Pat Murphy

piano / organ / vocals 
With a musical career that spans four decades Pat Murphy's bands have long been a staple of the gulf coast music club, dance and outdoor festival circuit. From his earliest days in The Saxons and The Lost Souls through The County Line Band and The Pat Murphy Band of today, Murphy has watched the musical trends come and go through the years but he has remained true to the New Orleans R&B, funky southern soul and blues music that are his musical roots and passion.

Candy Murphy

vocals 
Candy is a self-taught bassist and started playing alongside her husband Pat as a member of The County Line Band in 1979. She began singing as well as playing bass about a year later and in 1992 Candy moved to a featured vocalist spot in the band. Candy's tunes are always a highpoint in any Pat Murphy Band Show . Her soulful throaty vocals bring to mind the influences and styles of r & b divas Etta James, Denise LaSalle and Irma Thomas .

Bob Welch

guitar 
Bob was born and raised in Pass Christian, Ms. and learned his trade playing with Little Buster and James Baker and The Claudettes. While attending Jackson State in Jackson, Ms. he was guitarist for Dorothy Moore and The Mid South Revue. Bob also worked in the road bands of other 60's and 70's r&b recording artists like Jimmy Hughes, Candy Staton and Jimmy Ruffin. Bob came to the band  in 1995 after seven years with The Pearl Band

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Willie Willis

trumpet / vocals
Willie was born and raised in north Gulfport, Ms (home of The Allman Brothers Band drummer, Jai Johnny Johnson). While in high school Willie played regionally with Carl Gates & The Decks. He played in the Mississippi Valley College Delta Devils marching band in the late sixties. Willie was also a member of the gulf coast's notorious Sounds of Soul Band. He was in the road bands of soul singers O.V. Wright and Tommy Tate. In 1972 Willie was on stage at the famed Watts-Stax Festival in Los Angeles as a member of Tommy Tate's band. Willie came to The Pat Murphy Band as a featured vocalist and trumpeteer in 1995 after seven year stretch with The Pearl Band.

Steve Sandberg

drums/vocals
Steve Sandberg was born in California and raised in New Jersey. He played in his high school band and went on to play in original material bands like White Horse and Oatmeal. Steve moved to the Gulf Coast in 1992 and began playing with The Revelers soon after. Later he joined New Orleans based band Street Beat and played a good bit on the New Orleans club scene. Steve joined the band about four years ago replacing Jimmy Prima who went back to playing on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

Jerry Jumonville

Saxophone & Arranger
New Orleans native son, Jerry Jumonville used to sneak into The Jazz Room to hear Charlie Fairley, one of his musical idols, play jazz when Jerry was just fourteen years old!! Jerry grew up playing around New Orleans with the likes of Mac Rebbenac. Like Rebbenac, Jerry migrated to the west coast in the mid sixties where he played with many of the musical greats of that era. Jerry played with Dr. John, Delaney & Bonnie, Bette Midler, Rod Stewart, Van Morrison and Rickie Lee Jones. Jerry came to the band through drummer Jimmy Prima. Besides being a world class tenor man, Jerry is also a wonderful arranger and scores many of the band's arrangements.

Eric Watkins
 
bass guitar/vocals
Eric "Wild Dog" Watkins was born and raised in Long Beach, Mississippi. I met Eric in 1969 on a gig when he was just out of high school. We've been musical brothers ever since (see Musical Friends & Family Page). Eric has always been an adventurous bass player who is known for being on the cutting edge. Eric spent time living and playing in bands around Jackson, Mississippi with Jewell Bass and some of the folks from Malaco Records as well as playing in Pensacola and Shreveport/Bossier City, La.. He also was longtime bassist for Jerry Fisher & The Dock Of The Bay Music Company as well as staff bassist at Studio In The Country in Bogalusa Louisiana. Eric has also played with Boz Scaggs, Dr. John , Dennis Quaid and Jim Belushi. Eric adds a whole new dimension to the band's sound and takes the band to a completely different level of musicianship!!

OUR ABLE BODIED EQUIPMENT

GURU

DEWEY "CAVEMAN" KENMAR