Blackfoot

EPILOGUE
and TODAY

The second, re-recorded version of the "Vertical Smiles" album was released later in 1984,
the band's 8th album, and the first one without me.
    Al Nalli (not someone from the band) phoned me several weeks after I quit,
asking me if I would be willing to go back overseas with the band one more time,
to play at a festival in Helsinki, Finland.
I told him that I didn't think that anything had really changed
between the rest of the band and me, and I declined.

    Ken Hensley left Blackfoot suddenly in mid-tour, about 6 months after my departure,
and was replaced on one day's notice by our longtime friend, "Axe" frontman/guitarist Bobby Barth.

    By the end of December 1985, Greg T. and Jakson were also out of the band.

Rickey continued performing and recording as Rickey Medlocke & Blackfoot
with several different lineups from 1986 until 1997,
when he was invited to play guitar with Lynyrd Skynyrd.


   

    
Blackfoot re-formed in the Fall of 2004 with original members
Jakson Spires, Greg T. Walker and Charlie Hargrett,
this time with Bobby Barth fronting the band.

When Jakson was unable to attend the first couple of rehearsals due to
previous commitments to the Southern Rock Allstars,
one of Bobby's friends, Austrian drummer Christoph Ullmann, offered to "keep a beat" for us.
Christoph was schooled at the Vienna Conservatory, and is an awesome drummer.
He listened to the Blackfoot catalog and learned the set backwards and forwards in no time...
then he picked up on lots of the subtleties by watching Jak at later rehearsals.

When Jakson passed away suddenly in March, 2005, we were devastated,
but we knew he would want us to continue, and we knew who to call.
Christoph came to the States immediately and stayed with us
until November, 2006 when he returned to Vienna.
He's a great guy, we love him, and we wish him all the best!

Bobby Barth was sidelined in March 2006 when a neck / shoulder injury flared up
keeping him from playing at all, much less traveling and performing.
We called on our brother Jay Johnson, son of Muscle Shoals "Swamper" Jimmy Johnson.
We had known Jay since his Dad co-produced our first two albums some years earlier.
Not only had Jay been around us since the start of our recording career, he also
fronted and played lead guitar in the Southern Rock Allstars with Jakson for 10+ years!
Let's just say he knew our stuff!
Jay jumped right in and agreed to help us keep going
until Bobby could return at full strength... which he did in March 2007.
Jay, you're the BEST!!!

Blackfoot is touring now,
with Greg T. Walker, Charlie Hargrett, Bobby Barth and Michael Sollars!
Come see us when you get a chance. The band is rocking!

The "OFFICIAL" new Blackfoot web site is
www.BlackfootRocks.com

This web site is dedicated to all the friends and fans throughout the world
who made all those wonderful times possible. It sure was fun!

...AND IT STILL IS!!

THANK YOU !

Charlie Hargrett

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