My Shooting Star SummerFest experience

In 1985 I was a Junior in High school. My friend from jazz band was taking lessons from Shooting Star drummer Steve Thomas. I had never heard of Shooting Star or at least didn't recognize the name. Little did I know at the time that my life would become involved with members of Shooting Star and I would create some great lasting friendships and memories.

That year (1985) Shooting Star had just released their fifth album Silent Scream. I was over at my friends house one afternoon and he put on Last Chance by Shooting Star. I was absolutely blown away. How could this band not be on the radio 24/7? I was even more blown away when my friend told me these guys are from Kansas City and that he took lessons from Steve. Last Chance was off the debut album that was released in 1979. I have attached the video below. A loyal fan has edited graphics to the song below.

Credit Wikipedia

My friend's band was moving at the speed of light for a high school band and I could tell that something special was taking place. I offered to be their manager and it was a great fit because we were good friends and worked well together. My career as a Rock Star manager was born. We joked about that and I created a fictitious radio character from a popular radio station and introduced the band under the name Luke SkyRocker. Yes it was silly but we enjoyed it for many years. Then because of his relationship with Steve Thomas and the bands talent; other members of Shooting Star took notice of the young band and looked to become producers. In this time period a lot was happening for everyone involved.

Listen to Last Chance

Shooting Star broke up about a year after Silent Scream was released. A short time later, Warren Rhoades who did house sound and was a studio engineer for Shooting Star at multiple locations got a gig at Fantasy Studio's as an engineer out west. Gary West who was the lead singer/songwriter for Shooting Star was working on a solo record but still recorded with Van Mclain (guitarist/songwriter) Shooting Star at the Sound Factory. It was during this time and prior that I started doing work for Shooting Star. I was also going to college full time and working at the Sound Factory.

Around that same time Perpetual Change ( the band I worked with) went out to Fantasy Studio and recorded some tracks. Warren Rhoades and Wally Buck produced the demo. We never cut a deal or came to an agreement with the production company they had formed and the reason was because they asked for a very high percentage of the publishing rights. We learned an important lesson in life right then. Lesson learned was that zero % of zero = zero.

Time flew by and 1989 came along and soon after Ron Verlin (original Bass player) of Shooting Star and Van McLain decided to form their own record label and re-release product which was currently unavailable in stores. V & R records was formed and Mark Wassmer was at the helm. Mark put together a great team of mid-west music guys to help catapult Shooting Star's new single "Touch me Tonight" which was put out with "The Best of Shooting Star."

Touch me tonight moved up to # 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Shooting Star's highest charting single ever. The New Band that formed to promote the single and tour was Original members Ron Verlin and Van McLain and new members Rod Lincoln on drums, Dennis Laffoon on Keyboards and Charismatic Keith Mitchell as the new front man.

It was at that point in time they also recorded and released "It's Not Over" and toured the mid-west with Heart, Bad English, Bryan Adams, and 38 Special. Multiple dates took the band out and included Summerfest in Milwaukee and this was my original introduction to the great festival. Shooting Star has played the festival multiple times and the last appearance was with Ronnie Platt as the lead singer. Ronnie is now the lead singer for Kansas and touring with them full-time. Ron Verlin was replaced for the tour by Eric Johnson on bass (not the famous guitar player) for the "It's Not Over" tour.

Summerfest and Milwaukee made a lasting impression on me. I was super impressed with the festival and Milwaukee was a great city to visit. The story is a little watered down as so much more was going on but now you understand my connection to Summerfest and why I am a big fan. Continue your Shooting Star journey and see more information below.

Peace out- M Hummell AKA-Luke SkyRocker