Big Time Party Band

Barry

Barry Briggs is Big Time’s guitarist and newest member. Barry joined his first band in 1967, “The Sound Estate”, a rock band that performed at high schools and colleges in Eastern Virginia . During the early ‘70s he played in bands while attending Virginia Tech followed by tours with several groups throughout the Southeastern US . Relocating to North Carolina in 1980, he continued performing in Eastern North Carolina and Southside Virginia , first with “Nightshift” and then as a member of the trio “Moondance”. After a brief respite during the 1990s, he reemerged as part of the Contemporary Christian Music scene directing the praise band “Third Watch” at Evergreen United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill . Prior to joining Big Time, Barry served as a session artist where his guitar work can be heard on Shiger Seattle‘s debut CD and as bassist for Raleigh’s “Loose Change Band” and the “Highway 61 Rhythm & Blues Project”. Barry lives in Siler City , NC with his wife Jo and their dog Moe.

Bill

Bill Hancock is the master keyboardist for BigTime. He also handles lead vocals on several of our songs. "Wild Bill" is the big guy with the big personality which makes him a good fit for BigTime. Bill has a long history in the music business. He played keyboards as a teenager in a band with his dad. Before joining BigTime in 2004, he served as keyboardist for other groups such as The Castaways and The Fabulous Hot Dogg Daddios.

Craig

Vocals and Saxaphone

Craig Saunders

Craig attended Longwood University and is currently a juvenile probation officer in Virginia. He lives with his wife Lynn and sons Casey and Will. Craig began playing music professionally at age 14. His first band was Diamond when he was in the 8th grade. In college Craig played bass in a rockabilly band called The Basics. In 1987 he helped to found Upper Level Band. Upper Level played as Archie Bell's Band for three shows. Upper Level play shows with The Chairmen of the Board, The Embers, Johnny Paycheck and January Rose. Craig has always loved beach music and fell for it at the very 1st Patrick Co Beach Music Festival. His influences are his cousin ET Conner, Kiss, Chairmen of the Board, Rolling Stones, and Ted Nugent. His musical tastes are classic rock, Beach music, and 80s Funk music.

John

John L. Wilson started singing early in life. He won a kindergarten talent show singing The Oak Ridge Boys version of “Elvira” when he was 4 years old. John participated in middle school and high school chorus classes. John got his first guitar at the age of 13 and has been playing “by ear” ever since. John’s was hired as lead vocalist of a band called Night Train when he was 18. Other bands followed including Fair Warning, Nuthin’ Fancy, Hybrid and The Wilson Chestnutt Band. Johnny Wilson, John’s dad, asked John to come and sing with BigTime Party Band in 2007. John’s musical influences vary. He is very much into Classic Rock artists such as Aerosmith and Lynyrd Skynyrd. He also has a love for classic R&B artists such as the Temptations and Otis Redding. One of John’s newest influences is Jim Quick & Coastline. John has a powerful voice and is able to sing many different styles of music. His guitar playing is steeped in Rock and Blues. John Wilson is completely dedicated to the success of BigTime Party Band and plans on being around for a long time to come.

Johnny

Johnny Wilson is the founder and operations manager and also vocalist for the BigTime Party Band. He began playing & singing before he was 16 years old, starting with the band, ”The Contrast” in the late 1960’s and continued through the years either playing music live or DJing for many events. He was lead singer with the band, “Bits & Pieces” for 6 years in the late 70’s-early 80’s and was the house DJ at “Pokey’s Pub” in Sanford, NC for 18 years from 1984-2002. He is a member of the Association Of Beach & Shag Club DJ’s (ABSCDJ) and his knowledge of popular music of the last 50+ years is an asset to the band. He began singing in his church choir, which he still does, and numerous choruses in his community and school, including Appalachian State University Men’s Chorus where he attended and majored in music & education. (Along with partying!!!) He is also the father of band members John L Wilson & Tiffany Wilson Wheeler Hancock and father-in-law to Bill Hancock.

Mike

Mike Harriss has been playing percussion instruments since age 12 upon entering middle school. During his first semester he began taking private lessons for drum set, and was able to play in a variety of styles by the time he was 15 including rock, funk, jazz, and Latin American. During his tenure at Northwood High School (class of 2007), he participated in the award winning Marching Charger Band, starting in the front ensemble as a freshman before moving on to marching snare, and finally tenors (quints) in his senior year. In addition to playing in concert band, jazz ensemble, and pit orchestra for the entire 4 years, he also participated in summer music programs at UNCW, UNCG, and Ellerby for jazz, wind ensemble, and marching percussion respectively. Upon graduation, Mike enrolled in the UNCG School of Music, and earned a BM in Music Education in 2011. During his time at university, his studies primarily focused on classical percussion (mallet instruments, timpani, “multi-percussion”), West African Percussion (djembe), orchestra, opera, instrumental pedagogy (winds, strings, brass, and chorus), and a general education curriculum. Following graduation, he returned to Northwood High School for two marching seasons, working as a volunteer percussion instructor alongside Amy Savage. He currently works as an accounting clerk for UNC Genetics, residing in his native town of Pittsboro.

Tiffany

Tiffany got her start singing in her church choir and school chorus. Being the daughter of Johnny Wilson and big sister to John Wilson, she grew up in musical surroundings and was exposed to the "music business" most of her life and was a club DJ for several years, starting in her late teens. She never expected to be one of the ladies of beach music and it happened quite unexpectedly. While singing the gospel song, "Wade In The Water" at her church one Sunday, her dad (Johnny) told her she should record it and that it had a great shag feel to it. She did and it was included on the Ripete' Music compilation CD, "Swoop Down Jesus" volume 2, along with her shag version of, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and the rest is history. She then came up with her own song, "Do Ya' Like" which came out on the compilation KHP Music CD, "This Is It, Carolina's Calling Me" and immediately skyrocketed up Myrtle Beach's 94.9 FM, "The Surf" beach music chart to #4 in just a few weeks and is still one of the most requested songs that the BigTime Party Band plays. It was also ranked in WPCM's, Charlie Brown's Top 10 for several weeks, reaching #1. Tiffany is a pre-school teacher during the day and mother to two boys, Robert & Andrew and wife to BigTime's keyboardist, Bill Hancock.