Yes. Before Point Blank was formed, I had been playing with other bands for at least six years.

Point Blank consisted of members of bands I had worked with previously. We were all friends and colleagues before we became Point Blank.

July 19, 1974.

I was 25 years old at that time.

Point Blank consisted of the members who appeared and recorded on the first album. We had been performing together in the Dallas area for about 6 months or more before we changed the name to Point Blank.

Through touring and performing with other Southern Rock groups, we developed friendships built on respect for each others' music and abilities.

Our bands are very different, as is our music. We shared common roots and backgrounds, but we developed separate from each other.

Bill Ham was our manager and producer, but he had no influence on our music.

Bill Ham negotiated all of our record deals, while we worked on the music and performance.

All of our albums were recorded at the same studio... Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. And Terry was our engineer on all the albums.

Our music was written wherever the inspiration hit us... at home, on the bus while traveling, and in the studio, as well.

We wrote about what was going on around us...places and people that made an impression and inspired a thought or idea, which grew into songs.

Our set list was developed according to the albums released, songs that were getting airplay, and sometimes we would perform new songs to see what reactions we would draw from the public.

Yes, pretty much the same. We would take a little time off the road, and rehearse. This is where new ideas would be tried out, and if we felt that they were good enough, we would take them to the recording studio.

Touring and performing for different people across different states helped in the evolution of the band and music...also the experience gained from recording the first album helped us to grow in our song writing abilities.

Again, Bill Ham was responsible for the negotiations and decisions concerning the labels, and contractual agreements. Our arrangement with Arista was for two albums, which was fulfilled.

Philip had moved on to pursue other interests in his life. Bill Randolph was a close friend of the band's and brought with him new ideas and musical influences. We, the band, felt that the addition of a keyboardist would be a great asset to our band and music.

Bill sang lead on "Thunder and Lightning" and added vocals to the other songs.

Steve Hardin was introduced to the band by Bill Ham. He had previously been playing with Rocky Hill (Dusty Hill's brother), and Bill Ham thought that he would be a good addition to the band.

It was an experiment that didn't quite work out. Steve had chosen to play harmonica with Glen Campbell, instead. He really didn't stay in the band long enough to form any real ties with us.

Steve Hardin left the band after one month of touring with us. He simply didn't show up for the following engagements. You would have to ask Steve for his personal reasons for leaving.

Steve performed with Glen Campbell for several years after his departure from our band. That is the last I've heard of him.

We were fortunate to have two very talented and inspired guitarists. They each brought to the table varied musical feels and influences which blended well together. We all keyed off of one another, and the combined efforts meshed into the varied songs that we produced. I don't believe we were ever tied to any particular type or style of music. Since we all were instrumental in the song writing, our songs displayed many different movements and methods. By the way, Philip Petty also contributed to the writing of this song, as well as "Louisiana Leg", but did not, for reasons not known to us, receive credit.

I believe that this was a transitional album for us. The addition of the keyboard softened the music in many ways, and we were experimenting with the music. Also, the musical influences of the guitarists had changed, and this was reflected in their song writing, in my opinion. I think that the music scene was going through changes as was the band.

Karl, whose last name is really "Berkebile" (shortened to "Berke" by Bill Ham...again we don't know why) came to the band as a replacement for Steve Hardin. Karl wasn't a song writer, and he left the band because he didn't want to continue touring, as it interfered with his personal life at home. He enjoyed the time he spent with us, but grew weary of the road, and decided he had enough of the rigors of touring.

Karl came into the band soon after Steve's departure, and left before we went into rehearsal for the next album.

It was Bill Ham's idea to record "Rock 'N Roll Soldier, which in my opinion was not such a good idea. "Highway Star" was a high energy song, and received a very good response from the public when performed live. The only reason it appeared on our album was because it was part of our live set, and gave much energy to the performance.

This song was part of our set-list for the duration of the live performances of the band (1983).

Again, this was a decision made by Bill Ham. We were allowed very little latitude in the decision making processes of what songs were included on our albums, as well as the studio mixes and final releases of the products.

