Seen at the Pioneer Club as the weekend house band and later at Higdons on Furnace Branch Road in Glen Burnie. The Group 5 included Anderson (guitar ex-Originals, Jades), Carl Matani (bass ex-ABC Trio), Joe Carter (drums), Fred Brent (sax ex-Jades, Headliners), and Joe Pasko (vocals ex-Headliners). Later John Sanpery (drums). The Top-40 group often featured special guests such as Bob Hirschmann and Joe Ritter (keys, vocals).
Matani went on to play in Las Vegas and in ‘00s and later became an official with the Atlantic City Musicians Union.
In 1975 the Group 5 split up. Bobby received a call from the Pioneer Club who needed a guitarist for a one-nighter. Eventually Bobby formed a new group that continued to play at the Pioneer for 15 more years. The new Group 5 included Anderson (guitar), Roger Wolford (bass), Ronnie Madden (sax ex-Triumphs, Early Tymes), Phil Cook (piano), and Jimmy Olsen (drums).
This lineup worked together through 1979. Some changes took place as the group became known as the Top 4 featuring Anderson, Cook, Olsen, and Henning Hoehne (clarinet, sax). During the ‘80s Anderson and his group continued to play at the Pioneer Club featuring Ronnie Phillips (guitar ex-Freddie Rick’s Night Hawks, Untouchables…), Madden (sax), Olsen (drums – later replaced with Benny S.)…
Courtesy of Bob Anderson
Anderson continued to play into the ‘00s with Freddie Rick and Just Plain Country. They perform throughout southern Pennsylvania at Moose clubs, American Legions, Fire Halls, and private affairs.
