the age of "40" in 1982. He originally started out to be a singer in a newly formed band, however circumstances found two of the band members gone before an actual performance. It was after losing these two band members that Ron was encouraged, through necessity, to take up the Bass guitar. A fellow musician drew out the scale of notes for the Bass on a piece of paper, and Ron began to plunk away the notes of a song. He picked up the Bass on Tuesday; sat up late nights studying the pattern of a couple of songs and went to his first gig with his new band on Friday. He played in local bars and taverns with the band for approximately six months. Ron left the band and with a guitar player, steel guitar player and a drummer formed his own band which was known as "Country Flash". Ron is still strictly a self-taught musician who has continued to learn and improve on the Bass guitar. He enjoys playing and singing, and although his first love is country music, has also crossed into country rock as well as oldies of the "50's and 60's".
Jaime
Picardo is the newest member of the County Flash Band. He plays lead guitar,
sings lead vocals and harmony. Remainder of Jaime's bio. coming soon.
Ron Hackett, grew up in Oregon. He started playing drums at the age of
12. He played drums for his father's band The Chip Kickers for 18 years.
Throughout his drumming career he has played drums for other area bands
such as Angie & The Boys and the Strait Shooter Band. When not drumming
Ron enjoys hunting, camping and playing with his two Saint Bernard dogs.
Wes
Bakken, a native of Portland, has been playing in the Portland Eugene
area since 1951. He played with Willie Nelson in the early 50's and has
played in bands that has backed or opened for Nashville acts such as Dwight
Yoakam, Emmylou Harris, Bobby Bare, Hank Thompson, Wynn Stewart, Moe Bandy,
Ed Bruce, The Hagar Twins and others.
Wes's Steel Guitar has a MIDI attachment which allows him to play keyboard piano sounds from his guitar. Visit his Web Site
Paul Kaye - [February 27, 1941 - July 2, 2006]
A Memorial Tribute to an intricate part of the success of the Country Flash Band for the past twenty years.
Paul Kaye began playing and singing in 1962. He was a studio musician with United Artists in Las Vegas for four years. It is Paul you hear as the drummer on many old country recordings. Paul went on a road tour of the Midwest, Alaska, and Canada for twenty years. He worked with various bands and artists such as Rose Maddox, Wynn Stewart, and the Golden Cowboys. His bands also opened many shows for stars such as Buck Owens, Roy Clark, Mel Tillis, and Mickey Gilley. Paul toured the Northwest with the Amarillo Band and in 1986 retired from road tours to settle down in Salem, Oregon with his wife, Mary. Paul joined the Country Flash Band in 1986 where his distinctive voice, harmony and drumming pleased his audiences. He was a member of the Country Flash Band for twenty years. Paul passed away July 2, 2006 after a courageous battle with cancer.