Kenny Derr & The Silver Eagle Band

I was born into a musical family, My father Denny Derr has been in the music business for over 50 years playing Guitar and Vocals, My Mother Ruth was the Bass player for my Father for many many years until their divorce in 1983. I started playing music when I was about 16, my first instrument was the drums, I then switched to Bass in the early eighties and played with my Fathers band Wild Country, at that time the members were my Uncle Butch on Lead, Dad on Rhythm, myself on Bass and Paul Palmer on Drums. In 1985 I played Bass for then rising country star Karen Taylor Good at Gardner Hill Campground in Lowman NY. On February 16th, 1986 Wild Country was the Backing band for Randy Travis In Watkins Glen. Randy's hit at the time was "1982" off the Storms of life CD.

I left Wild Country in late 1986 and started pursuing my own music career, I went to Lorton VA to play at Earl Dixon's "Hillbilly Heaven" night club. Earl Dixon is the Father of actress Donna Dixon. I was billed on a show with Michael Twitty, Son of Conway & Marty Haggard son of Legend Merle Haggard. 

1987 brought change as Butch Derr started his own band, The Silver Eagle Band, I played Rhythm Guitar with this band and was the Lead singer, members were Butch Derr, Paul Palmer on Drums and on Bass was Mike Burns who now plays with the Diana Jacobs Band out of Auburn NY. 

1989 I started Kenny Derr and First Take This is when music shifted gears, I started writing songs and recording my original material. In May of 1989 I decided to go to Wheeling WV and check out the recording studios, I was wanting to record at The Capitol Music Hall Home of Jamboree USA but the studio inside the theatre had shut down. There was however a place right around the corner called Fat Cat Music, Owner Jamie Peck was more than helpful in figuring out what it was that I needed to do the project. I decided that it was a good place to start as Wheeling WV Legends Doc & Chickie Williams had been using this studio, also an unknown artist at the time, Brad Paisley. I went back to Wheeling and did the recordings in late August recording my originals "Lyin" "Loves Door" & "Long Red Hair & Blue Eyes" I was asked if I wanted this Paisley guy to play or Roger Hoard, I didn't know who Brad Paisley was so I chose Roger Hoard, Roger has played with the likes of Chet Atkins, Duane Allman, Steve Warnier and has even tought the Kid, Brad Paisley. I also used Brooks and Dunns Drummer, John Peck, and 1170 Jamboree USA Backing Band on my recordings, Including Jamie Pecklinsky & Dennis Fitzpatrick. It was this recording session that then Director of Jamboree USA, Zane Baxter (who is now a studio musician in Nashville) stopped by and listened to my recordings on the advice of Producer Jamie Pecklinsky that I was given the date of October 28th, 1989 to appear on Jamboree USA with Tanya Tucker, Their were 2 shows and both shows were sell outs at 5000 people each.

1990 I decided to put another recording project together, As in the last recording I used the same musicians and recorded all originals including: "Maybe I'll Forget" "When A Man Cries" "How Hard We Never Tried" & "Feeling Blue" I then put the 1989 and 1990 recordings together and created my first CD which has sold out. 

1991 I wanted to make the move to Nashville TN so I loaded up the truck with what would fit and off I went. I moved to Madison Tennessee and started hitting all the night spots, Tootsies, I played and Sang at The Broken Spoke Saloon, The Nashville Palace with the Steve Hill Band Backing me up. I picked up a Publishing deal with Fret Board Publishing in Hermitage TN in the same culdesac with The Oak Ridge Boys, Dolly Parton and Don Williams. It was during this time at The Broken Spoke that I was asked to come to TNN Studios and be a guest singer on "You Can Be A Star" with hosts Lisa Foster and Bobby Randall from Sawyer Brown. I accepted the invite and sang an old Merle Haggard Song "Today I Started Loving You Again". 

1992 I moved back to NY and started playing in Butch Derr's Silver Eagle Band again but my drive was gone and I needed a break. I then moved to NC, Then Back to NY a few months later, I started playing again with my Fathers band Wild Country until 1994 when I decided to move back to NC. I stopped playing music for several years until I heard this guy singing at my yard sale and I asked him if he was a musician, He said he was, we struck up a conversation and next thing I knew I was playing Bass guitar and singing in his band. That fired me up to play again, next move...

2013, September 29th I moved back to NY and rejoined my Fathers band Wild Country, For personal reasons I decided to leave Wild Country May 27th, 2015 to start my new endeavor "The Silver Creek Band" and am looking forward to pursuing more goals in NY State's Great Country Music Scene.