BANDSTAND GIVING GOOD VIBRATIONS.
We’re going hoppin’, we’re going hoppin’ today …
I’m sure you all remember the show and by now most of you know Sabal Springs’ favorite band: Bandstand. George Bleier and Ron Frailly are two Sabal Springs residents who love to rock and roll. Along with an old buddy of George’s, John Andrew Maik, they form the rocking trio. They play regularly at the Sabal Springs Clubhouse, Cheeks at Marinatown, and at Cape Cabaret. They also do other gigs at various locations nearby.
MAIK, GEORGE BLEIER, AND RON FRAILLY.
George hails from Dartmouth, Mass. He and his wife Lisa have lived here since December of 2022. George and Lisa have a son and a daughter and one grandchild. Ron is from Massillon, Ohio, and he and his wife Cheryl have lived here since October of 2021. They have three boys, and four grandchildren.
The two met by chance when George posted on Facebook, mentioning he was new to Sabal Springs and inquired if anyone else played music. The post piqued Ron’s curiosity. Coincidentally, Lisa was selling a curio cabinet, which Cheryl bought. When she and Ron went to pick it up, George showed Ron his “studio” and they bonded over their love of music and playing the bass guitar.
George started playing piano at 5 years old. He eventually took up guitar and played from high school to his early 30s, including professionally for the Department of Defense. He can also play keyboards and the trumpet. George met his wife while playing in a club. After he and Lisa got married and had their son and daughter, he went into insurance and financial planning, spending most of his career in the group benefits arena.
Ron started playing the drums at 10 years old, switching to guitar a couple years later because “all the girls watched guitar players.” As teenagers, he and his friends played in local bars. After Ron and Cheryl married and had children, Ron worked in the steel mills of Ohio, eventually moving into selling advertising and working his way up to publishing in the newspaper business.
John hails from Patterson, N.J., and currently lives in Cape Coral. He started playing the drums in junior high and moved to the keyboards in high school. He comes from a long line of artists. His grandfather, father, and four brothers are all musicians. He met George more than 40 years ago when they played in a showband called the Bedfords out of New Bedford, Mass. They toured all over the eastern U.S. and Canada spending up to 40 weeks a year on the road. He’s played at the Apollo Theatre and with Kool and the Gang. His musical influences are the Beatles and Motown.
After a break for the month of August, the band is back in full swing as of September 6. Their schedule is below. Check them out!
