Group formed in late 1994 by Earl Rosenberg (sax ex-Sentries, Upsetters, Big Cam & the Lifters), with Mike DiPietro (lead vocals), Doug Allen (guitar), Tom Concannon (bass ex-Jeremiah, Fallacy), Rick Tehansky (keyboards ex-Royal 5+1), Carmen Sorrentino (drums ex-Bobby & Believers), Ron Gray (trombone), and Gary Hendrickson (trumpet).
“After a couple of initial personnel changes and several months of rehearsing and building up a repertoire, the time for our first gig finally came along in mid-1995, and we needed a name for the band. After discussion, we concluded that the goal of this new band was basically the same as that of the old Sentries had been, namely to play recognizable, danceable music, that had some degree of entertainment value. So we decided to call this new band The Sentries.” However, Gary adds there was no relationship between this new band and the old except the name and a couple previous members.
DiPietro left in 1996 and Barry Gregory (Barry & the Vikings…) joined as new lead vocalist and eventually leader of the group that became known as the New Sentries. Doug Allen left and was replaced with John Rausch (guitar -who also worked as marketing director for PRS Guitars). Sorrentino was killed in a freak accident at work. Hendrickson and Concannon left in late 1997. Later members included drummer George Dobash (ex-New Diablos), Mike Lang (keyboards ex-Raintree)…
The New Sentries played a few gigs backing Charlie Thomas & the Drifters…
Hendrickson continued to play music with Detroit Slim & City Heat: a blues band that played Fells Point clubs, and L.A. & the Unusual Suspects: a soul/Motown/blues band featuring vocalist L.A. Young (ex-Joyriders). Gregory later worked with Boss Company… Rausch with the Fugitives, and proprietor of his own sound company.
