![]() Mac McNally sang briefly in the early ‘80s with former members of The Knack in The Game. Īfter the breakup, Benick, Read, and Berry played dates with Mitch Ryder. Roadmaster carried on for another year but broke up in 1983. He was replaced by Peter Bailey and then by John Gennell. In 1982, Toby Myers left to play for the next decade and a half with Seymour, Indiana, native, John Mellencamp. Tim Berry also replaced Johns as the band’s drummer. Craig Watson and Frank Bradford sang with the band after his departure. Their most popular songs included “Doesn’t Mean a Thing,” “Higher, Higher,” “Say You Wanna Be With Me,” “Hey World,” and their signature anthem, “Sweet Music.” Although they were very popular at home, Roadmaster was unable to break through nationally and their record deal with Mercury ended in 1980. The band members wrote their own songs and their sound was similar to that of popular arena rock acts like Styx, Foreigner (their early material), Kansas (their hits), and REO Speedwagon. ![]() In the late ‘70s, Roadmaster toured with Pat Travers and Blue Öyster Cult and opened throughout the Midwest for mainstream rock acts such as The Cars, Cheap Trick, Peter Frampton, Eddie Money, Todd Rundgren, Rush, and ZZ Top. With that lineup, Roadmaster recorded one more album for Village and two more for Mercury Records (which had acquired Village) from 1978-80. ![]() Riley also left, to be replaced by former Exile drummer, Bobby Johns. After that release, Smasher left the band, ultimately to pursue a career as a radio DJ, and former Nebula Spoon vocalist, Steve “Mac” McNally, replaced him. Rundgren produced three songs on their eponymous 1976 debut album. Roadmaster was discovered by Todd Rundgren, who invited the band to New York to record a demo, which led to a contract with Indianapolis record label Village Records. In 1974 the band changed its name to Roadmaster and its musical style began to evolve into a big guitar and keyboard-centered “arena” rock sound. Drummer Steve Riley rounded out their lineup. Guitarist Rick Benick met Read in the early 1970s when Benick moved to Indiana to join the Kokomo, Indiana, rock band, Nebula Spoon, but some time thereafter joined Pure Funk. Bassist Toby Myers joined the band in 1971. Roadmaster started as Pure Funk, a popular Indiana college funk band, founded in 1969 by keyboard player, Michael Read, vocalist, Asher “Adam Smasher” Benrubi, and guitarist, Rob Swaynie. Members of the band played for several other successful rock acts with Midwestern roots from the ‘70s to the 1990s. They recorded four albums for Village/Mercury Records. Roadmaster was an American rock band from Indianapolis, Indiana, that was popular in the Midwest in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Village, Mercury, RDM, Retrospect, Utopia Naz Runt Arena rock, album-oriented rock, pop rock, soft rock
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