Randy "Rockem" Stockum is FEVER's Lead Guitarist and is the oldest member both in terms of Age and Longevity in the band. He has played the music of Elvis Presley since 1982 when he got his start with ALAN-The Tribute To Elvis who many have called The ORIGINAL Elvis Tribute Artist. Alan's show was managed by none other than Mister American Bandstand himself, DICK CLARK. While this wasn't Randy's first band, it was his first taste of any success in the music business and his first indication of just how Big the Elvis industry was. This was in 1982 making it around 28 years that Randy has been involved with Elvis Tribute Artists.
Randy however never had any plans to back ETA's in his earliest days. His roots were in Blues and Rock and his influences were even more diverse as time went on. His first guitar purchase came after seeing a GRAND FUNK RAILROAD Concert and he says, "I realized right then and there,..that is what I want to do,..looks like a good job to me! " He bought his first guitar for $46.00 and some change and was "On his way!"
Along the way were several bands with such odd names as PHRANK , ONE SHOT DEAL, and The TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRDS. But mostly these were just bands that got together when a gig came about, usually playing at some little Private Party or at the Local skating rink. I usually was the rhythym guitarist in those bands and it wasn't until probably 1980 that I stepped into the position of being the Only guitarist in a band that forced me into being the Lead guitarist.
Randy is a completely Self Taught musician and basically learned to "play by Ear". He also plays Keyboard, Bass Guitar, and drums and has learned them all the same way. "That's not to say I'm great at any of those, but I can find my way around those instruments well enough to play them if I practice on them. "
During his time with ALAN's Elvis Tribute, Randy joined another band, GIDGET'S BAD HABIT that was just a Classic Rock Cover band, but was a Band that elevated his status as a Guitarist , and put him out in front more than ever before. "That band was just a real "Garage Band" when I joined, and at the time I was the Best Musician in the band. I liked their direction though and the front man was such a charismatic guy, I knew I had to be a part of it and help them all get better. We worked together for quite a few years and played around the bar scene in the Dallas -Ft. Worth area and played several times at The Hard Rock Cafe in Dallas."
"After several years we kind of went our separate ways .Then me and two of the original members went in together on opening a recording studio that we affectionately called KIT KAT Recording Studio. " Prior to this, Randy had started writing his own music and recording it on an old Fostex 4 track cassette recorder. When they started the studio, it further advanced his songwriting skills. He wrote soundtrack music for a movie Trailer called "DEPRAVED" that never saw the light of day, and recorded a CD of some of his original songs titled "JOURNEY TO A DREAM" that was mostly self recorded, self published and distributed mainly by word of mouth. It was in the studio where Randy learned to play all the instruments himself. "Most of the time I was the only one there and I had an idea for a song and I just HAD to get it recorded, but with no one else there, I just picked up the bass , or played the drums myself so I could get the tracks finished." Unfortunately, because Randy and his partners spent most of their time working on their own music, KIT KAT was not a profitable venture and it met it's demise due to very little money coming in to support it. Still Randy has ended up with a wealth of songs (probably around 100 songs and pieces of songs), that "I hope will still see the light of day sometime."
That brings us to today when Randy is now releasing his Very first "Actual " release, his single entitled "SOME KIND OF WOMAN" that is the precursor to his first Full Length CD due to be released in April of 2011. "I finally realized that I can't keep them all on CDs and on my computer and just listen to them myself. " Randy says. "All songwriters should share their music and get it out to the people to judge and enjoy" With that being said Randy says,.."I hope you enjoy my first track and my first upcoming CD. "
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