Melody Ramblers Country Band

Band: Melody Ramblers
Home: Chatham Kent Ontario Area.
Year: 1986
From: 1953-1994 (Different members through time)
Style: Top 40 country

Members:
TOP RIGHT….Larry St. Pierre – drums
TOP LEFT…Eugene Beaulieu – bass
MID TOP…Wendy Jenkins – lead vocals
BOTTOM RIGHT…Mark Buckwheat – lead vocals
MID BOTTOM…Rene Brosseau – pedal steel, slide guitar, dobro
BOTTOM LEFT…Dan St. Pierre – lead guitar

Notes:
The bands history, under the name ‘The melody Ramblers’ begins in 1953 and ends in 1994.
To read about it, check out the first Melody Ramblers post link here.

Update: In 2015, The Melody Ramblers did  a one off reunion show made up of their final band member line up from 1994.
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Melody Ramblers 2015 Reunion

2015 Reunion

Previous

 

Band: Melody Ramblers
Year: 2015
Genre: Country Cover Band
Home: Chatham-Kent

Members (L-R)
Rene Brosseau – Steel Guitar, Vocals
Dan St. Pierre – Lead Guitar
Mark Buckwheat – Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Larry St. Pierre – Drums
Wendy Jenkins – Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
‘Gene’ Eugene Beaulieu – Bass, Vocals

Notes:
Who would have thought when Sherley St. Pierre and his wife Theresa formed a small country music band “The Melody Ramblers” in 1953, they started a country music tradition.
The Ramblers band officially retired December 31 1994, but in 2015, they did a reunion show made up of that final band member line up.

2015 – Reunion
Where: Knights of Columbus Hall, Tilbury
When: October 3rd, 2015
* Event also included the original ‘HOMEGROWN BAND’.

Original Members in 1953:
(From left to Right in above photo.)
Joe Barnier – Guitar
Marie Barnier – Vocals
Louella Barnier – Vocals
Francis Barnier – Drums
Ralph St. Pierre – Fiddle
Joe Demers – Pedal Steel
Rita Demers – Vocals
Theresa St. Pierre – Vocals
Sherley St. Pierre – Guitar

Melody Ramblers 1979

click pic to enlarge

Band: Melody Ramblers
Home: Chatham Ontario
Year: 1979
Band: 1953-1994
Style: Country Music Covers

Members:
(Left to right)
Dan St.Pierre – Guitar
Rene Brosseau – Bass
Dennis Smith – Pedal Steel
Michelle Wright – Vocals
Bradley J. Preston – Vocals, Acoustic
Larry St. Pierre – Drums

  If you are from Chatham-Kent Ontario, then chances are you know that country music star MICHELLE WRIGHT got her start with the Melody Ramblers.
  A very young Michelle was added to the band to help diversify the band, giving them the ability to perform songs by female country artists and relieve Brad Preston of the long nights of solid vocal duties. Michelle was new to the scene but developed quickly, later leaving to join a band an hour away, across the Canadian border in Detroit.

The group’s original line-up formed in 1953, and has included the top players from the area for the better part of 40 years. This 1979 line-up was interesting because it included many members who’s talents caught the eye of the international country music scene.

You can read up on individual members  or the bands history through the years, by going to our home page and scrolling down to the list of bands/artists from Chatham.

Photo: Given to the Chatham Music Archive with permission for the Chatham Music Archive, from the St. Pierre family. Thank you to the St. Pierre family for helping us present the rich deep history of the Melody Ramblers in our community.

Demo Kid note 2010: While doing the research on the group, it was interesting to find out that my Uncle Eugene played in this band later on. In 2009, I was introduced to Rene (was the bass player for the band at the time) who is now one of the most popular pedal steel players in Canada. He played on our home demos (with Jesse V) and was just simply so pro and friendly that I was amazed I got the chance to record with a musician with such a love and experience of music. 

Email your pics & info to: chatham_music_archive@hotmail.com

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Melody Ramblers 1988

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Band: Melody Ramblers
Home: Chatham Ontario
Year: 1988
Style: Country Music Covers
Sound man: Dan Barette

Above  Photo
(Left to Right)
Dan St.Pierre – Guitar
Eugene Beaulieu – Bass, Vocals
Wendy Jenkins – Vocal
Brad Preston – Guitar, Vocals
Larry St.Pierre – Drums
Rene Brousseau – Pedal Steel

Photo: St. Joachim, Ontario

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Melody Ramblers Form

Band 1953

Sherley St. Pierre

Gear

Band: Melody Ramblers
Home: Chatham Ontario
Year: 1953
Band: 1953-1994
Style: Country and Western Covers

Original Members:
(From left to Right in above photo.)
Joe Barnier – Guitar
Marie Barnier – Vocals
Louella Barnier – Vocals
Francis Barnier – Drums
Ralph St. Pierre – Fiddle
Joe Demers – Pedal Steel
Rita Demers – Vocals
Theresa St. Pierre – Vocals
Sherley St. Pierre – Guitar

  Who would have thought when Sherley St. Pierre and his wife Theresa formed a small country music band “The Melody Ramblers” that they started a country music tradition. Even though country music styles have changed over the years, the name “Melody Ramblers” had lasted 41 years.
  Sherley St. Pierre performed in the band from 1953 to 1975, but the band carried on and has always involved several relatives.

   In these early years, they did not have a bass player in the band, so the bass was simulated with the pedal steel guitar when needed. You would never know the difference by listening to it.

  The very first live shows the band did were for $35 a night in the 1950’s. It was not unusual for them to perform two shows a day on the weekend, often doing something like a wedding in the day time and a night show at an establishment. Some of the places they played in these early years were Big Point, Stoney Point Club, Port Lambton, Chatham Polish Hall, Blenheim, and Tilbury. The group also performed at the Pyranon Ballroom in Chatham.

*  Sherley St. Pierre was honoured and inducted into the Grande Point Hall Of Fame.
* Photo of Sherley with his Dobro Above:  Taken Oct. 2nd 1949. He was only 17 in this picture (Born in 1932), just four years before forming the band. 
* Gear photo: (Sherley St.Pierre) 1952 Gibson ES-5, his 1964 Gibson Titan III amp and even his old microphone. This is the gear he used way back in the day with the Melody Ramblers.

Photos donated to the Chatham Music Archive by the St. Pierre’s.

By: S.Beaulieu

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Melody Ramblers (1981)

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Band: Melody Ramblers
Year: 1981
Home: Chatham Kent Area
Style: Top 40 Country

Members (L-R)
Wendy Jenkins – Vocal
Dan St. Pierre – Guitar
Rene Brousseau – Bass
Larry St.Pierre – Drums
Brad Preston – Guitar, Vocals

Note: Wendy Jenkins joins the band to replace Michelle Wright. During the early eighties Charlie St. Denis would often join them on fiddle
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Melody Ramblers (1983)

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Band: Melody Ramblers
Home: Chatham Kent Ontario Area.
Year: 1983
Style: Top 40 country

Members (L-R)
Larry St. Pierre – Drums
Rene Brousseau – Pedal Steel
Weny Jenkins – Vocal
Brad Preston – Guitar, Vocals
Richard St.Denis – Bass
Dan St.Pierre – Guitar

Notes: Richard St. Denis joins the band on bass and Rene switches from bass to  pedal steel.
Click the picture below to see the bands set list from 1983.

Set List