About the Ken Demith Collection
The Ken Demith Collection was established in 2006 when Ken left the popular DFW zydebilly band the Comelongs. Leveraging connections made at venues and among many talented musicians in DFW, Ken invited Sean McWilliams of Pickle and Jeff Gruber of Sunday Drive to join him for shows. Ken invited different players when Sean and Jeff weren't available and the idea of a "collection" of supporting band members was born. Sean and Jeff continued to be part of the collection for recording when Ken moved to Maryland in 2013.
Not knowing the music scene in the Maryland, Ken made the decision to focus mostly on recording. He began the production of the Boom A Rang album. As the record was nearing completion, Ken began searching for the right players to join the KDC. Ken first found Peter Franklin playing on drums several tracks on the Boom A Rang album. Later adding bassist Bruce Lipson and keyboardist Dave Fenstermacher for live performances.
"This version of the KDC is the most complete and enabling that I we've had. The pieces just work together very well"
Ken Demith
VOCALS and GUITAR
A fan of great lyrical songwriters like Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, The Beatles, John Fogerty, Elvis Costello, John Hiatt, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and many others, Ken began his own songwriting journey at 17 when an injury sidelined him from his obsession with athletics. Bored in his room with a neglected Japanese telecaster and his step father's recording equipment, a love for recording music evolved.
It didn't hurt that Ken’s hometown of Hendersonville, TN was the home of Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Barbara Mandrell, Conway Twitty and the Oak Ridge Boys and later Taylor Swift and that Ken's mom was an award-winning stylist for the country music industry. Hendersonville was also a hotbed for many top songwriters and their talented children were Ken's classmates. This created a vibrant music scene that established a quality foundation in his ability to craft songs.
A wide array of musical influences formed Ken’s eclectic style. Splitting time between his Tennessee home and his dad’s apartment in Chicago Heights, IL above a nickelodeon tavern, going to Polish polka parties while hanging out in the city parks blaring with eclectic boom boxes and transistor radios and spending the other part of summers visiting his grand parents farm near Rosine, KY, birthplace of bluegrass music.
While pursuing a career in graphic design became his focus, he wrote continuously, Ken didn’t perform in public or release any music for years until in 1998 he met Tony Ammerman and fellow singer/songwriter Steve Brown and they formed mercyservice. Armed with a dozen or more songs, the band enlisted guitar virtuoso Andy Timmons' producer Rob Wexler to helm their debut album. The album featured Andy on guitar and sold well in TX and mercyservice became a vehicle for Ken to hone his live performing skills as a front man. When the band added accomplished songwriters and performers Rick Reid and DW Hadley to form the comealongs a few years later, their brand of music mixed edgy lyrics with rock and roll, pop, latin, reggae, zydeco, folk, bluegrass and country and high energy performances that started attracting fans across TX as they opened for national and regional touring acts. As the band was ready to release their debut album, the Comelaongs faced life’s many curveballs and disbanded.
Still energized by playing live and recording music, Ken began the journey that led to the formation of the Ken Demith Collection.
Ken works as a non-profit executive by day and stays committed and passionate with the art and wants to share his music with people and is always humbled and appreciative of those who take the time to listen.
Catch KDC at a show, enjoy the videos and add some of our music to your collection.
Peter Franklin
DRUMS
International has a new meaning with Peter Franklin. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, he moved to London, England as a boy. With a deep love for rhythm, the drums were a natural choice for the island boy of 16 who played in numerous original bands in London. He went on to become a world traveler in the realm of Sales Applications in Microscopy as an adult. Drums and a passion for music have been the heartbeat of Peter’s life, along with his family. No matter where he goes, he carries a pair of drumsticks, ready to take to the stage and make people move wherever and whenever.
Dave Fenstermacher
KEYBOARDS AND VOCALS
Dave is a native Marylander, growing up in Kensington, then Bethesda, and listening to Southern Rock and Blues. His primary keyboard influences are Greg Allman (Allman Bros Band), Greg Rollie (Santana), Billy Powell (Lynyrd Skynyrd) and many of the other great Hammond organ and piano players of the late 60s-70s. Current music influences include Derek Trucks, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Warren Hayes, Gov’t Mule, Markus King Band, Medeski Martin and Wood and too many others to name.
When asked to join the Ken Demith Collection, Dave jumped at the chance, and really enjoys playing organ, piano, electric pianos and singing backing vocals.