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band bios |
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Bill Cunningham is a Danville, Illinois native and an Illinois State University graduate with a music degree. He has been in bands since he was 14 years old. The first bands he was in were Shades Of Blue and The Villagers. He and his wife traveled the hotel circuit for many years as Sassy, also doing a long stint at the Decatur Holiday Inn. He has owned Soundcheck Music at Fairview Plaza since 1988. Besides being in Soul Purpose, Bill plays at the Moose every Thursday night with Urban Legend and is very active on the praise team at First Christian Church in Decatur. Bill is a true multi-tasker, providing Soul Purpose with all the bass, keyboard and organ parts, playing the bass parts with his left hand and the keys and organ parts with his right. He also adds vocal parts. He has been with the band since 2007. |
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A charter member of the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Jerry Johnson has been a rock'n'roll fan since he was 12 years old. He never managed to learn to play a musical instrument but boy does he love to sing. Jerry sang in a band during his college days, The Kids, but afterwards never had the opportunity to rock again until much later. He has enjoyed performing in theatre productions throughout the community over the years. This is where he met several musicians (Rick, Dick and Steve) who were willing to let him sing in a band with them, The Fabulous Thesboz. This eventually led to Soul Purpose. Jerry also indulges in theatre with a group in Decatur called JeDeMi Productions (check out their website). |
trumpet • Michael McDonald |
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Mike is a musical product of the Decatur Public Schools. He was in the Concert and Stage Bands at MacArthur High School. Mike played with the Springfield Muni Band from 1972 to 1976 and after moving back to Decatur in 1977 joined the Decatur Municipal Band in which he is still a member and often a featured soloist each summer. He has performed at several area churches and community functions and as a member of pit orchestras in numerous community musical theater productions. Now he can also be seen playing trumpet with his new rock'n'roll buddies in Soul Purpose. |
 drums
• Steve Schepper |
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If you had lived in Washburn, Illinois during
the hot summer of 1974 and ridden your bike down Garfield Avenue, you
would have heard a horrible racket coming from the attic bedroom of the
Schepper home. It was here that a classically trained French hornist named
Steve Schepper made his first
attempt at the drum set, playing along with albums by the Doobie
Brothers, Three Dog Night, and Guess Who. The word “stinks”
undoubtedly applied to both the playing and the smell, as few homes in
this small, middle class town had air-conditioning!
Steve’s first real gig on drums was with the group Reflections formed in 1975 by Joe Wolfe, Steve’s college roommate at Millikin. After graduation it was off to Berwyn, Illinois for a teaching job and the opportunity to hone his chops with some of the areas finest polka bands. Returning to Decatur in 1980, Steve again collaborated with Joe Wolfe forming the group Friends and Lovers (subtitle: schepandwolfe) featuring the boys’ wives on vocals. During the past two decades Steve worked on his jazz chops with the West End Trio and was the drummer in the short-lived boy band The Fabulous Thesboz. Steve was later cast in Theatre 7’s
production of Pump
Boys and Dinettes as drummer F. Lyle DuShayne. The cast included
bassist Dick Borders and keyboardist Rick Smith. Steve’s acting
skills coupled with an impeccable gift of time made him the perfect
choice for membership in Soul Purpose. |
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Kurt picked up his first acoustic guitar over 40 years ago. However, even after taking lessons, it didn't hold his interest. Several years later, he bought an electric guitar and things began to click. Foregoing the lessons, he and a group of friends formed their first rock band, playng Hendrix, KISS, Judas Priest and REO - all the staples of Midwest rock - n- roll. Through the years, Kurt has played lead and rhythm guitar with many local hard rock bands. He also has acted as a stage manager for many national touring rock bands, has his own recording studio and does sound and lighting for other bands as well. Using his degree in electronics, he also does musical instrument/equipment repair, designs and builds PA cabinets, and does video and sound installations, all while holding down a full time job as area service manager for the local Sharp dealership. He plays Paul Reed Smith, Gibson, Hamer and Steinberger guitars, and uses Marshall and Vox amps. Kurt is also active in the Ansar Shrine and has been president of the Ansar Shrine Dune Buggies for many years. |
 saxophone
and vocals • Randy Van Alstine |
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Randy is the leader of Soul Purpose and
handles the booking of all gigs.
Randy is the old man of the group and has played with rock bands for 46 years. His first group was as a high school sophomore with a group called Chuck Givens and the Quintones. The group played early rock and rhythm and blues from 1958-1963 throughout Central Illinois. He played with The Scarletts from Philadelphia, PA., traveling throughout the eastern half of the United States 1963-1964. This group performed early rock covers complete with choreography and a nightly floor show. They once backed Little Anthony and the Imperials at the Hampton Manor in Hampton, New York. After being drafted into the Army in 1968, Randy formed a group in Korea called The FourMost, playing 50s and 60s at the Officer’s and NCO Clubs throughout the country. During the years that he was completing college and dental school, he took a break from music because of a demanding study schedule, but when he returned to Decatur to start his dental practice, he played with Greater Decatur Rhythm & Blues Band from 1981-1985. Music took a back seat to his dental practice again until 1995, when he organized a reunion of his 1958 group, Chuck Givens and the Quintones for the Flashback concert at the Lincoln Theater. The group was a big hit and was immediately hired to do Decatur Celebration in 1996. He was bitten by the bug again, so Randy helped form Rock of Ages, a very popular Decatur 50s and 60s band. He played with ROA from 1998-2003. In January 2004, he organized Soul Purpose with the help of his friend and playing partner from Rock of Ages, Rick Smith. Randy also has a band in Florida where he now lives, SoundCheck. Among his musical credits is the distinction of playing the Decatur Celebration more times with different bands over the last 20 years than any other Decatur musician. (Maybe he just can’t get along with anyone for very long!) 1989: Greater Decatur Rhythm and
Blues |
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Rick
Smith • |
keyboards and vocals |
Dick
Borders • |
bass and vocals |
Steve
Jobe • |
guitar and vocals |
Jerry Brinegar • |
guitar |
keyboards
and vocals • Bill Cunningham
lead vocals • Jerry Johnson
guitar
and vocals • Kurt Terry
