Band Members

Earl's musical roots go back to the late 40's and early 50's listening to singing groups like the "Andrews Sisters" and the do-wop groups of the fifties.  He started singing in church choirs in his pre-teen years.  When he was in high school, he started singing trio doing acapella music singing in the halls and bathrooms, because of the echo sounds it produced.  He started teaching himself guitar while serving in the Marine Corps, playing folk music which was popular at the time.  After a tour in Viet Nam and four years in the Marine Corps, he returned to Carroll County and started a band with family and friends playing carnivals and picnics for fun.  In the late 70's he joined a country band "Sugar Creek".  "Sugar Creek" evolved into a rock band called "Eclipse" which played from the late 80's to mid 90's.  In that time, Earl started playing keyboards and harmonica.  After "Eclipse" faded, Earl joined "Bootleg".  At present, Earl along with daughter Erin, are the main vocal force behind the band.

When you hear someone laughing and interacting with the audience, that's Erin.  She has been performing in the Maryland area since age 18.  She started her career singing in father Earl's band "Eclipse".  After a few years, she decided that she would further her education and attended Allegany Community College as a dental hygiene student.  After graduating, Earl who was now in "Bootleg", asked Erin if she would like to help with the vocals.  She accepted and was at it again.  Now in "Bootleg", she has opened for national acts such as "John Berry" at the Weinberg Center and "Kenny Chesney".  Erin then took a few years off to continue her education by enrolling in the UMBC dental hygiene program and received her B.A. degree.  She can now be seen on stage again with father Earl.  Erin, with her outgoing personality, keeps everyone on stage smiling.  She puts everything into her vocals and is a pleasure to hear.

Jim, who is the backbone of "Bootleg", started playing guitar at the age of 9.  At age 13, he began classical violin lessons, and continued through college, earning a B.S. degree in Music Education.  In the 70's he played rock fusion and jazz standards in such bands as "Strings Attached" and "Maji".  In the early 80's, he played variety bands such as "Landslide" and "Prism".  In the early 90's when country music broke out with line dancing, he played with the very popular group "Coyote".  Jim, who likes the hard driving beat and rock rhythms, joined the "Nita Slater Band", playing guitar and fiddle to the country dance craze at the time.  Jim has been playing with "Bootleg" since 1996.  Jim says "playing with 'Bootleg' has been one of the best experiences of my musical career...".

Pat Burton is a guitar player that was approached by a group of friends while in his early twenties to join a new wave band in 1978 at the beginning of that music movement.  There was a need for a bass player and Pat filled those shoes, and he has been playing bass as a primary instrument ever since.  He has been entertaining in the Maryland area for over 30 years with such bands as "A to Z".

Don has been playing the keys since the 80's and early 90's with bands such as "The Sentries" and "Crowded Stage".  He joined "Bootleg" in 2006 after a break from music to form his own company, DocuMacs Computer Consultants.  In "Bootleg", he is reunited with drummer Jeff Sasser when they played in "Flying Circus" together.  His musical experience and talent was the final piece to make the band what it is today.

Jeff, a self-taught musician, started playing drums in the mid-60's, inspired by his brother's R&B band.  He helped form a hard rock band, which played in the Baltimore area.  In the mid-70's, he joined his brother to form a 9-piece top 40/disco band performing in local dance clubs.  When the disco era phased out, he joined a small jazz band, which lasted through the 80's.  When "new" country music arrived on the scene, he joined a country band in 1993, which played in the Edgewater-Annapolis area.  After about 3 years, he joined a variety band that played more formal venues such as Martin's West, Le Fontaine Bleu and the Baltimore Yacht Club.  Jeff has been with "Bootleg" since April 2005.  He also owns his own ceramic tile company and resides in Finksburg.