Joleen Dedmon of Grind

      You could call her Jo, you could call her JoJo and even just call her my her name, Joleen, but you could never call her boring, unambitious or unmotivated.

     Joleen Dedmon, prior and much missed lead singer for the top Tucson variety band, Grind,  has worn more hats in her life than most us ever will.

Here is a little clip from her web site bio -

I’m originally from Canton, Ohio and moved to Arizona when I enlisted in the United States Air Force and got stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.  For as long as I can remember, I’ve been singing.  My vocal debut took place when I was just four years old, joining my church’s children’s choir.  After high school things slowed in the music world for me; it wasn’t until my second deployment that I really started getting back into music and it was also the point when I started writing songs.
Over the next couple years I wrote a lot of songs and performed anywhere that would have me.  Ultimately I ended up in a local variety band called Grind.  For two and a half years we played all over Arizona and California.  It was a great experience; one that helped me hone my music skills.

     Since she wrote this, the girl has continued to wow her family, friends and followers with her latest and greatest accomplishments.

     Joleen won the Lucky Break Season 3 competition at Desert Diamond Casino, south of Tucson, Arizona.  Crazy part of that is she had weekend duty and literally had to drive from west of Phoenix, to south of Tucson, barely making it in time to change clothes to the event; won and enjoyed a very short time of celebrating with friends; then had to get in her car and book it back for that very early call for duty the next morning.  Crazy but that is the life this girl has led.

     Then, after months of audition, acceptance and then disappointment that the funds for her had been lost, and then her Guard group coming thru for her, she is now a proud member of the World renown Tops in Blue.  This is such an elite group, playing all over the World for top government diplomats, troops and fans for the next year.  Now - can you say anything but WOW !

Check out her web site, watch her videos and follow Tops in Blue.

     As I said in an earlier post - Damn that she is gone from Grind.  But good for her.  Maybe when she is done with this tour, she can get that bass player out in the club scene again.

There Once Was A Band Called GRIND

     There was once a band called Grind, and then there was a band called Grind, AND THEN there was a band called Grind that was really good.  Good enough to be at the top of the list of variety bands in Tucson, Arizona.

    And why do I say 'there was' instead of there is?  What happened ?
Hummmm - that is a very good question.

     We, the fans (please don't confuse with groupies and stalkers), followed the band  from the East side of Tucson, to the North and the West side, way up through winding roads to Mt. Lemmon, all the way to Chandler and even Jimmy Buffet's Place in Glendale; managed to crash a couple of corporate gigs (now, that sounds stalkerish, doesn't it?), and this is all in the past year.  We even got  to see some of their celeb fans enjoying a night with the Grind; occasionally really getting into the fun.
                                                                     Papa Delux   &   Dan Marries

And now we do without.

     I guess the lead singer, Joleen Dedmon, becoming a member of the Air Force top performers in Tops in Blue, must have been a start of the falling.  I can't be sad for the loss of Joleen; it is such an honor for her to be with the group, and worthy of a later post.

     But then there is the bass player -  Ray - just what happened to him?

     A man who has played in bands since he was in Jr. High just doesn't walk away from performing all together. Right?   Could this be a Garth Brooks thing?  Maybe we all need to miss Ray and the Ray / Coleen combo thing for a bit and then he will decide to be un-retired.  Or did he sneak away to another band and not tell anyone?  Or studio work?

    Time to play Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?  Or Matt Lauer ?   Where in the World are the GRIND members? 

     Anybody know?