Classic Rock, Blues Rock, Classic Pop, R&B
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.
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