The Sneaks From Arcadia 1980-2020

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Since The Sneaks days, my life has continued to be  centered in music, with multiple album releases, film and tv song  placements and 33 countries toured so far (and a few earlier sidetrips  along the way, including a season dancing on Soul Train, appearing on  Love Connection, and a brief stint in fashion and photo modeling). 

In  1991 I started vounteering for the National Academy of Songwriters,  then the largest non-profit in the US, and by 1996 was the C.E.O., where  I got to meet and work representing the creative rights of many of my  musical heroes including Burt Bacharach, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan,  Graham Nash, Randy Newman, Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder. 

In  1997 I headed out again as a full time performing songwriter, based in  Copenhagen, Denmark, and have released 3 albums and three additional  singles, all of which have had active airplay in various European  countries, where I also co-write frequently with younger artists,  achieving my first Top 10 in Denmark two years back with debut artist  Mads Langers', 'Breaking News', on Copenhagen Records.  A new album,  'Red Light, Green Light, Go', is scheduled for release lin January 2009.  Further info and free downloads of the latest singles are available.  My other passion and major work is leading the Listening Room International Songwriter Retreats, held annually in several countries since 2002.

Given all the travels, great musicians and gigs  since, I still hold those years with The Sneaks to be my greatest band  experience, which I'll always cherish, along with the original team of  Rob, Pat and Mercibeat. 

Birthday: September 7
Height: 6'2"

Weight: 165 lbs.
Eyes: Hazel
Hair: Natural Blond?
Favorite Color: Purple

(taken from the band's 1981 press kit)

After The Sneaks disbanded in 1984, I kept my hand in  music through participation in a number of great bands: Blue Frontier,  The Prime Movers, Chagall, and The Johnsons. (There was even a brief re-formation of The Sneaks in the early 90s.) In 1989 I became involved in music ministry through my church, and in 2003, I released my first solo CD entitled, Sing a Psalm. My latest music is here.

In 1996, my wife and I concluded that for a  variety of reasons, California would no longer be our home. After  conducting two subsequent nationwide searches, in 1998 we pulled up  stakes and moved to Charlottesville, Virginia. (No, Californians, you  don’t fall off the earth once you pass Las Vegas.)

In  2002, after experiencing what I perceived to be a broken and corrupt  city government, totally unknown and against all odds, I decided to run  for a seat on Charlottesville’s City Council. In an historic upset, I was elected and served a single four-year term, consistently speaking out against  the local political "machine" and shaking up the status quo in the  process.

Upon conclusion of my local government  experience, I was invited to host a radio talk program for Newsradio  98.9 FM and AM 1070 WINA. The Schilling Show airs daily from 12 to 2 PM across central Virginia. I'm also the proprietor of The Schilling Show Blog.

My wife Joan and I are proud parents of an amazing son and two beautiful daughters.

What remarkable and great days those were for  me, and for us as a band. No matter how old I get, I  still remember how  it felt to be in the Sneaks, and in many ways, I feel like I still am in the Sneaks. I'm grateful for this wonderfully unique experience and  for the lifelong friendships with Pat, Greg and Brett (and many others)  that followed.

Birthday: November 30
   Height: 6'
   Weight: 155 lbs.
   Eyes: Burnt Ciena
   Hair: Brown
   Favorite Color: Red

(taken from the band's 1981 press kit)

Tortell was a co-founder of Dread Zeppelin,  an American band best known for covering the songs of Led Zeppelin in a  reggae style sung by an Elvis Presley impersonator (Tortell), though  their act now encompasses many other songs and other styles of music.  Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant has said that Dread Zeppelin is his  favorite Led Zeppelin cover band.

The  first Dread Zeppelin release, the 7" single "Immigrant Song/Hey Hey  What Can I Do", was recorded at the home studio of Dave Stewart of  Eurythmics and released in 1989. After its success, a second single,  "Whole Lotta Love/Tour-telvis: A Bad Trip" was released. A third, "Your  Time is Gonna Come/Woodstock (live)" was released not as a single but as  part of a singles compilation entitled Komm Gib Mir Deine Zeppelin (a  play on the title of the German version of The Beatles' song "I Want to  Hold Your Hand").

The rest of Dread Zeppelin's first album,  Un-Led-Ed, consisted of more covers taken from Led Zeppelin and Led  Zeppelin II, plus "Black Dog" from the untitled fourth album. 

Un-Led-Ed  was surprisingly successful, and in the fall of 1990, Dread Zeppelin  took a three-week break from touring and recorded their second album,  5,000,000* *Tortelvis Fans Can't Be Wrong. In addition to the usual  "Zeppelin in a reggae style", this album also featured a cover of Bob  Marley's "Stir It Up" as well as three original songs.

The plan changed to an album of disco covers  entitled It's Not Unusual after Tortell left the group to run a thriving  dairy called Driftwood Dairy in Southern California. Reaction to the  disco stylings of It's Not Unusual was resoundingly negative, so in  early 1993 a return to the old formula ensued, which also saw Tortelvis'  return to the group. In the spring of 1994, Dread Zeppelin appeared in  the feature film National Lampoon's Last Resort and provided a song for  the closing credits. The remaining members of Dread Zeppelin signed onto  Imago Records and released The Fun Sessions, a collection of classic  rock covers.

By  1995 Dread Zeppelin had a new production company run by Tortell and  Gary Putman called Cash Cow which released the live album Front Yard  Bar*B*Que in December 1996 and the all-original album Spam Bake in  November 1997. Dread then signed to Cleopatra Records and recorded  De-jah Voodoo in 1999 (produced by Bob Knarley, and re-released by  Cleopatra with a new cover and name Re-Led-Ed). Also released on Cash  Cow Records was …Presents in 2002 and Chicken and Ribs in 2004. They  have released DVD media (Jah-La-Palooza 2004 and Live in Minne-Jah-Polis  2002) and bootlegs as well, after a clamoring for such product from  their loyal and long-time fan base.

Tortell finally got his shot at singing "The  Star Spangled Banner" at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, Arizona, on May  27, 2005. He had been scheduled to sing the song at a Minnesota Twins  game in 1992, but Roseanne Barr's notorious version, two days before his  planned appearance, quashed that opportunity. Dread Zeppelin tours  sparingly and still releases new material.

Tortelvis  has freedom that would surely make Elvis Presley jealous. Because he is  not limited to just the Elvis mythos Tortelvis is able to belt out “My  Way” and then casually slip behind a drum set for “Moby Dick”. This  freedom of expression has allowed Tortelvis to become an entertainer  with considerable skills. He can sing a reggae song with authority and  easily transition to the sweeping vocals of “I Can't Quit You Baby” with  a smoothness that even Robert Plant can't top these days.

Birthday: April 5
   Height: 5' 9 1/2"
   Weight: Recorded
   Eyes: Brown
   Hair: Curly
   Favorite Color: Blue

(taken from the band's 1981 press kit)

Pat Hacker is a man. He works for the water company. He has a very nice wife and  very nice daughter. They make their home in Orange County, California.

Birthday: August 12  Height: 5' 10 1/2"  Weight: 150 lbs.  Eyes: Of a puppy  Hair: Brown  Favorite Color: Yellow
Alternate Employment:  Pat works with those close to his heart as a beterinary assistant and, contrary to popular belief, is house broken.
Hobbies: Pat can be found every  weekend searching area thrift shops for "ethnic" shirts, when not  tending to wounds inflicted by unhappy customers.
(taken from the band's 1981 press kit)