Bios

Booking Info: 904-509-2580

Bios

TOMMY D

Tommy D was born in Jacksonville, Florida and started playing music at the age of 15. Self taught on the drums he began playing with a local gospel group and traveled the Southeast performing in churches and at gospel conventions. At 16 he saw Van Halen for the first time and knew what kind of music he wanted to play from then on. He has been part of many local bands in Jacksonville and been on the road with rock-n-roll & variety bands. Helped form Spanky The Band and sang backup & lead vocals from behind the drums for 15 years. Wanting to come out front and concentrate on singing, he decided to form a band that could play and write the kind of music he grew up with. Now the lead singer for THE RIDE, Tommy can belt out the tunes of his influences like Paul Rogers, David Coverdale, Steve Perry, Lou Gramm and Micky Thomas. He has a sincere love for people and truly enjoys entertaining. In his music and in life he has a good time and wants everyone else to have fun too!

MARK WHEELER

A life-long resident of Northeast Florida, Mark is a completely self-taught musician with music on both sides of his family tree.
His father was a guitarist and his grandfather on his mother's side was a "Big-Band" era musician from New York.    Also,
Kenny Hensley, drummer  for THE RIDE is Mark's nephew! By the age of five and using the music of the late 60's as a blueprint,
he began teaching himself to play drums. At the age of thirteen, he picked up the guitar and never put it down; teaching himself everything from Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Aerosmith, Pat Travers, Ted Nugent, Rush....anything that
rocks!    A founding member of the legendary  local band "King's Ransom" with a knack for nailing songs "dead-on",
Mark brings many years of professionalism and gigging experience  to THE RIDE.

MIKE DAVIS

Mike was born in New York but grew up in Jacksonville moving here at the age of four. He's always loved music. He started playing when he was ten and never stopped. Many of you will recognize Mike as the lead vocalist for another "legendary" local band "Journey's End"! They were a fixture on the North Florida club scene for years and they also toured the southeast for four years. Mike lived in Nashville for a couple of years before coming back to Jacksonville to put out his own CD "Being Human"! Kansas, Van Halen, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple were all big influences in his life. In addition to keyboards, Mike brings polished song-writing skills and very powerful, soulful vocals to THE RIDE not to mention his years of experience.

KENNY HENSLEY

Coming from the same musical family that produced his uncle, Mark Wheeler, drummer/vocalist Kenny Hensley brings a lifetime of performing experience to THE RIDE. From his earliest days singing along with the radio, Kenny showed his gifts of perfect pitch, and impeccable rhythm. Kenny has performed all over the Southeast and was a member of several local acts, including 'GRAND SLAM', 'TROOPER', and local legends 'KINGS RANSOM'. Kenny is a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar on occassion, and his "stunt vocals" are a highlight of THE RIDE's live shows.

RICH MOORE

Bassist Rich Moore joined the band in October of 2010. Originally from New York, he grew with neighbors who were musicians. That along with hearing Van Halen 1 started it all. Rich began playing in 1985 learning strictly by ear!! He gradually progressed from bands like The Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin and then Rush! He cut his teeth and built his chops with the New Hampshire power trio "Marty Keysone" from 1991 until 2003 when he moved to Florida. Since then Rich has played with "Regi Blue", "Token Blonde", 80s hair-metal tribute "Rockstar", played progressive-metal with "Burning in December" and "629", as well as Rush Tribute "Geddy's Kids"...for whom Rich is still a member! He's also played with "Empire", "Time Junkees" and "Inner Theory" before finding a home with THE RIDE!!! Some of his infulences are Geddy Lee, John Paul Jones, John Entwhistle, Jaco Pastorius, Muzz Skillings, Gene Simmons, and Michael Anthony. Rich brings to THE RIDE many years of experience with great technique and "monster tone"...not to mention a "zany" sense of humor!!!

SEAN WALDEN

Sean has been a part of the Jacksonville music scene since 1985. Originally a bass player and sound system technician with local bands like X-it and later Faith Nation. Sean has mixed for Michelle Lynn, The Dalton Gang, Thunder Road, Westwind and Spanky The Band. Sean brings many years of experience and a keen ear to add the final missing piece to Jacksonville's #1 party band.