While attending the Eudowood Gardens teen center dance hosted by WCAO’s Paul Rodgers and Kerby Scott, friends Gary Chalmers, Denny Picasso, and Joe Barranco were talking to Rodgers about the sparse attendance. Paul said that he needed a good band to draw a better crowd. Denny volunteered that Gary had a band. When asked the name of the band, Denny heard the Hondel’s hit “Little GTO” playing in the background and quipped “Gary & the GTO’s!” They were hired to play the dance on the following week. After leaving the teen center they went to Ameche’s Drive-In and began spreading the word about this great new band… before the reality set in that they actually had to assemble a band.
During this short period a group was assembled and began practicing for the teen center gig. Members included Mike Hodgeman (vocals), Leo Smith (guitar ex-Admirals), Sam Towers (bass ex-Dynamics, RaVons), Mike Foreman (keyboards), Craig Bradenbaugh (sax, guitar ex-Admirals), and Chalmers on drums.
Meanwhile WCAO made announcements that the new band would be appearing at the teen center. When the group arrived, there was a packed house. The first set consisted of the ten songs that they had learned during the week. During the break they mentioned to Paul and Kerby that they had some recent member changes and had not worked up enough songs to play another set. In order to accommodate the crowd, they announced that there were a number of requests to repeat some of the songs. That first show went over well and they continued to perform the teen center circuit. Eventually they picked up a gig playing during the breaks for Frank & the Fugitives at Sperl’s.
Hodgeman later fronted Danny & the Elegants, Majestics, Admirals, and Celebration. Towers went on to play for Danny & the Elegants, Flow, and Touch. Chalmers went on to play for Frank & the Fugitives and was one of the Baltimore musicians to go on the road with Mitch Ryder in late 1966. Upon returning he played with various incarnations of the Fugitives and Expressway. Gary also produced records by And the Echoes on the Pulse, and Soultrain labels. He eventually gave up playing music to concentrate on his A&C Talent Agency that later became Music Lovers Association of America.
