LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: MEET THE LOVELYS

By Jack B. Tany

American Idol's loss is Saginaw's gain.
 

Two young Saginaw women tried out for the popular Fox television show only to be rejected. They've rebounded in a rather big way, as they are now the featured singers in one of the area's most popular bands, The Lovely's.
 

Melanie "Mel" Curry and Honesty Elliott are the singers in question and the talented duo - who sing energetic songs with an attitude - make up just one-third of The Lovely's, a band Brian Wood actually helped put together.
 

Wood, the proprietor of JB Meinbergs and adjoining Woody O'Brien's in Saginaw's Old Town district, got the ball rolling when the band Lila Rasa broke up. He actually helped recruit Curry and two others from the band - Chris Mohn and Mike Cramton - which began the nucleus of the new group.
 

"It's kind of funny because I called Chris to ask him what he thought," Wood explained. "We started to talk about forming an all-star band and he said he was actually getting ready to call me with the same idea."
 

So the two quickly went to work, as they adding bassist Mark Miller, drummer Oscar Gomez Jr. and Elliott to the mix and the rest, as they say, is history.
 

"All of them have played with other bands and there's obviously a lot of talent there," Wood said. "But it goes further than that. This group is special. They are kind of a throwback. If they were around in the '60's, this group would have gone on to record."
 

"This is one band where their voices truly become part of the instrument," he added. "There's not a weakness in the band."
 

Since most of the members in the group continue to play in other bands, Thursday evening is their night to shine. They've been together about six months to date and have become entrenched as Woody O'Brien's regular Thursday night band . . . and are being advertised as a "Dance Concert" band.
 

What make this group special are their varied song list and their youthful enthusiasm. The wide-range of songs they play come from such artists as Macy Gray, Joss Stone, Edie Brickell, Alicia Keys, Maroon 5, and the B-52's . . . to older tunes recorded by Ike & Tina Turner, Fleetwood Mac, Joan Jett, Shocking Blue and Rose Royce. One of their most boisterous tunes is "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina & the Waves.
 

Their enthusiasm and love of music have drawn admirers and fans from across the Tri-Cities . . . both young and old. Wood said they fill a very wide demo from 21-58, both male and female.
 

"They were kind of born here at Woody O'Brien's," Wood said. "They practice there and play there. As long as I own a bar, they'll always have a place to play."
 

But let's get back to Curry and Elliott, who many say complement each other rather nicely on stage. Curry, the baby of the band at a youthful 21, was a backup singer to Noel Howland while with Lila Rasa. She's not waiting in the wings any longer as she and Elliott take center stage in belting out booming, bawdy tunes while keeping their energy at a very high rate through every set. Curry, a Swan Valley High School grad and a massage therapist by trade, began singing at a very young age.
 

If the name Honesty Elliott sounds familiar, it's because she performs the American and Canadian National Anthems at the Saginaw Spirit hockey games, including singing in over half of their games during their inaugural season. The 27-year-old, who is employed at CMW Real Estate, was born and raised in Saginaw Township before graduating from Frankenmuth High School. She also does a duet from time-to-time at White's Bar with guitarist/songwriter Dean Vanston.
 

Mohn, meanwhile, brings his love of R&B to the group. He's been in a number of local bands - including Mixed Generation and Groove Circle - since he got started on the guitar in about the eighth grade. It's hard to say what he enjoys better - operating at high octane-level on lead and rhythm guitar, or when he hits the mike with his soulful ballads. He's featured in a Bob Marley tune in which Curry and Elliott both sing back-up.

 

Miller, meanwhile, has been dubbed by many as the top bass guitar player in the area. Wood takes it one step further by saying he's one of the best bass men in the state. Don't take his quiet, unassuming attitude as being boastful or cocky. He's a confident musician who enjoys making music. In fact, he plans to begin writing music for the group and see how far it takes the band. The BV grad has played with such notables as Larry McCray, Sharrie Williams, Brush-Lopez, The Jitters and the Flys, as well as his current gig with Matt Besey.
 

A nice touch is the double-drum action from Gomez and Cramton. Gomez, a Carrollton native, has been on the skins for bands such as Jedi Mind Trip and Raggedy Ann. He plays the standard drum set while Cramton handles drums and percussion. Cramton, a Freeland graduate, also plays with the Robert Bradley band.
 

The group had a contest at Woody's to select a name for the band. When they couldn't agree on a suitable name, they came up with their own - "The Lovely's." When asked why The Lovely's, Mohn, and the three other male members of the group, all said matter-of-factly that it's because of Curry and Elliott - who are both easy on the eye.
 

The six members, all good friends, are actually having a boatload of fun on stage - and it shows. When not playing, they support one another by attending performances with other bands.
 

The Lovely's can do it all and apparently are determined to do it. Thanks to a jump-start from Brian Wood, they seem tailor-made for success.


                                          

Chris Mohn

Don Cramton

Mark Miller

Melanie Curry