The Denny Russell Band members
Denny Russell - lead vocal, guitars, songwriter Gary Bowman - mandolin, banjo, harmonica |
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Denny Russell - lead vocal, guitars, songwriter
 Denny grew up in El Cajon, California
(San Diego area). His first instrument was the trumpet in grammar school. Later he switched to trombone in junior high.
Dennys’ musical world really started to take shape while in junior high. His dad brought home a guitar with the
idea that he might learn to play, so Denny took this opportunity to take a folk guitar class at school. His best friend
played drums and Denny's brother bought a drum set as well, so once again... opportunity. He wrote his first song in
his early teens and hasn’t stopped yet. Writing is his passion. In high school he played guitar and sang in a band
playing mostly school dances in the area. Over the years much of his playing and singing has been at the churches he’s
attended. This includes Twin Cities Church, where he currently attends and occasionally plays drums or does a vocal solo.
One memorable occasion at a previous church was sitting in on drums when Grammy Award winning Phil Driscol came through
town. |
Gary Bowman - mandolin, banjo, harmonica
 Gary grew up in the midwest, often
listening to his dad singing and playing the songs of the Inkspots on the guitar. At the age of 10, Gary bought his first
Hohner Marine Band harmonica, and soon afterwards, received a Silvertone acoustic guitar as a birthday present. From
that time forward, music has been the thread through Gary's life. Gary now enjoys playing a variety of stringed instruments,
including guitar, mandolin, banjo, dobro, and bass. Gary's interests range from Appalachian folk to Celtic, Blues to
Bluegrass, and Ethnic to American swing. From the late 70's forward, Gary has joined and founded numerous bands, including
Khadra Music and Dance Ensemble (San Francisco), the Portola Valley Rough Riders (San Mateo), Round Valley Hogcallers,
the Light and Glory Gospel Band, Blackberry Jammers, and Heartbeat of the Isles (Mendocino County). Gary has also performed
and recorded with various songwriters, including the singing cowboy Tim McIsaac and country singer Marjo Lambert. From
pizza parlors and coffee houses to fairs and festivals, music has opened the doors for great experiences and long-lasting
relationships. Gary was also a Train Singer for the California Western Railroad (the Skunk Train) during the late 90's,
and has performed on trains up and down the west coast, through Oregon, on up to Alaska. Currently, Gary, along with
violinist Robert Russell, comprises one-half of the eclectic duo, the "Local Motives", and is a member of the
Twin Cities Church, CA. |
Lance Campbell - drums
| Lance is our new drummer as of January 2008. Information about Lance will be added later. |
Don Parish - guitars, backup vocal
 In 1975, Don was 12 years old,
bored and lonely. The family had just moved 30 miles away from his school and friends and starting over again in a new
town was proving hard. There was an old guitar in the basement and he determined to learn to play it over the summer.
That was the beginning of a 30+ year love affair with the instrument
Don has played in bands throughout his career, but has also done a variety of orchestra sessions, including a few as conductor of a combined orchestra featuring players from the Denver and Colorado Springs symphonies. A highlight of his guitar career was playing the Vivaldi concerto in C major, arranged for guitar, with the Bay Chamber Symphony orchestra in 1990. As attached to the acoustic guitar as Don is, he has never lost or lessened his love for the electric guitar. He has been featured on a variety of local and syndicated TV shows across the country. The Denny Russell band is Don’s seventh (and by far best!) band and is the first to feature some of his songwriting. With a strong gospel and country music background, Denny Russell’s music is the perfect foil for Don’s punchy tone and melodic lines. |
Tim Schermerhorn - bass
 From the age of seven, music has
always been a part of Tim's life. As an Air Force brat, he was born overseas, but was raised from four years old in Colorado
Springs, which he considers his hometown. He had wanted to play trumpet in band, like both his older brothers, but his
mother insisted he play a different instrument. She had a fondness for Boots Randolf, so when she found an alto saxophone
at a garage sale, his fate was decided.
Early on he excelled musically. He went on through his school career with numerous awards, both for solo and ensemble achievements. He has also played soprano, tenor and baritone sax, flute, clarinet and mellophone for one season of marching band. He was selected for several national awards, including the United States National Band Association and Who's Who in Music. Instead of pursuing a career in music, he went to vocational college, where he graduated with a degree in electronic technology and moved to Silicon Valley for work. Fast forward ten years and Tim found himself helping to organize a band for his church's contemporary worship service. There was no one to play bass, so he taught himself. He quickly became proficient enough that he also took over the leadership role, both singing lead and playing bass. Since moving to the Sierra foothills in 2001, he rediscovered his love of all things musical. He is pursuing the music career he always wanted. He plays in the band at Twin Cities Church in Grass Valley, as well as finding pick-up gigs when he has time. As a member of Generation-X, his first love is rock and metal, but performing with the Denny Russell Band has ironically brought him back to his childhood country roots. |
Don Stamey - keyboards
 Originally from Southern California
(Orange County), Don moved to Grass Valley in 2003, for the small town rural environment. He is a self-employed computer
programmer, but has played the piano since age nine. He took five years of formal piano lessons, but quit because he
hated practicing the classical music. He liked playing piano, but wanted to play the songs he liked, and play them his
way. In high school he was in the jazz band, and began playing in church at age 15. In his teenage years, he also started
playing alto sax, guitar, organ, and in the 1990s began playing electric bass (which is his second favorite instrument
to play), but the piano has always been his roots. Through the years, Don has played for weddings, funerals, theatre,
restaurants, vocal groups, along with the countless years in church orchestra and band.
In the 1980s, he was with The Regents, a southern gospel quartet that performed all over Southern California. From 1989 to 2003 he and his wife attended the First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, where he played piano and electric bass in the band/orchestra. Currently, in addition to being part of the Denny Russell Band, he plays keyboards in the band at Twin Cities Church in Grass Valley. He never imagined he would be part of a country rock band, but he says "it's been a lot of fun and the band members are good guys". |