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Band Members Updates Lynn Williams, drummer I left the Daytonas in early 1966 after nearly three unbelieveable years. The tours, recording sessions and the people associated with "Little GTO" will always be a very special part of my life. I married my lifelong companion in 1968, graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1969 and was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force at graduation. I went immediately to pilot training and after graduation flew Air Force Hurricane Hunters from 1970 until 1975. I left the Air Force in 1975 and joined United Airlines. I have been here at United for the past twenty two years and I'm presently a Captain on the Boeing 767. I have two wonderful children, both drummers and both love music although not in a professional way. The Lord has given me more talent and more success than any one person deserves, but without people like Bucky Wilkin, my life would not have been what it is today. Thank you to everyone involved, I'll never forget any of you. Lynn Lwilli6318@aol.com |
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Don Henderson bassist and guitarist After Ronny & The Daytonas life was like a ride in a 3x2s 4 on the floor GOAT very quick, Now at 50 plus years young it is even faster...Married since 1970 to luckie Penny, a real estate broker...3 sons, Donny a gospel singer with Poet Voices, Tommy an "Old Guard" army recruiter and Ronny a senior criminal justice major at Georgia College and my two newest additions, Carisa my beautiful daughter in law and Julia Brooke my perfect granddaughter. I still love "makin the music" with my sons, they all play and sing,in our studio driving my "vette" collecting vintage guitars, and hanging out with my wife. I stay in touch with "The Daytonas" and when I retire from Delta Airlines this Sept. I would like to do a reunion tour with Ronny & The Daytonas. God bless Email: Don Henderson |
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Lee Kraft, co-songwriter and band member Lee Kraft and John Wilkin met and became best friends as classmates at Hillsboro High School, Nashville, Tennessee, in 1960, and still get together several times a year. Lee had his own record out ("Good Night, Irene" b/w "Like Crazy") in 1964. He made several appearances with Ronny and the Daytonas and co-wrote the song "Daytona Beach" with Wilkin. Lee is now a CPA and a partner in the largest independent accounting firm in Nashville. He and Glenda, his wife of 21 years, have three sons (two guitarists and a drummer -- stay tuned). |
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John (aka Ronny) Wilkin, vocalist, songwriter, guitarist John "Bucky" Wilkin was the "brains" behind Ronny & the Daytonas; the group was comprised of mainly Bucky, but with input from Bergen White, who went on to become an extremely sought after arranger in Nashville; Buzz Cason, who filled in for Jerry Naylor as a Cricket, as well as having a hit under the name Garry Miles on "Look For a Star," and finally Bobby Russell, who composed hits such as "Sure Gonna Miss Her" (Gary Lewis & the Playboys), "Popsicle" (Jan & Dean), "The Joker Went Wild" (Brian Hyland), "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" (Vicki Lawrence --his former wife), "Honey" (Bobby Goldsboro) and "Little Green Apples" (O.C. Smith). Regrettably, Bobby Russell passed away from heart and liver disease a few years ago. The late Bill Justis, who was known for his hit "Raunchy," helped set up a publishing company with Bucky's mother, songwriting legend Marijohn Wilkin ("Long Black Veil," "One Day At a Time"). The first songs in their company were those of her son. Justis independently recorded Bucky singing his own composition "GTO," which was sold to Mala Records. It became a number one hit for the New York based label and inspired an LP by the same name. The second hit, "SANDY," also demanded an album with almost all the songs on both albums written by the then 19 year old Wilkin! In 1968 Ronny and the Daytonas switched to RCA Records and hit the charts again with "Dianne, Dianne." Not only was the hit side a well crafted romantic ballad, but the flip, "All American Girl," was a real Beach Boys type up-tempo with that distinctive Bucky Wilkin vocal. Most of the time, there was not really a group. Occasionally, Buzz Cason joined in for a vocal or two, but it was really Bucky's baby. Personally, I was 16 years old and a major fan, so I wrote Bucky a fan letter which evolved into a 32 year friendship. The mid-eighties saw an interest in recruiting Ronny & the Daytonas for "live" appearances. Bucky decided to take his acoustic guitar and hit the road with Gary Lewis and the Playboys and several other '60s rock and roll groups. He even performed on Wolfman Jack's oldies television show. In 1995 I received a phone call. It was Bucky himself asking me if I'd like to be a Daytona for a July 4th concert in Upstate New York. I immediately accepted. We traveled there together in his car (no, not a GTO) and performed a successful concert. All I could think of while playing the keyboard behind him was how lucky I was to have gone from writing a fan letter in 1968 to actually playing with Bucky 27 years later. -Brian Gari |
