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Extract from the **COLUMBUS DAILY ADVOCATE***
***MUSICIAN RETURNS TO ROOTS FOR LOCAL GIG***
Published: Friday, January 16, 2009 9:59 AM CST
After touring the world with his guitar, a Columbus native is coming home to perform and is hoping some of his friends and former classmates will stop by and visit.
Columbus High School graduate Gene Puckett and his band “The Dropouts†will be playing Friday and Saturday night at the Downstream Casino. They will perform Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Puckett, is the son of Mary Jane and the late John Puckett both of Columbus and the grandson of the late Alta and John Milner and Orville and Thelma Puckett.
The “Dropouts†are a rock and roll band with sound likened to such power pop masters as “Cheap Trick†and “The Babys.â€
In addition to the bands solo performances they play back up for the Osmond Brothers in their road show and are expected to work with the Osmonds in Branson later this year.
The “Dropouts†work out of Springfield, the musicians’ individual backgrounds are a collective musical powerhouse with over 100 years of combined performance experience.
In addition to Puckett, the band members include Bryan Lawson, Greg Frazier, Scott Taylor and Steve Mason. All the band members are from the four state area.
***BIO***
My love for Music started at an early age, playing melodies on the piano at just 4 years old ! I quickly realised I could pick out any tune I wanted and eventually went on to take guitar lessons from Verne Leeper (a well known Cherokee C
County musician).
I started playing professionally at 15 with my first band MIRROR. We played proms, parties clubs and concerts. We even played my own prom when I was a senior.
I was then asked to join one of the most popular bands in Joplin, MO called ROAD HOG. The name was changed to ATOMIC BOB and we played clubs for a couple of years. Just as that band came to an end I was asked to join THE DARTS and did very well playing clubs and opened a few concerts in Joplin.
I joined NAKED ZOO in 1985, which was my most successful band and were together until 1992. We played all over the country at showcase clubs and opened for several national acts. We received regional airplay with two songs I had written; "CRY FOR ME" and "EMOTIONS". We have had several reunion shows since we stopped playing and still draw a great crowd. Check out the photos.
NAKED ZOO Reunion Jun 28th 2008 - RADIO INTERVIEW
NAKED ZOO : 1985 - 1992
Many Thanks to Julie Lawson for many of these shots.
In addition I started to play (and still do) for the Bilyeau Family at their annual concerts which draw huge audiences of around 3,000 - 4,000. I also played in Branson with Tony Roi.
In 2001, I started playing for THE OSMONDS at the Osmond Family Theatre. In 2004, I toured the UK with Merrill Osmond and the BLACK BEAR BAND (Bryan Lawson, Steve Mason and Aaron Smith). The following year we toured again throughout the UK and also Belgium with Merrill and Wayne Osmond. The same year we returned with The Osmonds to perform in the 'Once In A Lifetime Tour' which included the Bay City Rollers, David Essex and David Cassidy. These shows were a huge success and took place in major UK venues. In early 2006, The Osmonds went on the their own first UK tour in over two decades, selling out huge venues such as Wembley Arena, London.
During 2007, we performed two more Once In a Lifetime tours in the UK, during April and July, in addition to many shows throughout the USA and Canada with The Osmonds and and more recently, Marie Osmond.
****We are on tour with the Osmonds through 2009 and in addition will be playing at The Osmonds Theatre in BRANSON from Sept through to December 2009.****
My current band is THE DROPOUTS and we play regularly around the SPRINGFIELD Missouri area. We successfully opened for STYX in March 2007.
THE DROPOUTS debuted in LONDON, England in February 2007 and returned in July for a second show.
We are currently finishing our debut CD which will include our own material, of which I have written some of the tracks. Meanwhile, you can hear some cover tracks on this page whilst we finish up recording our original songs, which will be available soon !
In 2008 we were voted as the "BEST ROCK BAND" in Springfield's GO Magazine Music awards.
***THE DROPOUTS have recently started to play some casinos, check out the calendar for performances at the DOWNSTREAM CASINO in Oklahoma.***
Check out the calendar for upcoming Shows for THE DROPOUTS and Osmond performances !
Gene