I recently received a nice message from Jack Davis of Champaign.  He was bass player for the popular Lothar and the Handpeople and  Ice Blue Secret bands from 1967.  The bands, as I mentioned earlier, performed for the Nowhere more than once, and became very popular in Central Illinois.  Jack is a graphic designer, and designed the popular and famous Illini Symbol, that we do not see anymore. 

       Jack told me a funny story about his experience at the Nowhere, I would like to share. 

       "I don't remember if it was the first time we played there, but I remember walking thru the front entrance and somehow tripping, going down on both knees and ripping them right out of my pants.   I was wearing my suit pants from my wedding suit (got married at 20 in 1966) and the wife was so mad that I ruined my suit.  She later forgave me and we'll celebrate 50 years next February." 

       Jack had made a recent trip to Charleston on his motorcycle and discovered that the 4th and Van Buren Sts. Nowhere Club was gone.   He also viewed the “Charleston Stories” Nowhere Club piece recently broadcast, including my comment about Lothar and the Handpeople.  

       He went on and told me “I have such fond memories of the Nowhere and of your mom, Louise Taylor.  She was so good to us when we played down there.  Not only did I play there as part of Lothar, but also with a group called The Ice Blue Secret (summer of 1967).  See below for more about this band.

       You might be interested to know that the lead singer of that group was Terry Luttrell, who later became the first lead singer for REO Speedwagon and sang on their first album.  Also, Bill Fiorio, the lead guitar player with Lothar, later became Duke Tumatoe, of the All-Star Frogs, and later Duke Tumatoe and the Power Trio, out of Indianapolis.  He is still playing and has many fans.  Terry Luttrell is singing and fronting a group called the Tons of Fun Band (TOFB) out of Champaign that is very popular, kind of a horn rock band.”

       My Comment:  I thought many of the Nowhere fans of Lothar and the Handpeople and Ice Blue Secret would enjoy seeing the old advertisements and the update by Lothar and the Handpeople bassist, Jack Davis.  

Lothar and the Handpeople had such a good sound.  They were very professional.

       Comments from Mac Macoy (at http://www.hollywoodhangover.com/htm_files/champaign_part_two.htm--  

       "Right after my graduation in '67 we started up The Ice Blue Secret, drawing on members of The Rising Suns and Lothar and the Hand People. I think a couple of the guys were away for the summer and Jack Davis was living in Champaign, having been the bass player for Lothar. The Secret was immediately thrust onto the Champaign scene. Thanks to Bob's hard work and the talent of guys like Jack and Dave Lewis (Louie, in those days) we put together a good playlist and spent the summer both in Campaign (Chances R and Red Lion primarily) as well doing some out-of-town gigs (i.e. The Nowhere, Charleston, Il).

       Jack and I were the heart of the band and Louie and I were the fluff, playing all of the fun licks on trumpet and sax and sharing the keyboard duties. Steve Brakebill (RIP) was solid on drums for us. Best summer of my life. Did I forget to mention that Terry Luttrell came over to The Secret from The Rising Sons? Terry was the star. What a voice and what a presence. We frequently opened with Tom Jones' It's Not Unusual, with the horns driving the beat and Terry belting out the song. Audiences couldn't believe that a little 5-piece band plus singer could put out that much sound. We did things other bands only dreamed of playing, both rock and R&B. The horns were a relatively new aspect of the rock scene back then and it gave us a dimension that other bands did not have."