Still Cruisin’ & The Shear DeLites
STILL CRUISIN’ is Tucson’s premier Classic Rock n’ Roll show. We perform music primarily from the late 50’s to the early 70’s with a sprinkling of Contemporary Classics.
This Tucson-based band is made up of many well-known local musicians:
Bill Ball – Drummer, vocals and bandleader – began his professional career as in high school. While completing his Bachelor’s degree, Bill continued to play music with a local group called Greylock Mansion. After much success, including hits Amazon and Over My Shoulder, Bill joined Firehouse. He also performed with Invisible Theater (co-writing the theme for “Oats”). In 1986, The Billy Shears Band was formed which morphed to Still Cruisin’ in 2000. Over the years, Bill’s bands have provided warm-up for Steppenwolf, The Grass Roots, Ike and Tina Turner, Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Turtles, Three Dog Night and has provided the band for reunion concerts for The Platters and Shirley Alston Reeves formally of the Shirelles.
Brian Corkill – Lead guitar and lead vocals - Was very well known in the local rock arena for his amazing guitar sound and beautiful vocals. Brian performed in many local groups (Trilogy, Hit and Run, Tunesmith and Peaches and Autumn) around Tucson and the Southwest, but interestingly, never in any of the same bands as Bill until The Billy Shears Band in 1986.
Steve Johnson - Lead and rhythm guitar, harp, pedal steel, lead and backup vocals - moved to Tucson in 2003 from Minnesota, where he started playing professionally at the age of 12! Steve has played with such bands as The Twyggs, Inner Outlet, Germain Johnson Duo, Winfield Band, Strobes and the Neons, (who performed with Tommy James). In 1999 Steve formed the trio North 52, and in 2006 formed the band The Retro Rockets.
Wild Bill - Wild Bill is the utility man of Still Cruisin. He began his professional career in New York at the tender age of fifteen. Raised in a family of classical influences, Wild Bill discovered Rock and Roll, leaving classical piano for electric guitar. In the mid seventies, he found a new love for the bass guitar, and a new home in the Wild West in the latter part of the decade. He continued playing in road bands for several years in the northwest. Then in the eighties, he rediscovered the keyboards, intrigued by the sonic possibilities through synthesizers. Leaving the long northern winters behind, Wild Bill moved to Arizona in 1985. Wild Bill has played guitar, bass, and keyboards at different times with Still Cruisin' ALL with equal skill and enthusiasm.
Still Cruisin’ is unique, in providing their own flair to Classic Rock tunes, while keeping the original feel of the songs. In addition, Still Cruisin’ is a “modular” group, featuring the additional talents of most of Tucson’s top rock musicians including, Rene Andreotta (Wooden Indian, Ictus and The Collectors) on vocals, Jim Stanley (The Committee and The Leisure Brothers) on vocals and bass, Jay Quiros (Freestyle and Second Nature), Richie Cavanaugh (Leisure Brothers) - lead Guitar, Duncan Stitt (Saddle City and Liesure Brothers - keyboards, Randy Cochran (Chuck Wagon and the Wheels) - bass, lead and background vocals and last but certainly not least, Chuck Maultsby (Butterscotch, Stream of Consciousness and most notably Chuck Wagon and the Wheels) lead singing.
Still Cruisin’ also employs the talents of Arizona’s top “60’s girls group,” The Shear DeLites. Mareena Boosamra Ball (Long Island Sound) is currently completing her Doctorate in Choral Conducting from the U of A, Diane Woodyard (Mirror Image) has a BS in Music Education and Shirley McCalley (David Syme Group), all share the lead and background vocals. The Shear DeLites performed regularly for The Billy Shears Band and are featured at most of Still Cruisin’s large scale events, including the last 9 years at the COOL Radio/Marriott University Park New Year’s Celebration.
