Kevin Whisler

Being the youngest of four, music was a big part of my life. My Mother taught Piano and accordion in our home in Indiana. At age 7 I began reading music and playing the piano but was very drawn to the drums. I quickly realized how much easier it was to read sheet music for drums. I had completely transitioned by the age of 10 and was fortunate to take weekly lessons and instruction from Jerry Franks, the Professor of music at Warsaw Bible College. I was active musically in school from the 5th grade on. I auditioned for my first band at 14 and by the age of 15, I was playing every week in clubs with guys that were 10 to 15 years older than I. They demanded a lot from me and pushed me as a young drummer, which really helped me grow as a young musician.

After playing in the local scene for several years, I was at a gig one night and was paid a compliment from a gentleman named Bobby Richardson. He was currently a roadie for Pink Floyd and also had worked with The Who, The Rolling Stones, Emerson Lake and Palmer, and several other recognizable names in his history of employment. He told me that I needed to get out of the small town if I was going to make it in the music business. I told him "I'd love to I just didn't know where to go". He gave me the contact information of a bass player in Chicago who was a member of the original band "Lois Lane". I made some phone calls and packed up and moved to Chicago for opportunity.

After making contacts and doing studio work I formed a 3-piece band called Clockwork Orange with former bassist from Roadmaster Peter Bailey, my responsibilities included singing 50% of the set from behind the kit. We were busy in the central Illinois circuit but then another contact led me to the West Coast so, in early 1984 I packed up and moved to Tacoma Washington, and began playing immediately. I played in a couple of local bands until late 1985 when I rededicated my life to the Lord and focused solely on Him and withdrew from the music scene (good call). I was attending a church, playing on the worship team when the guys in the band Watchmen approached me. After finding a guitarist we had some local success then we ended up showcasing for the GMA (Gospel Music Association) in Nashville where we were signed with Regency Records. I met Michael Bloodgood and Les Carlsen when Watchmen began to open up for BLOODGOOD in Canada and some Western Washington Shows. One thing led to another and this was my opportunity with BLOODGOOD.

My first run with BLOODGOOD was from 1988 to 1991. We toured as a four-piece with David Zaffiro. Then, before we began writing for "Out Of The Darkness", David departed to pursue other projects and Paul Jackson joined the band. After Recording "Out Of The Darkness" and our two live productions "Alive In America" and "Shaking The World" and a few trips to Europe, I also decided to pursue some other projects. Twenty years later in 2011, Michael and I began communicating and by mid-2012 we were on stage together again. It felt like a comfortable shoe. That might be a bad analogy but they say, "If the shoe fits, wear it"! The reunion was like being united with family. We just picked up where we left off and now our bond is stronger than ever.

Kevin Whisler, Drummer, Biography. (n.d.) Retrieved 2-Dec-2021. From Bloodgood. https://www.bloodgoodband.com/kevin.html