Meet The Gringos
Jim Miller - Founder
Lead trumpet, arranger, vocals, composer
Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Jim attended Arizona State University, where he was a Music Major. He started The Gringos in the early 1960’s as a Tijuana Brass sound alike group. When the band stopped performing in 1980, Jim, along with fellow band mate Joe Vaughn, began building custom homes on Cape Cod. Jim also spent several years working with his brother David, (sound and lights engineer for The Gringos) in Tucson, running stage set ups for the rock concerts that performed in the area.
Clyde (Klide) Score
Drums, percussion, vocals, guitar, composer, artist
Clyde is multi-talented in the arts having received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music, he is also an accomplished artist as he studied impressionist painting with Sam Barber and Henry Hench. Clyde’s works have been displayed in galleries around the country. After touring with The Gringos, Clyde worked as dock master at Hyannis Marine and for several years mined gold in the Bradshaw Mountains of Arizona, putting 620 acres under claim. Clyde currently performs on the Grand Canyon Railway, produces a country variety show called “The Arizona Revue” and is also on the artist roster for the Arizona Commission on the Arts, performing throughout Arizona, and if that isn't enough, he teaches percussion, jazz and guitar both at the college level and privately.
Dave Miller
Sound and Light engineer,
general stage manager
Dave is Jim Miller’s youngest brother and also plays drums. He joined the band and ran sound and lights as well as produced most of the live recordings of the band from 1974 on. When The Gringos stopped performing, Dave continued on in the field of stage production and direction doing concerts all over Arizona for most of the major acts that traveled through the area.
Donna Byrd
Lead vocals
Donna grew up in Los Angeles, California and attended Hollywood High School. She is a descendant of famed aviator, Admiral Richard E. Byrd, who made history with his many first flights, including one over the North Pole. Donna came to The Gringos after the singing group The Collage, who recorded on Mercury's Smash records, broke up in 1969. Jim found her voice the perfect style to arrange some of the band's most interesting musical pieces. Donna left the band in 1974 and went to live in Las Vegas to be with her family. She spent her business career working in hotel operations.
Joe Vaughn
Lead guitar, lead vocals, composer
Joe grew up in St Louis, MO. While attending high school he would gig with his brother on South Broadway, then travel across the Mississippi for after hours sessions in one of the hot beds for Blues, East St. Louis. Ill. Having spent his formative years there learning to play guitar, Joe eventually made his way to Colorado Springs, Colorado where he became a finish carpenter by day and played blues and rock music by night. Joe joined The Gringos in the summer of 1970 when the band found itself suddenly without a guitar player. After The Gringos, Joe returned to his roots as a master carpenter and home builder, however, he never stopped playing, singing and writing music. Today Joe makes and produces his own line of custom guitars, continues to write, sing and play the blues.
Lynn (Bush) Tivens
Trombone, percussion, vocals, composer, band secretary
Lynn grew up in Los Angeles and is part of a very musical family. There are five generations of professional musicians in his family including his daughter Jessica. Lynn met Jim Miller and Tyler Newcomb while attending Summer music camps in Arizona. He met Jim in 1963 and Tyler in 1968. Lynn also attended Arizona State University on a music scholarship. Mid way through his freshman year, he was invited to play with The Gringos, an opportunity he said he couldn’t refuse. Lynn left The Gringos in December of 1976, and returned to Los Angeles to work and run his family's real estate investment business where he continues today. When Lynn left The Gringos, he stopped playing trombone, but in 2009, after a 33 year retirement decided to get back into music and had to re-learn how to play the trombone all over again.
Ralph Score
Video producer and director
Ralph is Clyde Score’s younger brother and traveled with the band assisting Dave Miller with lights and general stage set up. When The Gringos stopped performing, Ralph went full time into video production, first producing corporate videos then landing a job with a large cable television company and station broadcasting events in the Southern Arizona area. Ralph’s documentary about the band is the reason The Gringos are coming out of retirement and going back into performing and recording again. The documentary is due to be completed soon.
Steve Jones
Bass, guitar, lead vocals, composer
Steve grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and as a teenager began playing guitar and bass. Steve found himself in demand as a bass player and performed with several groups in the area. It was with one such band that Steve first met and performed with trumpet player Tyler “Ty” Newcomb and drummer Clyde Score, but it would be several more years before they were reunited in The Gringos. After The Gringos disbanded, Steve returned to Phoenix and continued to perform with bands and other musical entertainment groups. In the mid 1990’s, Steve became the bass player and back up vocalist for legendary guitarist and song writer Paul Cotton of the group Poco, and toured with that band for several years.
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Alan Harkrader
Lead vocals, keyboards, guitar,
bass peddles, composer
Alan grew up in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona
and at an early age began playing keyboards and guitar. He was a member of several Arizona bands before coming to The Gringos in the summer of 1970. Alan’s strong lyrical voice lends itself perfectly to The Gringos unique musical style. When The Gringos stopped performing, Alan continued on as a solo artist, where he has performed in lounges, night clubs and concert venues all across the Southwestern part of the country along with many top entertainers.
Tyler (Ty) Newcomb
Trumpet, vocals, composer, arranger
Tyler grew up in Pasadena, California, where upon graduation from high school, accepted a music scholarship to attend Arizona State University. There he met and performed with Jim Miller. Tyler also met Steve Jones and Clyde Score while performing with one of the local club bands in Arizona. In the fall of 1969 Tyler decided to move back to California and continue his musical studies with his high school band director, who had become the director of bands at Cal State Long Beach. It wasn’t until early 1971, when the band found itself in need of another trumpet player, that Tyler was asked to join The Gringos. When The Gringos stopped performing, Tyler found himself working for Alarm New England selling and installing security systems for home and business. For the past 25 years, Tyler has been the director of the Cape Conservatory Jazz Band.
Charles T. Johnston
President/CEO of Select Artist Associates
Charlie and Jim became good friends and business associates at the same point in time. Both were fired from a gig they were both playing at when Charlie asked Jim if he could book The Gringos for more money and to play better gigs than the one they both had gotten fired from. That began a 47 year relationship/friendship that continues. Charlie’s company Select Artists Associates grew from being a booking agency and artist management company , to a firm that handles booking and producing artists to perform at major sporting events for MLB, NFL, NHL, NASCAR as well as producing major national corporate events. Charlie invented, developed and patented a roll stadium staging and concert audio system that has been featured in numerous SAA productions for Super Bowls, MLB All Star Games, the NHL Winter Classic, and numerous other sporting events. The Gringos are proud to continue their relationship with Charlie and his organization. He is truly the ninth member of the band.
In Memory of
Bill Miller
12/31/49 - 9/17/00
Sound and Light engineer
Road Crew Director
Bill was Jim and Dave's middle brother, he was also the band's first sound and light engineer and traveled with the band from mid 1971 through mid 1974. Besides running lights and sound, Bill also managed the band's fleet of vehicles. Bill passed away September 17, 2000 after suffering a heart attack. Bill lives on in our hearts and memories...