“Last Dance With
Rev. Al”
This has been a very tough week. I woke up from an afternoon nap to a missed call from Dad. Dad never calls...anyone. All his calls start with Mom. If Dad is calling you, it's something serious. Usually, it's about a band coming to town. When he texted me to call him as soon as I could, I started getting worried. Before I could call him, he was calling me again. Now, I KNEW something was wrong. Something was REALLY wrong. Then he said the words I dreaded hearing: Al Kleinschmidt passed away. My heart broke the moment he broke the news. That night, my family and I were going to see the play, The Million Dollar Quartet. As I watched Jerry Lee Lewis play his piano, all I could think of was “Rev. Al” Kleinschmidt.
At 17, I was close-minded about music, sticking to Guns N' Roses and early Aerosmith—not a very broad musical horizon for a drummer. My uncle, Roy Fisher, had played bass in bands since before I was born and teamed up with his drummer, Jeff Pancoast, in 1977. They rarely played apart and still perform together.
Not My photo but
THEE best Christmas card I ever got
Rick Allan & The Upsetters mid-1990’s
(L-R) Jeff Pancoast, Roy Fisher, Rick Allen, Rick Strictler (as Santa), Rick Toy (in door) “Rev” Al Kleinschmidt (sitting and spitting)
Since I was too young for bars at 17, I started "working" for Rick Allen and The Upsetters as a roadie. I didn't care about pay—I spent every weekend with Philly's greatest band. They played covers, but opted for deeper cuts, like "Caravan" for Van Morrison, "To Love Somebody" for The Bee Gees, "Live With Me" and "Dandelion" for the Stones. Watching Jeff play inspired me to broaden my musical tastes.
This band was more than a band; they were like uncles. After leaving The Upsetters, Roy, Jeff, Rick Toy, and "Rev. Al" Kleinschmidt formed The Road Dogs. Al earned his nickname for making his keyboard playing a heavenly experience. Rick Toy, a guitar legend, played Hendrix behind his back, head, and with his teeth—"PLAY WITH YOUR TEETH MAN, WHAT THE F**K!!" He'd cover "A Day In The Life" instrumentally, giving chills. Together, they were the tightest band I ever saw.
Always wanting to be involved in music, I put together a bootleg cassette of The Upsetters music. I would practice to it, listen to it all the time, and wanted to write some liner notes for it. I wanted to learn the story of the band. One night, after a gig, Uncle Roy and I sat in his basement on Larder Street, where I interviewed him, recording the conversation so I could play it back later and create a transcript. I actually listened to that tape more than I'd like to admit. I was interested in how a great band was put together.
The one story I remember him telling me is about the time they were playing a gig and Al was celebrating his birthday. When they asked him how old he was, he told them he was 30. They all laughed, thinking he was joking around. As it turned out, he was not joking; it really was his 30th birthday. They were surprised that he was so young, yet knew of artists like Professor Longhair, and understood the unique Boogie Woogie style of playing that you can only find in Johnnie Johnson on Chuck Berry records. You may not always notice Al's brilliance when you see them live, but when you listen back to some of those live performances, Al's playing really filled out the sound and tied it all together.
When they formed The Road Dogs, they had more control over the songs they played and ensured that each member got their spotlight in every set. Each member would bring a song that he wanted to play. It gave Al a bigger role in the band. It also provided opportunity to show his versatility, playing guitar and harmonica on songs like “Younger Girl” and “Mary Jane's Last Dance". The song that he was really known to play was Joe Cocker's version of “The Letter”.
“Rev. Al. and Mark Evans
Steel City Coffeehouse & Brewery
|May 15, 2021
Al was so talented that everyone wanted him in their band, and he played with a lot of bands over the years. I remember going out to see him play in a duet in Mayfair one night. Eventually, he would play in The Big Jangle, a Tom Petty cover band. The Road Dogs were always my favorite band he played in.
Al was always a hoot and a half. He always had a smile on his face and was ready to laugh or make you laugh. The Upsetters used to play this place called Big Daddy's Wagon Wheel Tavern in Quakertown. They were known for their wings. When I knew they were playing there, I would save my appetite and order 50 wings for dinner. Sometimes, when the band would play songs that Al didn't play on, he would use this time to get in front of the stage to check the sound and make adjustments when needed. Then, when the band went back to playing a song that they needed him on, they'd call Al back up to the stage. One night, they couldn't find him, and there he was eating all my wings.
I was the help. I helped carry in drums, bass, guitars, amps, mics, and mic stands. It was heavy work, but nothing will ever compare to Al's famous 88 keyboard. It had 88 keys, each weighing a pound. It always called for Al and me to carry it together in and out of his van. In those days, he was a snazzy dresser on stage. In the back of the van, hanging up was always a nice button-down shirt with a multi-colored print on it, with a black vest over it. I always made sure I didn't knock it off the hanger while unloading and loading his van.
One night, while unloading his van, he jumped out of the van wearing a Halloween mask and scared the living crap out of me. He still tells my daughter, Savanna, that story while chuckling through the whole thing.
Speaking of Savanna, she told me a story that I never knew. She said Al had an influence on her as well. One night, while seeing The Road Dogs play, the Phillies game was on the TV. While playing, Al was watching the game. The Phillies made a bad play. You could hear Al's frustration when he said “SHIT!” into the mic. Savanna thought it was the funniest thing. When she saw that, she knew not to take playing music so seriously and to have fun with it. It encouraged her to go home and keep practicing.
We lost Rick Toy in 2022. Now we lost "Rev. Al". I am completely devastated. You never saw Al without a smile on his face or a chuckle coming out of him. The band still calls me by the shortened version of an old nickname. I am going to miss the way Al always said “ 'Bone!” as he greeted me with a smile, a handshake, and a beer in hand.
Uncle Roy always said that there were two types of musicians in this world. Those who played with “Rev. Al” Kleinschmidt, and those who wished they had. I was one of the lucky ones who played with him on many occasions.
Me, Uncle Roy , and “Rev. Al” Kleinschmidt
The Whitpain Tavern
November 11, 2006
My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Kelly, and the entire Kleinschmidt family.
Thank you, “Rev. Al” for all you have taught me about music and finding the laughter in everything you do. From now on, when I speak your name, it will never be the same again. Rest In Peace.
Now, go jam with Rick Toy and Tom Petty! “Oh my, my, oh hell, yes”!
(click photos to enlarge)
