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OFF THE RECORD (OTR)
A Classic Rock and Country Dance Band

Off the Record (OTR) is a six-piece high energy dance band that gets the party started! Co-founders Kevin Hughes and Jeff Strook had one thing in mind when forming this classic rock and country band, to provide upbeat music that gets people onto the dance floor.

Led by band leader and keyboardist Kevin Hughes, OTR is comprised of musicians Jeff Strook, acoustic guitar and vocals; Mike Kuykendall, bass guitar and vocals; Jay Lannon, lead guitar; Doug Harris, drums; and Sandy Sanders, guitar, mandolin, banjolele, percussion and vocals.

About the band members:

Kevin Hughes, band leader, arranger and keyboardist, was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. His mother made him take piano lessons in the seventh grade. Bless her heart! He started playing in a band in eighth grade. His musical tastes lie in jazz, classic rock, and country. Kevin and Jeff Strook are the co-founders of Off the Record.

Jeff Strook learned to play acoustic/bass guitar at age 8 from his father, who played professionally in a country and western band. By age 15, Jeff had started a band where he played bass. His mother was not keen on him following in his father’s musical footsteps so he had to sneak out his bedroom window where his grandmother would pass him his guitar. Jeff played in popular dance bands in California and in Wisconsin. After losing 100 percent of hearing in his right ear, Jeff gave up his passion for playing and sold his instruments and gear. Five years later, he and his wife Pam moved to Grand and discovered that his brain was able to adapt to his hearing loss. He began to play music again, met Kevin Hughes and co-founded Off the Record.

Mike Kuykendall is the bottom end boogie man and has played bass in high energy bands around the country for nearly 50 years, including the Elvis Lennon Experience! He’s opened for such musical luminaries as Robert Plant, Jan and Dean, Del Shannon, Bobby Vee, the Coasters, the Chrystals and the Kingsmen. Needless to say, this guy can rock!

Jay Lannon is a versatile lead guitarist. Born and raised in Southern California, he grew up “digg’in and play’in” the music of the 60’s to the 90’s. He’s been shredding those guitar strings ever since, whether it be in country and bluegrass bands in the Rockies or blues bands in the Southwest. Jay has come full circle returning to his roots in classic rock and bringing cool vibes to OTR. This guy knows his way around the guitar! 

Doug Harris “I want to bang the drum all day!” Drummer Doug Harris can identify with this Todd Rundgren song. He began playing drums at 10 years old. The march forward brought great pleasure through making friends with bandmates and creating fun times for audiences who listened and danced. Doug has played in rock and roll bands most of his life in addition to being a school principal. He met his wife Pat when he joined a band where she was a keyboardist/vocalist. Doug has played contemporary Christian music and even played several times at the Kansas State Penitentiary. Doug feels OTR has a great repertoire of songs. Come and hear them — and someone yell “Wipeout”!

Sandy Sanders, aka “The Girl in the Band” hails from upstate NY where she grew up in a family of musicians. Her father played sax and clarinet in the US Navy Dance Band during WWII and taught her to play the clarinet in the third grade. Her only previous band experience was in the high school marching band. Fast forward 50 years, with guitar in hand, Sandy’s retirement dream was to have more time to play music. She made the crossover from a devoted country and bluegrass fan to a rock ‘n roll psychedelic cowgirl. She says, “I never saw that
com’in!”

So get your danc’in shoes on. Off the Record is about to get this party started!