Steve Kesler
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Drummer Steve Kesler started playing drums professionally in his mid twenties, playing for a band called “Ramblin” in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he played the local club scene. When he moved to Mountain Home, he met keyboardist / vocalist Eddy King and started playing with a country band called “Crooked Creek Review.” The band started playing shows in theaters, opening for acts such as Randy Travis. Through the years, Steve has been active playing the drums at different churches in the Mountain Home area. When asked about the Melodikats music, he said “I’ve always wanted to be in a band that plays the style of music that I personally connected with through the years,” he says. “I enjoy working with really good players and I’m blessed to be able to play with these guys.”
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Mike Walker
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Bassist Mike Walker started out playing percussion in school. He learned to play several instruments before falling in love with the bass. He performed high school mixers then later at clubs. “It was so fun back then,” he says. He then got the opportunity to record commercials and album tracks at a studio in Jonesboro, Arkansas. “But I’ve always loved 70s music,” he says. “I’m just a product of that. Steely Dan and Michael McDonald have been a love of mine, and I’ve never been in band that could tackle that type of music. I’m hanging on these guys that I’m playing with. They’re making me better every day.
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Pete Adams
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Pete Adams plays electric & acoustic mandolin, melodica, fiddle, keyboards and sings vocals. Originally from the Bay area in California, when everyone else was listening to Beach Boys and surfer music in the 60s, Pete found himself leaning more toward George Jones, Merle Haggard and other country classics. He went on a venture to play bluegrass and country, picking up mandolin on the way, then later the fiddle. “When I started playing fiddle and getting more into music, I realized I always wanted to be a jazz guitar player, like a Joe Pass, or a Kenny Burrell,” he says. So as a result, 20 years later Pete had a 5-string electric mandolin made and spent 7 and a half years touring with Dusty Drapes and the Dusters out of Boulder, Colorado, opening for Merle Haggard, Earnest Tub and Jerry Lee Lewis, among others. Later he moved back to California and wrote radio and television commercials. He ended up moving to Mountain Home, Arkansas, and years later joined the Melodikats, whose namesake reflects Pete’s latest instrument choice of the melodica. “This is the tightest, best band that I’ve ever been in,” he says, “and I’m playing all the stuff I’ve always wanted to play.”
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Tim Martin
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Vocalist Tim Martin is blessed with an incredible voice and an even better ear. He has been singing for 40 years in various bands, including an a cappella band called First Day. When Tim joined Melodikats, singing both lead parts and harmonies, he matched the musicianship of the band using his voice as an instrument. “This is a different kind of joy I get from singing with these guys.”
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Rob Styer
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Guitarist Rob Styer has a musical history dating back to 1963. “I was in 8th grade,” he says, “and I was sitting in our living room, and Ed Sullivan had a band from England. We sat there and my dad said it would never last. That was the first time the Beatles played in the United States, and I was hopelessly hooked. That same week at school, some kid brought a Fender electric guitar to school and I drooled all over it. My parents bought me a cheap acoustic guitar for Christmas that year and I never looked back.” Son to a Naval Captain, Rob traveled all over the country and ended up in Hawaii, soon finding some opportunities and exposure that he wouldn’t have anywhere else. In high school, Rob got to open up for big bands that came to Hawaii, such as The Doors, Ten Years After, Jethro Tull and a slew of others. “We weren’t any good, but they were,” he says. “It was amazing to be hobnobbing with these people, and actually meet a lot of these people. It was a huge influence on me.” Rob then went to play on the road all over the country, mostly at dance clubs, and got into the funk scene, then later got exposed to jazz and fusion in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “I learned all of the stuff that gave me the kind of foundation to be able to play in this band. There would have been no way. Before that it was three-chord rock and roll or three-chord country. It’s just been amazing to look back all these years later; I’m 63 years old, and in 1963 was when I first picked up a guitar. I’m having the best time of my life.”
