5th Wheel by Barbara Goodwin, Westside Evansville Courier & Press

When Kevin Hanes was playing the clarinet in his high school’s concert band in Florida, he had no idea it would be his first real exposure to performing in front of an audience. Although he came from a long-line of west-siders and Reitz graduates, (His father, Ray graduated in 1957 and mother Doris Justus in 1958) Hanes was born a Navy brat. The Hanes family spent time all over the world, including Europe, the Azores and Panama. No matter where they were, there was music in the family. There was always a band to be in or sing with. When his father retired from the Navy in 1977 in sunny Panama, there was no question to where they would retire-back home to the west side of Evansville. When Barbara Goodwin interviewed the members of 5th Wheel, it was unfortunately on the same name as the Panther’s championship football game against Lowell. It was a long interview punctuated by intense silences as they watched the game. But no one in 5th Wheel thought the outcome would be any different- particularly and 2nd lead guitarist, Daniel Cuttridge ’00 and bassist Randy Allison ’76.

Ask most guitarists in a rock band who their influences are and you will get a standard answer of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Eddie Van Halen. Most of the time you won’t hear about their grandfather the traditional country bandleader or their sister the folk musician. That is where 5th Wheel is not your average rock band. It is definitely a family affair.

Band leader Kevin Hanes was born into a long line of performers beginning with band leader grandfather, Tex Justus. The musicality trickled down through a variety of family members including his father, Ray; mother, Doris; uncle, Olus Justus; cousin, Mike Jones; and sister Lori Payne, who all either played or sang in bands. “It just seemed like destiny,” said Hanes. When he started 5th Wheel, Hanes had no idea it would become peppered with family members.

Nephew and second lead guitarist Daniel Cuttridge jokes that for him it was not really an option. Hanes claims that when Cuttridge was an infant he would stand over his crib and whisper “’You will play guitar…you will play guitar.’ I was trying to fill his little head with subliminal thoughts.” Hanes gave his young nephew his first guitar when he was eight years old. It was the traditional flat top acoustic version. “I told him that if he learned how to that guitar, I would buy him an electric one and the amplifier,” said Hanes. What he didn’t count on was the determination and the hours of practice the eight-year-old put in learning to play “House of the Rising Sun.” A few months later, Cuttridge could play it perfectly for his uncle and was well on his way to getting his first of many electric guitars. “To this day, I can’t stand that song,” Cuttridge recalls, smiling.

Brother-in-law and drummer Tommy Payne had two older cousins, both guitarists who had a band. Influenced by them, he tried the guitar, but found the drums more to his liking. “My practicing used to drive my sister crazy. It interrupted her watching “ ’Dark Shadows’ ”, he said with amusement. Hanes introduced Payne to his sister, Lori after a musical set. After several years of friendship, they made the leap into dating and a year later, Payne became another official family member.

“The best part about playing as a family has been watching Daniel grow,” said Hanes. “I taught him his first chords and I feel such pride when I watch him on stage.” Hanes father, Ray, has stood in for him after a pair of surgeries sidelined him for a couple of months. Even now, his father has a standing invitation to bring his harmonicas and play with the band. Cuttridge, who performed in another band started out as another family member who had a standing invitation to come on stage. “Whenever Daniel came to one of our gigs, we would coax him on stage to play with us. The crowd always went crazy, because he was such a good guitarist. To me, it was only a matter of time before I convinced him to join us,” said Hanes.”

Hanes considers bass player Randy Allison to be like a brother. “We have played in bands together for 18 years. When I first started entertaining the thought of forming my own band, it seemed natural that Randy would come along for the ride,” he said.

Lead guitarist Ed Karges remembers listening to his older sister practice in her room. She favored folk artists whereas Karges preferred classic rock. “But, still,” Karges remembers, “I thought she was pretty cool.”

Most of the band members have seen the love for music and performing become part of their children’s lives. Payne’s step-daughter, Valerie Kendall, has aspirations to be the group’s first female lead singer. If they are not musical by choice, they have at least gained an appreciation for what their fathers and grandfathers do on the side. Karges laughs that his four-year-old granddaughter Chloe proclaims, “Grandpa is a rock star!”

For a couple of the members of 5th Wheel, the British invasion was something they watched on Ed Sullivan. The others watched the invasion of the hair bands, followed by grunge on MTV. Their music reflects what they grew up with. See them perform and you will hear everything from Lynrd Skynyrd to Kid Rock or Stevie Ray Vaughn to Big and Rich. “ To see Ed sing ‘Burning Love’ brings all sorts of creatures out of the woodwork. It can be a totally dead night until Ed does his version of Elvis. Then everyone gets out on the dance floor,” said Cuttridge. “Elvis is not my favorite, but I love to see Ed do Elvis.” Having a wide variety of music in their repertoire keeps 5th Wheel on their toes. They get requests for songs from artist Merle Haggard to AC/DC. “If someone requests it, I don’t mind playing anything. Our goal is to do all genres well,” said Hanes. But the single song that makes all the members of the band cringe when it is requested is “Wipe Out” by the Surfaris.

When not living the life of rock stars, the band members have normal lives. Hanes works as an off-set printer. Karges works as a computer technican, Cuttridge is a diesel painter, Payne works in pest control and Allison works in electronics. And when not performing on stage, some of the band members can be seen at home shredding a guitar solo on video game Guitar Hero 2. “Hey, some of those solos can really put a serious guitar player in check!” protests Cuttridge as the rest of the members of the band discuss its instruction value versus its fun quotient and Hanes combs through the Sunday ads looking for the game on sale.

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