MEET THE BAND

WILLIE CRAIG - Keyboard, Vocals

William "Willie" Craig entered the world on April 14, 1941 in Moberly, Missouri, making him the oldest (and the wisest?) of the Krazy Kats. His mother was a concert violinist and piano teacher, so he was around music from the very start. He took a few piano lessons from Mom, but was happier just "messing around" on the grand piano in the living room. By the mid-fifties, he was playing all the boogie-woogie and rock and roll sounds he heard on the radio. His childhood friend, Lee, had just bought a guitar, and would come over to his house where they would sing the current hits, recording them on Willie's sister's new tape recorder. Willie knew a drummer named Fred from the High School band (Willie played the clarinet!), so he invited him over one day after school, and the Krazy Kats were born, right there in Willie's house, thanks again to Willie's sister Lyla, who gave them their name!

During the early sixties, Willie attended Moberly Junior College, Missouri University, and Northeast Missouri State College, all the time rocking with the Kats. In 1965, he was drafted into the army, bringing a temporary halt to the band. After his army stint, including a Viet Nam visit, Willie went back to N.E. MO. State and received his degree in History and Political Science.

After spending a couple of years in Long Beach, California, working for a finance company, he returned to Missouri University and earned a degree in Journalism, while performing with the band "Crossroad". Settling in the Kansas City area in the seventies, Willie worked as a managing editor for a Johnson County Newspaper.

In 1980, Willie returned to music, performing a solo singer/piano act in area clubs. That same year, the Kats re-formed (they like to look at the period between 1965 and 1980 as a long break between sets!) Willie was ready to go, and as rockin' as ever! Quitting his newspaper job, he again became a full-time Krazy Kat, and hasn't looked back since!

Willie's keyboard playing is the true "heart" of the band, and his unique solos continue to thrill and amaze the fans (and Lee and Fred, too!)

LEE DRESSER - Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals

Lee Dresser was born on May 22, 1941, in Washington, D.C., where his Dad was a government lawyer, and his Mom a professional ballerina. After the death of his parents in the early fifties, Lee went to live with his maternal grandparents in Moberly. Lee bought his first guitar when he was fourteen, and taught himself how to play in open tuning, learned how to sing about eight songs, and the next thing he knew, the Krazy Kats were born.

He attended Moberly Junior College, and then Missouri University, where the Kats continued to play to packed houses. When his buddy, Willie, was drafted in 1965, Lee was not far behind. He got his call in 1966, and was promptly sent to Viet Nam, where he connected up with Willie once again. Small world, indeed! Although they didn't perform together there, Lee did a solo act for the remainder of his tour, including some USO work.

After his discharge, Lee moved to Los Angeles, where he began a recording and performing career, working with Danny Thomas, Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, The Oak Ridge Boys, and many others. Signed to Capitol, he had several chart records, and toured many countries, including Australia and Japan, where he represented the United States in the 1972 World Popular Song Festival, held in Tokyo. He sang the soundtrack of the 1975 hit movie, "The Adventures of the Wilderness Family", and supplied some of the "Country Bear Jamboree" voices, still heard in the Disney parks. Lee's songs have been recorded and performed by Pat Boone, Bobby Sherman, The Osmonds, Trini Lopez, Ray Price, and many others, winning him a 1982 American Song Festival award.

In 1980, Lee contacted his old band mates, and the Kats were back in business, with Lee flying in for performances. By 1985, the demand was so strong for the band, that Lee moved back to the Midwest, and has been going strong ever since.

Lee loves to perform, and nothing makes him prouder than the fact that the Kats are "Still Rockin' After All These Years!"

FRED FLETCHER - Drums, Vocals

Fred Fletcher, the youngest member, was born in Decatur, Illinois, August 24, 1941. His family soon moved to Moberly, and it was there that little "Freddy" began to express his rhythmic instincts. After many nights of beating (and denting) various kitchen pots and pans, his parents decided it might be a good idea to buy him a small drum kit. By the time he started his teen years, Fred was laying down a pretty solid beat! In 1956, he met Willie in the High School band, and all of a sudden he found himself invited to Willie's house. Fred lived about three miles away, on the opposite side of town, and pedaled his bicycle over, with the snare drum and a set of brushes in the basket! When he got there, he met Willie's guitar-playing buddy, Lee, and the three fifteen-year-olds began to mimic some of the rock and roll records that they all loved. When they played their sounds back on the tape recorder, it didn't sound too bad, so they decided to do some more "rehearsing". After several more bicycle trips to Willie's house, Fred found himself a full-fledged Krazy Kat!

Fred continued his education at Moberly Junior College, and then attended Missouri University in Columbia, with the other Kats, where he received his degree in Psychology in 1964. When the band broke up in 1965, Fred put music aside for a while and moved to St. Louis, where he took a job with Texaco. After several years with that company, he became a training executive with the Pizza Hut Corporation, living in various parts of the United States, including New Orleans, and various cities in Kansas and Missouri.

By the 1980's, Fred was back in the Kansas City area, still working for Pizza Hut, but more than ready to answer the Krazy Kats call once again! Since he didn't own a set of drums, Fred had to borrow a kit to play the Kats 1980 reunion concerts! In 1987, he quit his job giving seminars for Padgett-Thompson so that he could rock and roll full time, with his OWN drums!

A true rock and roll drummer, Fred loves to play and loves the fans!

STILL ROCKIN' AFTER ALL THESE YEARS!