Ponder, Sykes & Wright (circa 1982) Goofing off before a Tennesseans rehearsal at my house, David, Michael and I started singing around the keyboard. We heard something that afternoon that we will cherish forever. It was a wonderful sound that scared us a little bit. We've all had gigs, jobs and distractions along the way. But in our minds, since that day, there has always been and there always will be a "Ponder, Sykes & Wright"

Memphis (circa 1982) When Michael Sykes started traveling with his new wife Tanya and her father, Rusty Goodman, David and I joined the country show-band "Memphis." Larry Strickland, Richard Lee, David Ponder and myself beat the road for nearly five years with a four-piece band and road crew. Bob Fortner later replaced Richard. The group played over 200 days per year and charted a few country singles in the mid-eighties.