A note from Jimmy Wood (cousin by marriage of Freddy Page) January 2004:
"After Freddy died, I moved out to LA and replaced him in a group called Mambo Spud which featured Mike Anthony on keyboards. Being such a fan of the group, it was very exciting to be actually working with one of their original members. Before I got there, I think Denny Ebert was playing drums, but he returned to Chicago. Frank (Bartel) was the bass player in Mambo Spud, but he quit the group about a week before I arrived in LA. That was a missed opportunity for me. I would have had the chance to be a part of the rhythm section of Mike and Frank. I still have some old memorabilia from the early days, e.g., promotional pictures, 45's, etc., most of which I have given to Freddy's daughter, Gena. She was married last summer (2003) and Mike Anthony attended.
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Michael Anthony lived in South Carolina for a few years, then Virginia. He is now living in the Chicago region, Illinois where he works for a wine company, the type of work that he has been doing for quite a few years now.
July 2, 2001, Poco show, Naperville, IL - Paul & Michael meet up again. It's the first time in over 30 years they have seen or spoken to each other! click here for a picture of the occasion!
Here's a message from Michael (January 2003) telling how he and Paul got together:
"I think it was the summer of 65. I was playing with the Las Vegas Busters in some joint on Broadway off of Belmont alternating sets with Baby Huey and the Babysitters. Dave Cook from Blue Island put the band together doing a lot of 12 bar blues with 4 part harmonies. The place was packed almost every night. Baby Huey, the sweetest 400 pound negro I ever met, was the top draw in the city. Dave introduced me to the underworld of the drug culture and the ease in which musicians could take women. Dave played guitar, keyboards, sang and while in reform school, put together a 5 piece hand jive band. He was a very talented and likable guy. Freddie (Page) came over one day and had a vision of the future and a pick-up truck. Soon we were playing some joint on the South Side with Frank (Bartell) and Paul; and on a Monday night, we got together to check out this trio in Blue Island featuring Verne Johnson and Kal David. It was the night Frank Bartell showed up with his new toupee."
