Guitarist, singer, songwriter, Vic Wheeler began his career playing rock music at honky-tonks and bars in the foothills of western North Carolina. There he honed his skills emulating Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Joe Walsh, Lesley West and others. In his early twenties he fell in love with the work of such guitar giants as Larry Carlton, Robben Ford, Scott Henderson, Steve Lukather and other primarily west coast players. Longing to expand as a musician, he loaded guitar and amp into his corolla and headed for Los Angeles where he studied at the Guitar Institute and went to see and hear many of his idols.
After G.I.T., Vic began working full-time as a singer and guitarist with "L.A. Music Co.", a Los Angeles based show band that traveled and performed in the Western U.S. and Canada. His wife Kathy, who had been finishing college, joined him in Spokane. At that point she was the band secretary but would later begin singing with Vic. He played cities such as Reno, Portland, Denver, Calgary, Edmonton, Banff, and Vancouver, doing everything from rock, to funk, R& B and jazz dinner sets. His singing grew stronger and he became a featured vocalist in the group. He also began writing and learned to read and arrange professional charts.
In '82,Vic returned to the Carolinas and along with Kathy, formed a group called "Rain". They toured the Southeastern U.S. playing high-energy Rock, Top-40, Funk and even some Country music. They played six nights per week every week for over five years in cities such as Charlotte, Myrtle Beach, Savannah, Jacksonville, Orlando, Little Rock, etc. They did several videos with their management company, T. Skorman Productions in Orlando.
But in November of 1986, Vic met a Christian vocal coach named Sonny, though they spoke for only a brief time and have never met since, Sonny's words had a profound effect on Vic's life. His life would never be the same. He began making plans to leave the band and began writing gospel songs, some of which are on his CD. Prior to leaving, Vic also directed and edited a 45 minute live concert video showcasing his original Christian music which aired on local cable.
Since the road days, Vic and Kathy have had two sons, created several free-lance businesses, and a Christian music ministry. Even though Kathy still enjoys singing with the band, her main focus and passion is graphic design. Vic has been writing and recording for himself and others for over 12 years now. His studio, "The Toy Box" is a home-based 32 track digital (128 track midi) recording studio specializing in custom tracks and demos. He has been teaching guitar full-time for over 12 years and teaches about 75 - 85 private lessons per week when he is not recording or playing out. He has developed his own curriculum which includes 3 books on the subject of theory and improvisation. These books include play-along CDs that were recorded and produced at his studio.
"Wings of Praise" is the outgrowth of a Christian music ministry that Vic and Kathy started in '87. They have an eight piece group that performs original Christian contemporary and popular praise music. As regional Christian recording artists they have performed for and ministered to many people around the area on television, at churches, festivals, civic centers, youth events, and prisons. Their goal is to have a profound and positive effect on the community, nation, and hopefully the world through music and the message of the Gospel. Vic's latest CD release is entitled "It's a Great Life" and is available direct or on the web at vicwheeler.com. and of course, CD Baby.com
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