Rock band from the Pigtown area of Southwest Baltimore. The band name came from a newspaper article they read about chemical warfare and a secret Army base in Baltimore called Fort Detrick. Guitarist Wayne Carlisle, his brother Barry Carlisle (drums), and Eddie Fell (harmonica, vocals) originally formed the group. Fell, who was related to the family that “Fells Point” is named, was drafted and died in Viet Nam. The group evolved to include Wayne Carlisle (guitar), Larry Vogel (guitar), Willie Mays (drums), Mike Anderson (bass), and Lester Mills (lead vocals).
“Pigtown was a tough place to group up back then” recalled Lester, “and I truly believe that playing music saved a lot of guys from winding up dead or in jail. What an amazing time that was. So many different convergences… British invasion, soul, folk, R&B…”
By the later ‘60s the group became known as The Rubber Band.
