Way Corp group(s) I was in
Way Corps 8
Where I live
Emporia, Kansas
About Me
After leaving the 8th Way Corps at the end of 1980, I moved back to New York, played music, and attended college. I became a registered nurse and worked medical/surgical and psychiatric for many years. Married for twelve years; moved around the country a bit; then divorced; no kids. In July of 1994, an on-the-job injury to my lower spine disabled me and I was confined to a wheelchair for two years. During that time I turned my sights again to my first love: music. I started playing the guitar again and as soon as I felt I was ready I formed a Blues band called, Vini and the Demons. We made a big splash in the South for two years then moved to Chicago, with the blessing of a newly acquired friend and fan at that time, Bo Diddley. Four years in Chicago made us a household word and we did very well. But that industry has a way of eating you alive slowly and after seven years I just shut down. Long story cut short: I am now living in Emporia Kansas (irony at it's best) and working hard to get my body back into the swing of things. It's not pretty, but I can walk a little bit. I work a part-time job online and my disability takes care of the rest. Why Emporia? I had some friends living here who offered me a nice, old, country house to stay in about a year ago and I accepted the invitation. This is where I got my body together the first time (running my ass off in the Way Corps every day) so it made sense. Why not have my personal/physical renaissance happen here? It's like I've come full-circle.
My Interests
Music; movies; physical rehabilitation; women (can I say women? LOL); cooking; eating.
Employment or Career
My band's website is up and running again. Even though we are no longer a working entity I decided to keep it as an active archive:
www.viniandthedemons.net
If you Google Vini and the Demons or Vini Demon, that will give you a pretty good idea of what we were all about.
Music I Like
Yeah...I like music...LOL!
I have been a very humble student of these great Blues' pioneers for many years and actually had the privilege of meeting and becoming friends with some of them and their family members: Robert Johnson (played with his cousin Dave "Honeyboy" Edwards); Muddy Waters (his daughter Roz was an early fan, friend, and supporter of my band in Florida); Howlin' Wolf (his two daughters came to one of our shows); Willie Dixon (his daughter Shirli and son Butch managed my band in Chicago); Bo Diddley (played at least six shows together in Florida-he is a personal friend); Freddie King; Sonny Boy Williamson; James Cotton; Hubert Sumlin (Howlin' Wolf's guitarist); Little Walter; Blind Willie McTell; Otis Spann; Detroit Junior (Howlin' Wolf's piano man-we were his band for two nights at a gig in Chicago); and the list goes on...
Books I Like
Books too, you're asking me? O.k...well, mostly Shakespeare, biographies, autobiographies, and the bendable, shiny ones that have pictures of girls in bikinis. Wait, those are magazines, right? Do they count?
Television I like
House (Hugh Laurie had me as the Prince in Black Adder 3...the Gregory House character is a phenomenal effort); The Simpsons (D'oh!); Family Guy; South Park; Friday Night Lights (I'm waiting for someone to spank the coaches daughter...then I'll stop watching it); NCIS (Cote de Pablo can shoot me anytime); Ghost Whisperer (I turn the sound off and just watch Love bounce around).
Movies I like
Night Of The Living Dead-it speaks loudly to my generation.
Attack Of The Killer Leeches-it speaks loudly to my generation.
Plan 9 From Outer Space- it speaks loud...well, you know...
Pretty much any B&W Sci-Fi/Horror film made in the Fifties, regardless of how bad it is. For some strange reason, these films comfort me.
My Email Address:
vinidemon@hotmail.com
Comments
great to hear from you. tommy and i have been in michigan for the last 100 years. too bad we didn't know when you were in chicago, we could have visited. we're going to chicago this weekend to see buddy guy at his club, Legends. tommy doesn't play music anymore. just not happening right now. glad to hear you're still as crazy as ever. we're enjoying life. 3 kids, 26,24,and 22years old. we have pics on my site. emporia still have that slaughter house stinking up the city? what's in the way college now? a real college?
you can e-mail tommy directly if you want diamotg@comcast.net
i'm going to google vini and the demons.
take care, lois
Diane and Jeanne are fine. Both are married and living on Long Island (both in Patchogue) and both have 2 young kids. I'm enjoying that mine are in college (except for the bills).
It's so good to hear from you after all these years--(like almost 30, right)?
I love you and am so thankful for the times we had together,
Carol
JUst so's ya knows ..the Blues is one way we move God's Word ....here is our website and the band we sponsor ...all Christians , and into making the truth known via Music ..like our many guest performers ....who are also christians ....
www.thayrone.com and click on the Witchdoctors link ...
See ya and God Bless ya
Pat and Laurie in Ypsilanti MICH
V