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Chasin' That Neon Rainbow

Killin' Time is the most diverse (with an age range from 22-50 years of age) band in the Lawrenceburg area. While their may be other country groups and other oldies or rock n' roll groups, none of them play the whole deal the way Killin' Time does. How did the band get its start? Well, here is the story!

The band started as a humble quartet of rock n' roll fans in December 1993 before becoming a primarily country band in the fall of 1995. The three remaining co-founders only vaguely knew when each other before a mutual friend, original guitarist and singer Chris Akins pulled the band together. He had previously jammed with guitarist Brian Black, drummer Lance Sims, and bassist Tony "Dealer" Kinney, and saw the chance to start a band with similar musical tastes. Soon, the group came together as "Jigsaw" with a Guns N' Roses sound. However, the ensuing practices never resulted in much more than a few parties, including the band's first gig, a party at Sims' house. Seeing that the current situation wasn't progressing as they had intended, Black, Sims, and Kinney chose to put country music, a style that all 3 loved(but soon resulted in the departure of still-friend Akins) at the focus of their sound.

Soon, the band brought in country singer and guitarist Jimmy Ritchey, Jr. Ritchey was one of Sims acquaintances from Anderson County High School's jazz band and was much more experienced than the original trio. Soon Killin' Time was the group's moniker, and Ritchey brought a whole new dimension of musicianship to to the band. The group was hard core country with the occasional rocker, including the crowd favorite "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" (which included the Guns N' Roses style crowd sing along). Now the band had a George Strait/Hank Williams, Jr. sound. To beef up the rhythm, the band brought in a third guitarist, Scotty McClease, playing fill-ins between Black and Ritchey. Although he only played a few shows with Killin' Time, McClease helped give the band a good country sound in its formative stages.

Another key first in the addition of Ritchey was strong vocals. While Akins had done a bit of singing, Jigsaw was still mostly instrumental. But, Ritchey was an old fashioned country singer, and now the sound was all there. More importantly, the arrival of Ritchey led to now lead vocalist Brian Black's first singing experience. When Black proposed that the band perform George Strait's "Check Yes Or No", Ritchey insisted that the mike- shy Black give singing a shot. If not for that, the band's vocalist may have never tried to sing at all.

As time went by, Killin' Time's popularity grew and they were soon one of the area's top acts. However, the band's playing time was limited due to Ritchey's prior involvement with his original band, Steppin' Out. Unfortunately, due to a hectic work schedule, Ritchey had to step down from his spot. He only had the time to commit to one band, and since Killin' Time was his second band, he elected to stay with Steppin' Out. However, Killin' Time was far from over. With the experience and musical talent the band had gained from their days with Ritchey, they quickly sought a guitar player to fill the void. Black had come into his own as a vocalist, Sims had proven himself to be one of, if not the best drummer on the local band scene, and Kinney had mastered the bass guitar with pinpoint accuracy.

The search was on, and several guitarists were looked at. Friends and others were considered(Chris Akins even came back for a brief feel period), but ultimately the band got word of a rocker wanting to play country from out of Frankfort, KY. Barron Hawkins, of the After Hours Band, paid a visit to the Sims house, and talk of guitarists soon came up. Hawkins mentioned a 20 year old picker. After meeting with Rick Osbourne, Killin' Time picked him for the job. After starting with the Frankfort heavy metal outfit Tabasco Soul, Osbourne was looking to play a little softer with the occasional rock song. Since Killin' Time was used to the conversion from one style to another, the process of bringing Osbourne in seemed easy.

After a four month hiatus, Killin' Time returned with Osbourne on Valentine's Day, 1997. They drew a large crowd at the Lawrenceburg American Legion on a Friday night(no easy task, as Saturday nights are the big music night at the Legion). It was a crowd pleaser as the band came out of the gates with a vengeance. One of the highlights of the gig was the very first performance of Black's first musical composition, the honky-tonk mover and shaker, "If I Break Down One More Time." The crowd danced away as the band was ear to ear grins at the fruits of their labor. Soon, "Without You," a ballad that Black wrote for his girlfriend, Laura Cooper, was an original song that kept the dance floor moving, as well.

While the group was a success with Osbourne through July of 1998, the members had a difficult time getting together with Rick, who lived in Frankfort. Also, his style was not quite the country sound that would work. Missed practices and poor communication quickly became big problems. Ultimately, this led to the end of Rick's career with the group on July 14, 1998. But, instead of merely quitting, Black, Kinney, and Sims strove on. They played 3 piece at the 1998 Music Fest in Lawrenceburg, and then teamed up with a new guitarist.

Jeremy Richardson joined Killin' Time as a new vocalist, as well. The addition gave another experienced guitarist and singer which beefed up the sorely needed harmony missing from Killin' Time's formula. The group returned to a more traditional country sound, but held on to those beloved southern rock anthems. Jeremy had played with a variety of groups ranging from After Hours to Steppin' Out. He has also played with Winston May a long time band friend. Jeremy joined Killin' Time while former member Jimmy Ritchey came back for a show at Defoe's Six Mile Jamboree. Jimmy was gone after the one show, having only the time to devote himself to one group. Jeremy loved the combination of musicians though and stayed with the group. He had been playing since he was in grade school, and often slept on stage in his dad's guitar case as a small child. However, he had been playing bass quite often at the time, and Killin' Time offered the outlet he needed for his six-string picking.

But trouble soon reared its head again, as in May of 1999, Tony Kinney decided to give up on music. The band tried to change the talented bassist's mind, but to no avail. This was clearly the biggest challenge the band had ever faced. Tony had been a founding member from the days of Jigsaw, and Black and Sims were very close friends with him outside of the band, as well. But instead of wasting time by bellyaching, Killin' Time moved on. After using stand-ins such as Kevin Walker of the Eldorado band, Killin' Time decided to hire a permanent bass player. That man would be an old friend, Jimmy Ritchey. Jimmy left Steppin' Out in July 1999 to become Killin' Time's permanent bass player. The result was a tighter and much more impressive group.

The band was hot and in September 1999, they entered Greystone Studios in Nashville, to record six songs that would be a mini album. Now, Killin' Time could add the title of "recording artists" to their repertoire.

The lineup took another turn when Amber moved to Tennessee with her family in early 2000, and the guys carried on as a four piece. But in a matter of months, vocalist Erica May joined Killin' Time. Erica was a very talented and accomplished singer and had graced the stages of Nashville, as well as numerous others in the Bluegrass. She brought along a variety of classics as well as some new material from writers such as Dennis Linde, who wrote "Burning Love" and "Goodbye Earl" among other chart toppers. However, Erica maintained a busy schedule on her own and is currently on hiatus from the band. It is hoped that she will return soon.

If there is one thing we know, it is that bass players are hard to come by, and Killin' Time had to deal with this in November 2000, when Jimmy had to leave the band. Personal reasons and family matters were at the heart of this tough decision, but Jimmy went the route that he felt led to. The band wished and continues to wish this dear friend the best of luck.

After enlisting the help of such excellent musicians as Kevin Walker, Johnny Palmer, and the legendary Winston May, Killin' Time found Jimmy's permanent replacement in Glen Overstreet. Glen added a great deal of flair to the band with his fretless bass and powerful vocals. Also, Killin' Time started out the year 2001 with a full-time DJ, the Amazin' Kenny B, Kenny Barnett. Kenny had been aiding the band in numerous ways over the past few years, and now his commitment was more valuable than ever.

Killin' Time's fire is now burning brighter than ever, and one shouldn't look for the flame to go out anytime soon.

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Email: killintime@nashville.net