Then & Now Dallas-Fort Worth area. Kim lives in North Texas with his two The artwork was done by Guy’s stepmother. We had the reteenage kids. cording pressed by BMI Ltd in Singapore. Only about 200 Bryan Hall — drums — lives in Nashville with his wife copies were pressed, which we gave to friends and family. It Regina and three teenagers. Bryan is a consultant and writer was never intended to be a money making venture, just meant who travels extensively. Last summer, while in Thailand, he to get us through the two-week semester break. visited with Kim’s parents who are still in the area. He has Like many groups, Crystalaugur started out by learning a two books coming out in the next six months, Mano a Mano, variety of the popular music of the time, including songs by a father/son devotional written with his two sons, and What Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Grand Funk Railroad. HowChild is This?, a novel set in Singaever, Howard and Kim had been writpore and Malaysia dealing with child ing original songs before they joined slavery. the band, and Crystalaugur decided Howard Kukla — guitar — went to include some of the original maon to get an engineering degree. He terial in performances. A number of and his wife Lisa have three kids. these original songs appeared in the Lisa is a nurse with a hospice comTerranaut recording. pany in Dallas; Ben is in Athens getThe album was recorded in the ting his degree; Jacob is trying to finteacher’s lounge at King’s Road (in ish high school; and Marcus wants the old headmaster’s quarters) and his learner’s permit. No wonder in the school auditorium. The acousHoward has a full head of grey! tics in the auditorium proved to be Guy Rittger — bass — is planted quite a challenge, so the group conin northern California wine country structed an ad-hoc recording booth with a lovely wife, two faithful pit of free-standing room partitions, pilbulls and a challenging-enough corlows and assorted odds and ends porate career in information technolfound in the auditorium that day. Guy and Bryan today. Their 1970s iconic band, Imagine our shock when we Crystalaugur, is considering a gig at the ogy. Music remains an important part of his life, filling in the gap between Googled the name Crystalaugur and Houston SAS reunion next June. his primary passion — racing found over 1,700 hits! Turns out that sailboats — and the often soul-numba European bootleg operation had ing monotony of his job. taken our album and re-released it Greg Kemp — sound man and technical guru — whose on CD in 2001. We found that original vinyl copies have sold dad is still in Singapore, is a geologist who wanders the globe for over $1,000, and cuts from the album have shown up on and is now in Australia. radio playlists. Some websites called the album “a perfect But where would we be without our groupies!!! Not! We example of 70’s psychedelic rock”; rumors circulated that were, however, blessed to be influenced by some great young the album was actually cut by a group of “Native American” ladies, Cara Smith Palier (75) was dating Kim and was a Vietnam vets on R&R in Singapore. No, just a bunch of creative major contributor to the project (heck, we all had a crush on teenagers making music together, for a very memorable year. her). Married to Mike, with three kids, she spends most The most fun we have had with this revelation is that we of her time drawing, painting, sculpting and designing wearhave been able to receive the unbridled awe and respect of able artwork. Pam Campbell Gerritsen (78) was dating Howard our teenagers, friends and coworkers. Yes, we are Rock Icons. (earlier in the year she had dated Guy) and was the inspiration for “Pam’s Song,” one of the hits. Pam and Gary, her Rock icons circa 2008 husband of 19 years, live near Austin, Texas with four cats Kim Bengs — vocals, guitar, piano — later played in his and a yard full of wildlife and birds. college jazz and rock bands. He’s continued to study The long hair is now short, gray or gone. Our musical skills guitar, especially rock, jazz and finger-style and is planning to have been left to the next generation, but we can still shout, record music for release on the Internet in the near future. He “WE ARE CRYSTALAUGUR!” We’re even considering a gig next has also worked in the radio side of music off and on since summer at the SAS reunion in Houston. college, currently in a part-time position at 94.9 KLTY in the 7
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