The Backtraxx
Hal Becker – Drums, Percussion
Hal has been playing drums since he was 14 years old. He is the founder of Backtraxx and loves playing almost any music from the 1960‘s & 1970‘s. One of the kits he still uses are the original Ludwig drums he bought in 1968 while he was in junior high school. During the day, Hal is a best-selling author and nationally known expert on sales, customer service, and negotiating.
Rozz Chapman – Vocals
Rozz was born & raised in Warren, OH & the eldest of 9 children, a mother to Brie’An and a grandmother. She has been singing & acting for over 40 years. She is known for her versatility & sings everything from Aretha Franklin to Nancy Wilson. In addition to Backtraxx, she is a member of Just Us and Memphis Soul Brew. Rozz is also the writer & director of “Make It Right” a play about the Supreme Court case regarding Brown vs the Board of Education & wrote the original music featuring the song “Hear My Tears.” She is retired from the Ohio Department of Education.
Bill Friedson – Guitar
He has been playing guitar for almost 40 years. Until the last few years, he was mostly an acoustic finger-style player. Bill has played guitar in Flashback and The Extremes. When he’s not playing with the band, he moonlights (his day job) as a Psychologist and wannabe golfer. He is married to Annette and has two daughters, Katie and Rachel and son-in-law David.
Patrick Jochum – Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
Patrick has been performing in musical groups and bands since his high school days of the 1960’s. He started his music career with his first band the “Impacts” and then played with The Hollywood Dreamachine and in more recent years with the band Focus. He and his wife Kathy live in
Geneva Ohio. When not playing music they enjoy hiking and listening to music at local wineries.
Billy Kazen – Keyboards, Vocals
Billy has been entertaining for over four decades and has played with numerous Cleveland area bands over the years. He also has toured the USA with various well known musicians. Billy is an accomplished keyboard player and has a wide range of vocals whether he is singing lead or harmonizing with the band. He currently lives in Highland Heights.
Marc Paige – Saxophone, Clarinet
Marc has been playing saxophone and clarinet for over 50 years. He has performed with many rock, blues and jazz groups, along with most of Cleveland’s big bands. He is currently the lead alto sax with The Dan Zola Orchestra and solo clarinetist with of the Solon Philharmonic Orchestra. Marc and his family live in Solon.
Dave Rader – Bass, Vocals
Dave has over thirty years of performing experience and loves to see people have a good time. He’s played in the bands Higher Ground and Brother Nature. Dave was the house sound and stage manager for “Jackie Lee’s” in Akron. He owned and operated Aquarius Sound, and has worked with Dazz Band, Cameo, Walter Hawkins Singers, Baby Brother, and LeftEnd.
Doug Thomas – Vocals
When a very young Doug saw The Beatles on TV in 1964 he knew what he wanted to do. As multi-instrumentalist, lead singer and front man for countless bands and musical projects over the years, Doug has remained true to his calling. He is well known around the NE Ohio music scene and has recently returned to the area after years of entertaining audiences in Atlanta, Nashville, and throughout the South. Doug is also an award winning songwriter whose compositions have been recorded by numerous country and blues artists, including members of The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!
Norman Tischler – Saxophone, Flute
Norman Tischler was born in Brooklyn, NY and put his way through college at NYU working with bands at in the Catskill Mountains. He has toured with Tiny Alice, Robert Lockwood, Jr., The Easy Street Band, Mary Martin, The Bop Kats, and internationally with Travis Haddix. He also has worked with local bands including, Blue Lunch, The Edsels and The Motion (featured in the film, “Light of Day” starring Michael J. Fox). Norman currently teaches at Academy Music, Arrowhead Music and Warren Henry Music.
Jeannie Tyler – Vocals
Jeannie’s been singing since junior high school. She’s sung all types of music, from classical with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, to jazz and swing. For 12 years she sang with Freddie and the Maybellines, New England’s premier show band, who opened for Herb Reed and the Platters and the Marvelettes. In 1996 the band won Musician Magazine’s Best Unsigned Band Award. She also got to work with Denny Dias from Steely Dan, and recorded one of his songs. When not singing, she works for University Hospitals’ Transplant Institute, and hangs out with her family and her cat.
