The History of The Retreads Band

  The humble beginnings of The Retreads go back to 1987, when a group of Sayville Junior High   School teachers got together to sing a few songs for a fundraiser party.  The group’s first “performance” left much to be desired, but the enthusiastic response of the people at the party planted a seed that took root and grew.

One member, Lee, a new teacher from Copiague, had played bass guitar for years in various rock bands.  It was Lee who pushed the other teachers to take the group to the next level.  A school “band” was formed , which included several male singers, and, for a short time, three young female teachers (Melissa, Anna, and Kelly).  At this point the only instruments were bass, rhythm guitar, and tambourine. 

Things really began to get serious when three of the junior high teachers (Joe, Paul, and Lee) joined forces with a drummer (Chris)  and female guitarist (Cindy)  from Sayville High School.  Al, a friend of Chris’s , who happened to play great lead guitar, was added, and we morphed into a “real” band.  Cindy eventually left the state to pursue her career as a biologist.  Debbie, a wonderful female singer joined us.  The rest is “Retread” history.

Over the years we have performed at some of the most popular catering  halls on Long Island (Giorgio’s, Land’s End, Villa Lombardi, Captain Bill’s, and East Wind to name a few).  We have also entertained at popular restaurants such as The Snapper Inn, The Riverview, the Pine Grove Inn, The Lizard Lounge, and Blackbirds.  We continue to also play at several charity functions each year.  A group of our fans have become known as “Treadheads” (they’ve even made up business cards to identify themselves as such!!). 

Any gigs we have gotten over the years have solely been through “word of mouth” recommendations.  We have never had a manager.  Heck, it’s only taken us 20 years to get a website together!!

The bottom line is we really do love playing for people. Despite several lineup changes over the years, the spirit and essence of the band remains the same.  Our current repertoire consists of over 150 songs (rock, pop, standards, etc.).   Barry and Dennis have been great additions to the band. We are also very happy to have Debbie back with the group (she had taken an extended hiatus to raise her two children).  

We do hope that you enjoy our website.  If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, just email us.

Long live rock and roll!!

The History of The Retreads Band