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Vern Sousa, Bass/Vocals

The newest member of MLC, joining the band in the spring of 2003, Vern’s interest in music started in elementary school where he played drums and percussion. “I’ve always had a musical ear” he says. “ I can remember playing The Beatles' Abbey Road album over and over.  I had all the harmonies in my head, but the melody was always more elusive to me.”  

Continuing his musical journey, Vern joined the Junior High school concert band as a percussionist.  It was at this time,  he hooked up with neighborhood friends Chris and Pete Mentch.  Vern recalls, “We were hanging out at Chris’ one day and he got out this John Denver album – the one with Rocky Mountain High – and started playing it and singing along.  Well, I had the album too and naturally started singing the harmonies along with Chris.  We were both pretty amazed at how good it sounded…at least we thought so.”

The three formed their first “trio” with Vern on drums and Chris and Pete on guitars.  “Chris and Pete’s dad used to go to this bar somewhere in East Baltimore and he talked the owner into letting us play.  Here I was, about 14 or 15 playing the drums (badly, I might add) with a repertoire of maybe 10 songs, at this seedy bar!”

It was enough though to urge the boys to get better, so in 1976, the trio enlisted another neighborhood friend, Don Johnson, to join as the band’s drummer.  Vern had picked up  guitar along the way and eventually migrated to playing bass full-time.   With the addition of high school friend Kim Ellison on vocals, the band took its name, First Flight. 

The band soon realized that it needed a keyboard player. It was none other than fellow MLC member, Jim Dorsey that answered the newspaper ad. Vern, on Jim – “He is probably the best musician I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with and hearing him play made me want to play even more!” Vern and Jim gigged together until about 1981 when Jim’s school responsibilities and the band’s schedule began to conflict.  At that point they parted ways, with Vern continuing with the band full-time.  Traveling from Vermont to Virginia playing clubs 6 nights a week, the group enjoyed good times “on the road”. However, the pressures of traveling took its toll, leading to the group’s disbanding in early ’83.  Vern packed away his bass for a good 15 years.

After a short stint in the recording studio in ’97 with fellow First Flight band mate, Chris,  the bass went into dry storage once again, assuming for good this time.

Then in 2003, a voice from the past.  Says Vern …“One night the phone rang and on the other end of the line was Jim Dorsey.  His brother Chris (the drummer for No Pets for Noah) had given him my number.  After an enjoyable few hours on the phone that night,  Jim asked if I still played and if I would be interested in sitting in and seeing what I thought about this band that was recently reunited.  ‘Sure, sounds great!’ I said.  After I hung up with Jim, I told my wife Vickie, ‘I’m gonna go hang out with Jim on Friday night… and by the way, I might be joining a band.’  The rest, as they say is history. Vern was a perfect complement to the band.

Vern would like to thank his wife Vickie (his biggest groupie) for letting him have his old hobby and his kids Kelsey and Tyler for allowing his love of music to continue through them.   Vern says, “Hope your old dad doesn’t embarrass you too much!”

Vern plays a 1981 Kramer SMB-2 bass and whatever strings he can find on sale!

You can email Vern at Vern@MLCrisis.net