Rock and roll group formed by friends at Westminster High School.
Members included leader / manager Ron Schilling (rhythm guitar, trumpet), Floyd Flowers (guitar), Floyd ‘Buddy’ Gamber (bass), Johnny Prince (keyboards), Royce Fitzgerald (drums), Dave Metcalf (sax), Vince Battaglini, Ronnie Norcross, Frankie Stapleton…
Fitzgerald was later replaced with Bruce Redmer. Gene Zepp later replaced Prince. Flowers was replaced with Steve Boose (ex-Tigers, Status Seekers).
The Vertations played the teen center and school dance circuits in Carroll County and eventually throughout central Maryland. A battle of the bands at the State Theater once pitted the group against another hometown group the Green Mist. The Vertations performed at the Paisley Pub in Westminster, Sarano’s on Route 144 in Ellicott City, the Gold Dust Inn (Frederick), The Zoo Club in Brooklyn, University of Baltimore and University of Maryland frat parties, and once played on a double bill with Bay Sound recording artist Nicky C & the Chateaux.
Around 1967 advertisements were printed up as Fabulous Vertations which they continued to be called until the group split up in 1972.
Gamber was later with Bite the Bullet. Boose later with the Melvin Mills group, Easy Street, Country Classics, Purple Haze Band, Brand It, and continued to play recreationally – switching to keyboards in the ‘00s.
