Band Members
Jon Bouwmeister - Drums, Vocals
David Chester - Keyboards, Vocals
Andy Gravitis - Trumpet, Fluglehorn, Vocals
(BIO COMING SOON)
Mike Sartor - Tenor, Alto Saxophone
(BIO COMING SOON)
Front-man "extrordinaire", sings lead and harmony vocals, plays guitar, comes up with musical and vocal arrangements; AND is the most "Fabulously Groovy" of all the "Fabulously Groovy" guys in the band.
Women flock to him; you should see him at the beach, surrounded by scathingly beautiful women. No really "THEY LIKE THE SHADE". We asked him how he keeps his "slim trim boyish figure" and he replied; "OVERWEIGHT? HELL NO, LOVE HANDLES IS ALL!"Man, how does your wife put up with you?
Rumour has it; that she’s been working on him for 25 years, she figures he just needs a couple more years training and he’ll be good to go!
Randall HeadonWhen Bobby Chris and The Imperials came to Randall Headon's high school to perform back in 1965, they inspired in him a musical career that would lead him to Midlife Crisis!
"I started taking guitar lessons, but I found myself drawn to single note patterns," he admits. "Playing bass was the logical progression as far as my musical interests were concerned. During high school, Randall had the opportunity to play with several bands, playing in "The Village" in Yorkville. He honed his skills playing with
bands such as Aggregation and the Austin Turner Band. In 1973 he recorded with a folk rock band for the CBC Radio show, "The Entertainers." Playing at Edgertons and The Old Firehall, Randall developed his musical skills further playing original material with the band Christopher Jane.
During the nineties, he played with bands again - Piece 'a Cake and Brass Routes, a 12-piece R & B funk band, then started the band The White House with Jon Bouwmeister. "That got a little hectic," he says. "Now I have found a good balance between my musical interests, family and business."
"It's amazing - you can have a bass player and drums and practically have a band. They set the groove, and they have to be ON." According to the other members of Midlife Crisis, Randall is the ultimate groove bass. He finds the pockets and stays there. Randall is married and has two children.
Jon Bouwmeister - Drums, Vocals
"When Jon joined Midlife Crisis, it was like glue - he holds the band together," says Jy Fairlie of Jon Bouwmeister, the youngest member of the group. That cohesive power of his comes from a lifetime of drumming. He got his first snare at age nine, and by Grade 6, he was the drummer for five school bands. He was even taken out of classes from time to time to perform at special events where they needed a drummer.
By Grade 8, he had formed a garage band called Bear and the Brass Boys. A landscaper by trade, his father got the band a gig playing at a Landscape Ontario party - and a professional career was born. His dad was also his inspiration to go into landscaping himself, and today Jon owns Dutch Style Landscaping in Stouffville, Ontario.
The entire time Jon spent in college studying, he kept up with his drumming. He played with numerous bands until he moved to Stouffville in his twenties and Grant Fullerton of Fullerton's Place took him under his wing. Jon enjoyed participating in regular Sunday jam sessions, and played drums on Grant's band Jamnation's CD. "This gave me the chance to play with topnotch musicians," he says.
Jon recalls one evening at Fullerton's that was one of the highlights of his life - when during the filming of "Blues Brothers 2000," John Goodman and the entire horn section walked in, and he had a chance to play with them.
Jon's wife and children are completely supportive of the musical side of his life. The multi-talented musician also sings and plays "a little piano." He is happy to be part of Midlife Crisis and says, "I love every minute that we're playing."
David Chester - Keyboards, Vocals
Soft spoken in person, David Chester creates excitement on stage when he plays keyboard and sings with the Midlife Crisis Band. His love of music stems from his high school days, when he played in various bands.
Right out of high school, he went to Carlton University in Ottawa for a year and then York University in Toronto. His majors were music and English. David took some time off from school to tour with a band and travel around the world.
David lived in Montreal for a while, where he "hung out" at Biddles Jazz Club. Then he attended University of Toronto to finish his degree, specializing in solo vocals and keyboard.
David's professional experience is impressive. He played at Café on the Park, opening for people like Livingston Taylor and Peter Tork. He also played for Ken Tobias for a while, and Ken co-produced David's first album, "Goliath," in 1984.
David learned a lot playing with singer, songwriter, guitarist and engineer Scott Dibble who used the name "Watertown" for his solo work, and opened for Barenaked Ladies at Ontario Place.
www.chalet.com in Claremont, Ontario in 1985. This elegant recording studio has served numerous Canadian musicians from Liona Boyd to Rush. David is CEO and handles all the planning for the facility.
In 1990, when he and his wife had their first child, David stopped touring. The couple has two children now and enjoy a happy family life. David produced a CD in 1992 called "Somewhere Here."
For David, Midlife Crisis is fun and a great way to stay connected in the music world. In addition to performing, David contributes to harmonies and musical technology. For him, "The band is the perfect blend of family and business."