LITTLE ROCK SERVES UP MUSICAL GUMBO; DIFFERING AGES AND CAREERS MAKE POPULAR BAND MORE COHESIVE

PERRYVILLE -- You couldn't find five more diverse people than the members of Little Rock.

The band includes a mental health counselor, a carpenter and an X-ray technician. Their ages span the 20s, 30s and 40s. They live all over parts of Cape Girardeau, Bollinger and Perry counties.

But at least once a week, they all come together to do what they do best -- make music for the masses.

Little Rock came together in May 1994, uniting members from several different bands. All of them sing. John Cooley plays drums, Kevin Grimsley plays rhythm guitar, Jay Wengert plays rhythm and lead guitar, Chris Wibbenmeyer is on bass guitar and Kevin Engert handles lead guitar, fiddle, banjo and harmonica.

The name was a natural. They knew a lot of country music and just a little rock. Cooley, the counselor, said the band's playlist is about half-and-half these days -- they let the crowd dictate the music.

It was a fluke the group ever got together. Cooley had listed his drum set for sale in the classified section and other band members called.

"I was looking for a band that would play a couple times a month, not any full-time commitment," he said. "At that time, my daughter was just born, and I needed some extra money. I also needed a hobby."

They had a gig as soon as they formed. Gypsy Road didn't want to play the Leopold Picnic, so Little Rock stepped in. They have booked the picnic every year since.

More and more outdoor jobs started rolling in, then requests to play at weddings, nightclubs and private parties. The band's blend of Top 40 country, old-time rock' n' roll and a little bluegrass seems to appeal to crowds of all ages and backgrounds.

"We'll play a classic like `Foggy Mountain Breakdown' then play something new like `Daddy's Money,'" Cooley said. "We can play a waltz if someone requests it, then move into some Van Halen."

Even with a playlist of more than 100 songs, the band doesn't own a page of sheet music. Most of the members couldn't read it. If one hears a song he likes, he gets copies for all the musicians. After hearing it and practicing at home, they come together to perfect the sound.

It is that sort of cohesiveness that keeps Little Rock popular, Wengert said. They have dates booked into late 1997.

"It's just the fact that everyone gets along so well," Wengert said. "It's pretty obvious when we play. There has never been an argument in the band in three years."

He said the band also strives to read the crowd. If everyone wants to dance, Little Rock plays dance music. If the group is older, they stick to classic country. Younger people like new country and classic rock.

Once they play for a group, they usually are invited back.

"There is a shortage of bands around this area," Wengert said. "I can't name one other country band that still plays.

"When I started 11 years ago, there was competition out there. Now sound systems have taken over, but some people refuse to have a sound system. They want a live band. We like those people."

Band members also agree on Little Rock's future. There won't be any trips to Nashville or dreams of big record deals -- they are happy in their chosen careers. If fame finds them, so be it, but they don't intend to search for it.

"Playing the drums just makes me a better therapist," Cooley said.