were in 2009 sitting in on bass in Marshall Porters's absence. He became the band's drummer when original drummer Bob Oberg decided to take some time off at the end of 2010. The band had bookings, but no drummer so Fights learned the band's entire catalogue in a period of three weeks. After Oberg formally left the band Fights became the official drummer. His background before Junell Street was mainly performing in Marching and concert band in school as well as performing in percussion ensembles. He has also worked with some other local musicians on bass and drums and has performed in local talent shows. Fights, is also an aspiring songwriter and hopes to have some of his original work included in the band's set list and he is learning about working behind the scenes in the studio. Normally quiet and reserved, on stage he likes to ham it up for the crowd including extended drum solos and throwing his broken sticks out to the audience.
Former members:
Kim Weber (founding member) 2004-2008: Guitar, Keyboard, Vocals, Songwriter.
Melvin "Sonny Waddell (original member) 2004-2008: Bass, Guitar, Vocals, Songwriter.
Bob Oberg (original member) 2005-2011: Drums, Percussion.
Marshall Porter 2008-2013: Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals.
Alli Taj 2009-2010: Vocals, Percussion.
Mike Cable 2006: Lead Guitar.
Jonny Edblom 2006-2007: Lead Guitar.
Jason Murphy 2009: Lead Guitar.
Regular guest performers:
Bruce Avramis: Lead Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
Gordon West: Lead Guitar, Vocals.
Frank Funkhouser: Lead Guitar.
Tom Yerke: Lead Guitar.
Bruce Caldera: Vocals
Mark Dewitt: Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
Wesley Small: Lead Guitar.
Brenda Docken: Percussion, Drums.
Don Picozzi: Keyboards.
Discography.
"A Different Shade of Blues" (2005 - unreleased), Recorded by the band's original line-up featured seven blues classics and one original written by Fights. While not available for sale, the band did use this album for promotional purposes.
"Live at Jazzy's" (2007 - unreleased). This live album was recorded over a two night performance at Jazzy's in Bardstown, KY in December of 2007. It was intended to be the band's debut album and while it did capture the fun and spirit that the band's live shows inspire, the quality of the sound wasn't good so the band decided to shelve the project.
"Coming Home" (2008). The band's official debut album. Featured 12 tracks of original music written mainly by Gary Fights. The album was recorded as the band was in transition. Several of the tracks were recorded by Fights as part of an unreleased solo album. Kim Weber and Karen Jaggers performed the backing tracks. Bob Oberg provide drum tracks on half of the songs, and Fights, Marshal Porter, and Sonny Waddell provided the bass tracks.
"Against The Wall (2009). The band's second offical release was recorded at the same time as "Coming Home" but was held from release until early 2009. As with "Coming Home" half the tracks were actually recorded by Fights as part of an unreleased solo effort. The remaining tracks included performances by the rest of the band.
"Time Changes" (2010). Released at the end of 2010, featured the band's then current line up of Fights, Jaggers, Porter and Oberg. It was all orignal featuring mostly songs written or co-written by Fights as well as a couple of other area songwriters. This would be the last original album for both Oberg and Porter.
Junell Street was working on their sixth album featuring songs written by both Fights and Pollock as well as former founding member Kim Weber. They were looking to release the new album titled "Under Construction" in 2014.
Fights is considering releasing either an Anthology of the band's studio recordings or possibly releasing both "A Different Shade of Blues" and "Live at Jazzy's" as a tribute to the band.
Junell Street is where the party is!
The Junell Street Band formed as an extension of the Folk Rock duo 2x12 (Gary "Stage Hogg" Fights & Kim "The REAL Heartland Idol" Swickard), after performing as a duo for over a year they started experimenting with expanding on their sound. They often performed at Backstage Cafe' in Elizabethtown, KY which was a local cafe' that featured live original music. They hooked up with veteran bassist "the Legend" Sonny Waddell in November of 2004. 2x12 took the stage as a "band" for the first time at Backstage Cafe' on December 31, 2004 with Sonny on Bass and Brenda Docken on drums and percussion. Docken and the band parted ways soon after that show over creative differences and Drummer Bob "CAP" Oberg who had just moved into the area from Cleveland OH in March became the band's full-time drummer. The newly formed band performed in various area venues over the next year still under the name 2x12. They had different area performers sitting in at their shows as they experimented with their sound. The most significant change came in late 2005 when Gary's sister Karen "Doo Wah" Jaggers joined the band on background vocals. Thus adding three part harmonies to the band's no frills rhythmn driven sound. They decided because Gary and Kim were still performing as an acoustic duo under the same name that the band needed to have a separate name and identity. They bounced names around including Bad Math and Ashley's Nightmare before agreeing on The Junell Street Band (later shortened to Junell Street), named for the street Gary Fights lives on. Over the next year and a half Junell Street continued playing in venues throughout the Central KY area. Their shows were a fun mix of Classic Rock, Blues, and original music influenced by the band's diverse musical tastes. After having a number of local guitarists sit in with them at this time they added Mike Cable on lead guitar, but his time was cut short due to his military obligations. Shortly after his departure, the band added "Minnesota" Jonny Edblom on Lead Guitar. The band let him go after 6 months due to creative and performance issues.