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Vonda King
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Vocalist Vonda King started singing in a Christian group when she was 12. Three years later she met Eddy King, who started playing piano in the group. Vonda went to college on a vocal scholarship during which time she trained classically in choir. Vonda and Eddy have been married since 1982 and they still make music together. “I had really no intention of being part of the Melodikats,” she says. “Then I kept getting invited to come sing background vocals. I’m really enjoying it, and I’m glad they let me hang out with them.”
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Eddy King
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Keyboardist and vocalist Eddy King started playing with Vonda King in a Christian group when they were both 15, and it didn’t take long for them to start dating each other. “The absolute best thing that ever happened to me was playing in that group and meeting my wife of all these years,” he says. “I wouldn’t change any of that.” Later he played with Steve Kesler in Crooked Creek Review, as well as doing other musical projects when he finally decided to start working in church music. From 1990-2010 he was the music minister at East Side Baptist in Mountain Home, Arkansas. He also recorded jingles at his home studio. During that time he befriended many of the other members of the band. I’ve been playing seriously since I was 14 and, because of guys like this, I’m the best I’ve ever been. That’s the thing that I’ve really enjoyed about music through the years, even at my age I’m not past my prime. I don’t think that I have peaked yet. I’m still looking forward to the times to come.”
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Tim Tucker - Tenor Sax
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Tim Tucker started performing in 1960, at the age of 6, singing with his father's country band. In 1972 he was recruited as a saxophonist with the United States Air Force Band. In 1978 he entered the United States Navy Band as a saxophonist, guitarist and vocalist. After working as a Music Director in a Tulsa Oklahoma public school from 1982 to 1986, he re-entered the Navy Band until retiring in 1998. He has performed around the world, during his military music career, from the Philippines to Hawaii, and was a featured vocalist and instrumentalist with the Southern Nato Band in Naples Italy. He also served as Song Leader at the Bridge Baptist Church and Conductor of the Mountain Home Symphony. He owns and operates a music studio teaching private lessons and recording. He is a graduate of the Enlisted Band Leader course at the Navy's School of Music and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music and a Masters Degree in Music Education.
In November of 2019, President Donald Trump awarded Tim, and all other military musicians, the National Medal of Arts for their outsanding performance and professionalism. |
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Mark Hopper - Trumpet
Mark began playing trumpet at the age of 10. He attended college at Arkansas State University as a trumpet/music major, completing his bachelor’s degree in 1982 and a master’s degree in 1984. He went on to serve as a Jr High and High School band director in West Plains, Arkadelphia and Osceola until 1990 when he joined his family business in Mountain Home. Mark played lead trumpet with the ASU “Tribe” Jazz Band and the Northeast Arkansas Jazz Society Big Band for a number of years as well as the pop/rock show band “Brooklyn” during the early 80s. He played regularly with Northeast Arkansas Symphony and performed with the Arkansas Symphony. Mark studied trumpet with Richard Jorgensen, principal trumpet with the Arkansas Symphony and lead jazz trumpeter Roy Stevens in New York. Currently, he plays trumpet with the Mountain Home Symphony and the Melodikats.
Randy Blades - Alto Sax
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Randy began playing saxophone in the Birch Run, Michigan school band at age 11. At the same time he learned to play piano, but saxophone was his love. He was taught music theory and encouraged by his church music director, Bob Ridley, who was an amazing musician. Randy began playing saxophone solos almost immediately. As a senior Randy started and directed the first ever pep band at Birch Run High School. He majored in music at Southwest Baptist College then completed his degree at Arkansas Tech University. Randy served as music director at several churches in Arkansas from 1969-82. While attending Twin Lakes Baptist he established and directed the orchestra from the late 80's until 1995. Randy has played with numerous praise bands and orchestras at different churches all across the country. Randy served as the music teacher and band director at Calico Rock Schools from 1993-1998. He is now enjoying his time playing Alto Sax for the MelodiKats.
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