Muddy Ford
 
If you're born with a rock 'n' roll heart, all the regimentation of life in the real world won't alter its rhythm.
A suit and tie, a house in suburbia, a successful career -- those things don't matter. That heartbeat surges in the presence of a searing guitar riff or a potent drum solo.
The four members of Greenville rock band Muddy Ford still feel that distinctive cadence. By day, they're businessmen in their 40s and 50s, in fields like engineering and insurance, with wives and kids and nice houses.
But one recent night, they were holed up in James Cantrell's basement, tearing up ZZ Top's "Waitin' for the Bus."
"Have mercy," Cantrell wailed, his face contorted and his guitar screaming in response, while drummer Frank Hopkins kept the backbeat going in the corner. They're a long way from their day jobs, even though it's only been an hour or two since they got off work.
Most of them are still wearing their dress pants and nicely pressed shirts from work, a far cry from the de facto rock band rehearsal uniform of faded T-shirts and frayed jeans.
Muddy Ford has performed at Barley's and the Handlebar and at a number of private parties in the two years since it formed. They're also working on a full-length CD, recording it on equipment in Cantrell's basement.
The members of Muddy Ford, who named the band after a street in Cantrell's neighborhood, don't expect to be the next Rolling Stones; they're just happy to indulge their passion.
"We have day jobs to support our habit," Cantrell said.
The money they might make from music isn't paramount anyway, they say.
"We play for free, but we get paid to set up and tear down the equipment," Hopkins said.
Cantrell's basement in a tree-lined Eastside neighborhood illustrates the dichotomy of their lives. Enter through the sliding glass door, and you'll find lawnmowers, pesticides, kids' bikes, a workbench -- all the accouterments of a suburban life.
But turn the corner, and the music takes over. Microphone stands, amps and a drum kit sit under the low rafters, which are festooned with strings of plastic tube-encased colored lights. A neon martini glass offers a glowing toast to their songs.
When they get into a groove, the decibels increase, but the houses in Cantrell's neighborhood are far enough apart that the neighbors don't complain. The noise from the basement once knocked over a lamp upstairs, Cantrell said, but there's no room-trashing or instrument-bashing a la the Who or Jimi Hendrix.
Sometimes they rehearse in Hopkins' dining room, where his drum kit resides, and his patient wife rarely complains, Hopkins said.
Hopkins uses Cantrell's teen-age son's drums, with the teen's permission, when Muddy Ford jams at Cantrell's house. They try to rehearse as often as possible, which turns out to be weekly when they have an upcoming gig.
But when they can't play together, they hone their sound separately, often to recordings of Muddy Ford songs.
Their repertoire is a mix of familiar rock and blues tunes and originals penned by Cantrell, the band's primary songwriter, actually its only one. A set list might run the gamut from Creedence Clearwater Revival to Stevie Ray Vaughan to Santana, with a few of Cantrell's tunes added to the mix. Originals like "Spoonfed Mamma's Boy" fit comfortably alongside the better-known blues-rock songs in their set.
But the cover tunes they choose aren't always the ones you might expect, and that's by design.
"We didn't want to do the mainstream covers," Cantrell said. "We wanted to play songs that make people say, 'I remember that one.'"
Their objective, after all, is enjoyment, for themselves and their listeners.
"Our mission is to play and have a good time," Hopkins said.
Whatever it takes to keep the rock 'n' roll heart beating.

By Donna Isbell Walker
ENTERTAINMENT WRITER
dwalker@greenvillenews.com
 

The Band Members are:

Frank Hopkins

Frank Hopkins started playing drums at age thirteen. By high school, he and a couple of friends formed a band to play mainly what is now known as beach music as he is from the Outer Banks of North Carolina. He has continued playing in various bands, including classic and southern rock, country, and beach music. He also has played guitar in various smaller groups performing country, bluegrass, and worship music.
 

Mark Weigle

I was raised in the suburbs of Chicago, the third oldest of 6 children. When I was 12 I saved all my money from mowing lawns one summer and bought my first guitar, a Montgomery Wards Airline acoustic. At the same time I bought a pickup, microphone and amplifier and I was ready to become the next “Beatle”. Luckily our house had a basement where I could escape and practice without driving my parents crazy. My older brother had a drum set so there was always music in our house. My younger brother eventually got a guitar too. I was immediately hooked and played in various bands throughout high school. After my senior year my family moved to St. Petersburg, Florida so I decided to try out the Sunshine State. Six months later I was back in the Chicago suburbs, playing bass in a bluegrass band, Cedar Creek. We lasted about 6 months before we got tired of it. We all went our separate ways so I headed back to Florida.
By now my folks had moved near Clearwater, which was much, more teenager friendly. I hooked up with three other musicians, once again playing bass in the “Bonestreet Band”. We had great 3 part harmonies. It was while playing with this band that I met my wife of 30years, Eileen. We settled in Tampa, had 3 kids, and lived happily ever after. In Tampa I was part of an acoustic guitar duo, “Spare Change”, with my good friend Frank Reeves. We did this for a few years until it got old. In between I would jam with my 2 brothers, Glenn on drums and John on bass. We could make some pretty good noise and actually did a gig here and there.
Much later on, (2004) I hooked up with some great musicians in Tampa to form a band called “Edge Wise”. Randy Neubert on lead guitar, Tim Chandler on lead and lead vocals, Bobby Reed on keyboards and vocals, John Lintner on drums and vocals and me on bass and vocals. Edge Wise focused on all original music. Some of my greatest times were with this band. We continued writing and recording until a job offer pulled me away to Greenville, SC. I still participate in writing and recording new songs with Randy and Tim, even though we’re 600 miles apart.
My first 11 months in Greenville I was without a band until I heard about a guy I worked with that played guitar. I made a point to see the “Muddy Ford” band live at Chiefs. I introduced myself to James Cantrell and soon after arranged an acoustic jam. Soon after I was asked to jam with the whole band. The next thing I knew I was an official member and we’ve been having lots of fun ever since. I look forward to the Monday night practices in my basement. It’s all about the music!