By Arts Council Menifee StaffThe Crazy Creek Band was formed in 1975, but Chris Norrid, lead singer and keyboardist, is the only founding member still in the band, which continues to entertain audiences. He is joined on stage by lead guitarist Rick Hildabrandt, drummer Dean Gallucci and bassist Stephen "Steve" Morin.
The group is being recognized as Artists of the Month for August by Menifee’s local art organization, Arts Council Menifee.
"We are so pleased that the Crazy Creek Band has performed each year at our annual Arts Showcase event at the Countryside Marketplace," said Bill Zimmerman, board trustee with Arts Council Menifee. "They really draw a crowd and are the highlight of the event, for sure. These musicians deserve the recognition and we want to thank them for helping make our event a success."
“We were pretty excited about being honored," Norrid said. "It always feels good to be recognized for your hard work."
Crazy Creek is a "country band with some rock flavor" that has also been known to do a little swing and blues.
"On the day of the Arts Showcase event, our friend John Elliot sat in with us on the steel guitar," Norrid said. "The Perris Horns (Rick and Andrea Amato) also lend their saxophone sound to us from time to time."
Norrid was born in San Diego and began singing with his family at age 4. When he was 7, he appeared on stage at local barn dances in Del Mar.
"Singing was just a natural thing to do," said Norrid, who has lived in Nuevo since 2008. "Singing Hank Williams’ songs at the barn dances every month was just second nature to me. I never had stage fright, so I guess it was just in my DNA."
After his move to Nuevo, Norrid began to meet local musicians such as Morin who worked with him to rebuild the Crazy Creek Band. He said mutual respect and liking each other is important to have a successful band.
"Talent plays a big part," he said. "So does willingness to work on our own time and on our individual parts. It’s called woodshedding for you to just lock yourself up, get your instrument out and do your best. We all do it and we get together to practice but, oftentimes the song just shows up on stage that we haven't rehearsed and we do it."
Norrid said it’s not difficult to keep everybody on the same page.
"The most important thing is to have an open mind and be willing to give and take constructive criticism," he said.
Born in North Carolina, bassist Morin was always involved with music, including playing drums and clarinet in elementary school bands. He served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps and enjoyed "many hours of barracks jamming."
He has been the bass guitar player for many bands and served as "band dad" for his sons, Stevie and Zachary. Morin joined Crazy Creek in 2010.
Originally from upstate New York, Hildabrandt began playing guitar at the age of 12.
"My mother was the family musician, playing the piano," he said. "She brought a guitar home one day to learn how to play and that is when the guitar bug hit me and I was off and running."
Playing in bands regularly since high school, Hildabrandt has been fortunate (and talented) enough to always find work as a guitar player and has enjoyed playing many different styles of music. He has been with Crazy Creek for more than three years.
Drummer Gallucci started his musical education in high school as a student at Ed Browne’s School of Music. He also studied privately with Bill Schlitz, who was Cal Poly Pomona University’s first chair jazz drummer.
"Thanks to Bill I was more than ready to receive a degree in music at Chaffey College," said Gallucci, who played in the school’s symphonic and jazz bands.
He has toured Europe and Japan. After several years of playing professionally and giving private lessons, he heard about P.I.T. (Percussion Institute of Technology) in Los Angeles. He became a student of Jeff Porcaro, the drummer for the band Toto.
"Mr. Porcaro fine tuned my skills even further in the styles of jazz, country, blues, rock and Latin rhythms," Gallucci said. "He was also instrumental in furthering my knowledge in the studio recording business."
The Crazy Creek Band plays together about three to four times a month at various local venues. Norrid does solo gigs at Life Care Center of Menifee nursing home and has an upcoming duet at Sun City Gardens, another senior retirement home. He also plays at the annual Nuevo Christmas Tree Lighting event to help needy children.
"I donate my time for that and sometimes the whole band can play," Norrid said. "We do that rain or shine the first Saturday in December."
Some of his favorite songs to perform are "Folsom Prison Blues," "On the Road Again," "Wagon Wheel," "Family Tradition" and "San Antonio Rose." The band also performs some original songs written by Norrid.
"We play my song ‘Beauty and the Biker’ and my latest creation, ‘Honky Tonk Persuasion,’ " he said. "I have many more that we sprinkle in from time to time."
For upcoming performances, please visit the band’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/countrycrazycreekband. For more information on ACM, please visit www.artscouncilmenifee.org or call 951-290-2781.
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