We were in a situation where we were touring most of the year, and had very little time to spend in the studio at that time. Simply put, we didn't have the time to properly prepare and record this album. Another Bill Ham decision.

This information was basically kept from us... Bill Ham did not relate much information to us about album sales or monies generated. We pretty much had to guess, as we were not privy to this information.

As best as I know, "American Excess" sold the most albums.

I think that different radio markets had different "favourites", but overall, I believe that "Nicole" received the most airplay

John had decided to go in a different direction with his musical career, and so he left the band after "The Hard Way".

Bubba was a singer that we had known previously. He, too, was from Texas, and so was part of our musical community.

By this time, Southern Rock was being replaced with new and different influences. I think radio music, generally speaking, was changing, and we were changing with it. I truly believe that when Lynard Skynard suffered their losses, so did Southern Rock. (My opinion.)

As for the evolution of our music, the band is responsible.

In many ways, yes. "Nicole" showed that we received more airplay and were more widely accepted by the public.

With the changes of musicians in the band, came changes in our music and song writing. As we grew, so did our music. Of course, our influences were undergoing change, and our music reflected those changes, as well.

For the most part, I agree. I believe that the musical tastes within the band (the individual members) were growing apart. There are some good songs on that album, but I think the process was becoming stale.

Perhaps too many changes had occurred within the band, and the musical direction had also changed. There were things and ideas I would like to have tried, but that never happened. Time has a way of shifting things around, and producing changes... some for the good, and some maybe not so good.

Not very long... perhaps six months.

I will leave this answer for the book I am writing about my experience with Point Blank. I will say this much... we ended up in a very ugly lawsuit with Bill Ham. We had sued him for release from our contracts with him. This was the "death blow" to the band.

MCA's decision to release our products on CD was between Bill Ham and MCA... We had no knowledge or influence in this decision. By then, the band had split up.

We did not ever record together as a band again. Since then, I've recorded with other artists and have pursued my musical career on my own.

I recorded and performed with Point Blank from the very beginning to the very end... I played all the concerts the band performed.

No.

After the band broke up, I have played in Texas. Unfortunately, very few people know the truth about what happened to Point Blank, and therefore, there have really not been any real opportunities since then. There are other reasons, but I really can't discuss them at this time, due to the possibility of legal repercussions from Bill Ham and his organization.

Yes, we played in Canada, and were supposed to perform in Europe, but that didn't happen... Bill Ham had decided against it.

There were so many great artists we had the privilege to share the stage with. Among them were Journey, Kiss, Bob Seger, and many, many more. These are just a few of the great bands we enjoyed performing with.

We mostly performed in large venues... Stadiums (outdoor concerts), convention halls, theaters, etc.

I doubt it. The sad news is that Bill Randolph died three years ago (June 19, 2001) from a heart attack. Due to that, and the fact that Bill Ham will not allow us to use our name, we will not be able to do another Point Blank album or live performance as Point Blank.

No, that is not true.

No. You can thank Bill Ham for that, too.

After Point Blank, I played and recorded with many different artists, including Shake Russel, and more recently, Chuck Rainey. As you may know, Chuck Rainey is one of the most well known, and most talented bassists in the world. If you are not familiar with him, you should research his discography. Just to give a little information about him... he recorded on most of the Steely Dan albums.

I've known Rocky Athas for approximately 27 years. I think Rocky is a very talented artist and a wonderful person to know. I met Rocky when he was performing with his band, "Lightning" in the '70s.

I was asked to record on his upcoming CD, and after listening to his previous CD, was impressed with his music.

No. The band played for approximately 4 years or so, and broke up about two years ago.

There was no recording made, and there will not be a recording made.

I always enjoyed 38 Special very much, as well as older albums by Allman Brothers, Wet Willie, and Blackfoot.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to spend this time with you and "Bands of Dixie"... It is my honor and pleasure to share my experiences with you.
Buzzy.