SPOTLIGHT
Keeping the Beat:
Beyond the Bank Richy Everly
How a Banker Finds Rhythm on and off the Stage Meet Richy Everly, President & CEO, The Bank of Wrightsville and former CBA Chair. You might find it surprising to learn that in addition to running his community bank, Richy also plays drums in a rock and roll band with a group of childhood friends called The Flashbacks. “It’s always been interesting for me to see the reactions from folks who only know me as a banker when they realize that I’m playing drums and singing in a rock and roll band…it’s a true dichotomy for sure,” shared Richy. Thank you Richy for answering a few questions so we can learn more!
How long have you been playing drums?
I knew that I wanted to play the drums from an early age after seeing live bands at different events in my hometown of Dublin. However, I didn’t buy my first set of drums until I was about 21 years old and taught myself how to play. That was 40 years ago.
How did you and your friends first start the band?
All of my bandmates were already seasoned musicians who were already playing in other local bands around Dublin, Milledgeville, Athens, and Atlanta. Eventually, when I gained the confidence to play in front of my friends, they decided I was good enough to play with them. We started practicing and put some setlists together and began playing parties, clubs, and other events.
What genre of music do you play?
Although we consider ourselves to be primarily a “Classic Rock” band (Beatles, Stones, CCR, ZZ Top, Allman Brothers, Guess Who, Eagles, Bob Seger, Tom Petty, Pink Floyd), we actually have a fairly eclectic setlist of songs that we draw from that includes everything from Little Richard to Johnny Cash to Motown to more contemporary bands such as Matchbox 20, Goo Goo Dolls, Collective Soul, Foo Fighters, and Blackberry Smoke, so we can be as diverse as we need to be based upon the venue and crowd.
What do you think has kept the band together all these years?
First and foremost, we have a brotherhood that extends beyond the band. We and our spouses would still be friends and hang out together even if we didn’t play in a band together. There’s something very cathartic and satisfying about creating music that appeals to us all and that’s what keeps us going forward.
Do you write your own songs, perform covers or both? And share the types of events where we might find The Flashbacks. Through the years, we have played everything from private parties, nightclubs, corporate/civic events, and outdoor festivals. We write our own songs but typically perform covers.
Most requested song?
It really depends on the venue and crowd, but for some reason, Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry seems to always come up as a request for us to play.
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