2007 was a transitional year for Junell Street. Kim Swickard left the band early in the year to persue her solo career, although she still sat in with the band occasionally. Junell Street continued to perform mainly as a trio consisting of Fights, Waddell, and Oberg with Karen Jaggers performing as her work schedule allowed. The next change for the band came in June of 2007 when their original bassist Sonny Waddell left the band due to health concerns. After three months of auditions to find a replacement, Marshall "The Kid" Porter auditioned and blew the band away. After his first show with the band in November of 2007. Sonny gave him the thumbs up as his replacement. Over the next year the band went into "dry dock" as they were working on new music both original and covers and recording. The result was two albums "Coming Home" and "Against The Wall". In 2009 they decided it was time to get busy and start playing out again because they missed the fun of interacting with the audience. At the same time there were two more major changes in the band. Karen Jaggers role in the band had changed from being the "Doo Wop" girl to sharing lead vocal duties with Gary, and another female vocalist Alli"Kat" Taj, joined the band expanding their sound with four part harmonies. They also added a new lead guitarist, Jason "Jaybird" Murphy who was introduced to the band by Oberg. Junell Street spent the next several months playing various festivals, and fairs rather than going the bar band route including the Heartland Festival, and the Hardin County Fair to great reviews and began working on their third album as well. Towards the end of the year Alli had to step out of the band due to personal matters and offically left early in 2010. Guitarist Murphy also left the band. At the beginning of 2010, the band, in addition to performing regular shows in area venues, began working on their album "Time Changes". The album which featured Fights, Jaggers, Porter and Oberg, was finished towards the end of the year and officially released in December of 2010. After the release of the CD, Drummer Bob Oberg took some time off from the band due to personal issues and Fights's son Jon Fights filled in on drums in his place. In March of 2011 Oberg and the band parted ways and Jon became the band's full-time drummer. Also in March of 2011 the band's long search for a lead guitarist came to an end when singer/songwriter/guitarist Forrest Pollock started performing with the band. He officially became a member in May bringing not only his excellent lead guitar skills to the band's mix but his vocals and original music as well. Throughout 2011 and 12 Junell Street continued performing in area venues, festivals, fairs and other events. In early 2013 the band parted ways with bassist Marshall Porter and began searching for a replacement. Most of the shows they performed at that time were either with the remaining members performing without a bassist or acoustic shows featureing Fights, Jaggers and Pollock. They were auditioning bass players but sadly, finding none. Both Fights and Pollock fill in on bass in the studio. They had also been searching for a full time keyboard player.
The band continued to play with their current line up and with Robin Mach sitting in on bass on some of their gigs from 2011-2014. While not interested in being a full time member of the band, Mach was satisfied to play in the live shows and Pollack and Fights would lay down bass tracks for studio sessions. Also, Fights, Jaggers and Pollack did several shows as an acoustic trio at some smaller venues. The first two tracks Prison Farm Blues and Texas Flood II of the new album "Under Construction" were recorded at Fights' Studio and the band was working on the rest of the eleven tracks. However, the recording sessions as well as many of the gigs were sidelined when Karen Jaggers took ill in 2012.
Junell Street came to an abrupt end when Karen Jaggers passed away due to complications from her illness on September 1 2014. Fights decided after 10 years and being the sole original member of the band remaining, it was time to bring Junell Street to an end.
In their 10 year run, Junell Street was locally and regionally successful with a strong following and their albums sold well. They had success on the charts on Soundclick as well including hitting #1 on the Jump Blues Chart with their rendition of Gordon West's song Big Fat Betty.
While Junell Street no longer exists as a working band. This page remains up as a tribute to the band and in the memory of Karen Jaggers and Melvin "Sonny" Waddell.
Yes we play live, we are currently checking out some new venues in the Central Ky Area. We love it. Each night is special the more the audience gets into what we're doing onstage the better we play.. We love it when folks come up and party with us.
B. B. King, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Temptations, Neil Young, Crosby Stills and Nash, Three Dog Night, Stevie Ray Vaughn, The Rolling Stones, Blues Traveler, and many other Classic Rock, Pop, and Blues acts from the 60's through the 90's
Framus and Fender guitars and amps, Schecter Bass, Tama Drums w/ Zildgen Cymbals. Shure SM 58 mics and Behringer PA system and mains. Also Chauvet lighting and their music is recorded on a Yamaha AW16G 16 track workstation.