The Downchilds Band & Personal Bio's.    

 We won the Battle of the Bands contest at the Olmsted County State Fair in 1967. We played as show openers at the Depot now called First Avenue with Rod Stewart and the Faces. The Faces included, now Rolling Stone, Ron Wood. We were one of two Minnesota bands at the Iola ( Stevens Point ) County Rock Festival that included several International acts like Ravi Shankar, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, the legendary Chuck Berry and many more. The other Minnesota band was Crow. The Downchilds played throughout the Midwest from Ellsworth AirForce Base near Rapid City , South Dakota to Drake College in Iowa to Madison , Wisconsin . In High School we toured the west playing in Colorado and Kansas . We were managed and booked by Barry Tucker based in Arvada , Colorado . We also had a contractual relationship with Alpha Productions in Minneapolis and worked with Jet Arithson and Jason Kennedy. They gave us our chance to play at the Depot a couple of times. That was the most prestigious gig in Minneapolis at the time. We were known to rent a room at the Mayo Civic Center to put on our own shows. We had some success with that. Our last concert was our own production with 3 or 4 bands adding to the event. We rented a building at the Olmsted County Fairgrounds in 1971. Today we still listen to tapes of that music for our own enjoyment.

Dr. Bryan R. Rossi, Keyboards
Founder, President of Education Consulting Services
Adjunct Professor, DLiTE Program, Bemidji State University

Dr. Bryan R. Rossi works with innovations in education theory and practice. For the past four years he has been involved in the charter school movement helping people create new initiatives including The St. Paul Conservatory for the Performing Arts, an education initiative from the mayor of St. Paul , Watershed Waldorf Charter School , Chiron Middle School , Minnesota Internship Center, Dugsi Academy , and several others.

Bryan was pianist for Mary Jane Alm Band, 1983-1988; Orquesta Sabrosòn, 1976-1991; Bomba, 1992; Sabor Tropical 2003-2004, and Latin Sounds Orchestra, 1991 to present; all Minnesota Music Awards winners. He also enjoys rock climbing and travel, particularly to francophone countries. He has led several student trips to France . He enjoys performing, composing, and recording music as well as community involvement, and biking and skiing.

Jerome Beckley, Lead singer, Guitar, Harmonica
Production Artist, Illustrator, Graphic Artist

I've had the privilege to provide art for the Kelly/Russell Sports Art Gallery and assist with animated education software for MECC, Minnesota Educational Computer Corporation. I've worked for an animation studio, Cinemation, and produced clipart for a leading clipart company, Multi-Ad Services. My bag designs were a big success at Target for Valentine's Day 2000. What I offer to clients is a diversity of style and a flexibility of approach; whether I'm working in watercolor, pen and ink or graphite or with a computer in Adobe Creative Suite, Quark Express or Painter. I'm more than capable of working in both PC and Macintosh environments.

Musically, I've benefitted by being involved with The Galaxies, The Downchilds, Highway and Judd from 1965 to 1980. Afterward, I spent a few years performing as a solo artist, playing guitar and singing songs of pop/jazz variety and singer/songwriter style. I've written dozens of songs of which I still perform a few on occasion. I did train my voice at a State College and performed, with compensation, for an Episcopal Choir that was established in 1866.

Patrick Joseph Cunningham, Drummer-

Service Operations Area Representative in District 16, Minnesota , Iowa and Wisconsin for Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Milwaukee , Wisconsin . Started playing drums in 1965 on my brothers Slingerland set, which I still have and use today. Have played almost all varieties of popular music from the 60's, 70's and 80's. A few country bands here and there a few horn bands and am currently playing in two bands, one as percussionist and one as drummer. Downchilds, Stormy Monday, Therica, Ebony and Ivory, Town and Country, Country Ladds, Home Brew, Booker Mini Band and currently CRS Band(Country Rock and Soul) and Blue Sky. Motorcycles and Music are the only vices I have left. Became a Grandpa for the first time December 2004……. life is good!

Scott Siem –Bass player and vocals.
Financial

Bass player, vocalist and guitarist. Having been involved in motorcycles since my early teens it seems obvious that I would end up selling Harley-Davidson motorcycles for a living. I started out with Pat, our drummer at Rochester Honda, in Rochester , MN , just doing what I could to be around motorcycles. Interspersed with my music career is a 25-year marketing/sales career with The Delano Sports Center, Donahue Harley-Davidson in Delano , MN and Corse SuperBikes in Port Washington , WI . I was a sales representative with Suburban Motors Harley-Davidson in Milwaukee , WI . Now I'm a financial consultant with Delano Sports Center , returning to where I've had my most success.
I've performed with many bands throughout the years, singing and playing bass. I started with We Four and later joined the Galaxies, who became the Downchilds, at the very young age of 14. After the breakup of the Downchilds in 1971, I took up with a number of bands; Barnaby Rudge, Good Friend, The Underbeats, Gilda Gray, Summit , Sailcat and Caribou among others. The music grew more sophisticated and my role in the bands more focused on singing. Motorcycles and music. Not a bad combination!

Tom Williams - Lead guitarist,

Architectural Marketing Director
C.M. Architecture, P.A.
1992 – Present

A business partner in a label / production company, Ultimsongs, and has performed and co-written songs on two CDs with Steve McLoone. Previous bands since 1965: Downchilds, Judd, Caribou, Pagans, WMJR Has recorded on albums, singles, and national TV and radio commercials, and performed with major acts across the country.