Gary Hess – Keyboards and Vocals 

The self-proclaimed “old guy” in the band, Gary returned to the bandstand after a “many” year hiatus from performing. He played guitar and sang in an acoustic duo in the Crosby Stills & Nash era of the 70’s, but career and family soon got in the way. 

Hess is a Wichita native.  He played trumpet as a kid and is self-taught on guitar, bass, and piano. In the late 90’s, he started jamming with a friend on Sunday afternoons and a few months later, to his surprise, he was gigging again in local bars.  “I didn’t mean to do it. Honest. It just happened. Now I guess I can’t stop.”

Band names and personnel changed a few times till Doctortime was born in 2000. The blues/classic rock group was featured at the Wichita River Festival and opened for Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels and Three Dog Night at Wheatland Jam in 2001.   

Before joining Rocky, Big Al and the rest of the Rain gang in 2004, Hess spent a couple years playing phat funk and r&b for Old Town dance crowds with the original version of the wicked funk jam band Soul Injection.  The 2-guitar 2-keyboard group’s other keyboard player, Butch Berry, an in-demand r&b and gospel session player, became his mentor and coach. 

Gary says his playing style is mostly the result of all his self-taught bad habits but, musically, he’s been influenced over the years by many favorites including Muddy Waters’ piano player Otis Spann, Paul Butterfield guitarist Mike Bloomfield, Mike Finnigan & The Serfs, British organist Brian Auger, Van Morrison, The Rolling Stones, Chicago, saxman David Sanborn, and jazz guitarist John Scofield. “It’s all good!”