Bios

Ron Carrington – Lead Vocals

From an early age Ron Carrington Jr. aspired to be singer and entertainer. Following in his father’s footsteps, he began performing at the age of 3 with his father’s band The Touch Of Gold. His first performance at that age was to a crowd of 1, 100 people at Marshall Dillions, and since then he has performed hundreds of shows starting with his first band at the age of 15. “Music is everything to me, it’s at the heart of everything that matters in my life”, Carrington says. “As early as I can remember, singing has been a part of everyday life. My father taught me how to play guitar and pushed me with my singing. Constantly telling me to live the music I sing.”

He continued with his band from 15 to about 28. He played in the Band Ron Carrington Jr and The Touch of Old performing music from the 50’s era to modern country music. “We played something for everyone.” His father managed the band while playing lead guitar and singing harmony vocals. Then at 28 decided to take a year off cause the direction of their music just wasn’t going where he felt led to go. “Everything happens for a reason in life I’m really being inclined to believe” Carrington says.

Then just before his 29^th birthday Tim Reed from Willow Creek called to ask him if he had interest in joining the band. Willow Creek had been the house band for a talent contest a few years back and had backed Ron in a few of his selections for the contest. “Honestly it was an easy decision. I went to Allen’s house, and they started playing their music and it was an instant click. The best part is every night we play on stage I look around at the guys and watch them play and it’s awesome because I see they all have the same love of music as I do. Each person in the band brings something to the group both uniquely and professionally.”

Allen Harle – Lead Guitar and Vocals

Allen got started in music at the age of 13 when he began teaching himself to play on a guitar that his parents had bought for his older sister. It was an old arch-top acoustic guitar with heavy- gage strings and she used to charge him a quarter every time he wanted to play. It wasn’t long before his older brother became interested and built an electric guitar in shop class which was just about the heaviest guitar he had ever held. “We began making what we called music. Neither of us could sing so we just learned a lot of instrumental songs by groups like the Ventures and even wrote a few of our own.” Before long they had found a drummer and his dad learned bass guitar. Their first band was called the Driftwoods. From there, it was Classic country music – then popular songs of the time.

While serving in the Navy, he learned how to pattern-pick on acoustic guitar and began singing. When he got out, he started writing a lot of his own songs on acoustic. He wanted to get in a band again but didn’t feel confident enough about his lead playing skills to do that so he took up playing bass guitar. He enjoyed it and found he had real knack for it so he spent the next 15 years and 4 bands playing bass. He returned to playing lead guitar with the next band, which was a mix of classic rock and “new” country.  He quit that group after 4 years to record a solo album of my own called Past Lives.

“With the success of that album, I had enough money to buy some guitar picks”, said Allen. So when the Willow Creek band was being formed and he was asked to be the lead guitarist, he put those picks to good use and have been picking with them ever since.

Joe Miraglia – Steel Guitar

Joe Miraglia started playing steel guitar at the age of 15. His first guitar was a non-pedal Hawaiian steel guitar. Joe was in his first band at the age of 17, playing classic country. He served two years in the US Navy on board a heavy cruiser, the USS Des Moines. While on board, Joe was in a country band, playing USO’s and nightclubs from Lisbon, Portugal to Beirut, Lebanon.

After leaving the Navy, he played in several country bands. In the early 60’s, Joe played some rock and roll before switching back to country. One of the bands he worked with, opened for the legendary Grand Ole Opry stars Hank Snow and Lefty Frazell.

Joe is a past member of the Allegheny Steel Guitar Association. Joe and his wife, Cindy, live in Jamestown, N.Y. with their cocker spaniel, Lucky, They have four grown and married children and eight grandchildren. Joe enjoys working with the Willow Creek Band and “Having a Willow Creek good time”

Tim Reed – Bass and Vocals

Tim is no stranger to the local music scene.  Bringing a mix of his southern rock roots and diversified playing style, his licks have evolved from that of a young rockin’ teenager to a sound rooted in the new sound of country music.  Hailing from Panama NY, he started his musical journey in the hallways of Panama High mentored by local music icon Steve Swanson.  He soon realized that music was in his blood.

At the age of 17,with a $100 bass and an old Kustom amp he helped form the band 5th Element which honed his skills playing the Doors, Jimi Hendrex, and CCR. For the next few years they toured the Jamestown music scene taking over and rocking out hard driving music that you couldn’t help dancing to.  After the 5th Element’s run he did filler gigs for such bands as the The Porcelain Bus Drivers, and Grand Larsony, as well as stints with the Bone Dog Daddies and recorded an album and toured with the band Lareau.  With a call from and upstart country band his father’s words rang in his head that he should find a country band.  Raised on the styling’s of George Jones, Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, he took what he had listened to all his life and what he had played, and helped form Willow Creek.

As an original member Tim has helped bring the cool back to country in the area and has notched his status as a rocker as well as a country player.

Bill Woodfield – Piano

Bill started taking piano lessons when he was 8 years old. After 3 1/2 years of recitals little league baseball seemed to be more of his interest so he stopped taking lessons. He never gave up playing the piano though. He started listening to the radio and would learned to play the songs he heard by ear.  The first band he was in was called “The Wee Willy Five”, but only lasted a short while once his Draft Notice came for the Army. After he came back to his hometown of Bemus Point he found himself very fortunate to play with Junie Schenck and Solid Gold for almost 7 years. Following that came The Good Time Band for another great number of years.

“Most recently I joined “The Willow Creek Band.” I never thought I would enjoy playing top 40 country the way I do now. I’m also very proud to be working with my son Zach operating the band’s P.A. board”, said Bill

As time has rolled on so has technology. In the early days he used to haul around a very heavy Hammond B3 organ and an Acoustic Piano. “Now I’m lucky enough to carry 3 keyboards that are much lighter and have more versatility than before. I can only look forward to playing for many years to come”.

Jason Dorman  -Drums                  Jason is the percussionist for Willow Creek. He resides in Lakewood, New York and has lived in the Chautauqua Lake region of Western New York his whole life. “I have felt driven to play the drums since early childhood and spent most of the 1980′s and all of the 90′s behind my drum kits with a few bands and anybody who wanted to jam.” In 2001 Jason helped form Willow Creek to bring the next generation of country music to the people. “Every night on stage with Willow Creek is something I treasure. I hope to perform and create great music with this truly talented group of guys for as long as people will listen and I will give it all that I have got. Hope to see you at the show!”                  

 Zack Woodfied - Sound man.