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Jason's childhood was all about music. Jason's father would play classical music and standards on a Hammond organ which served to train Jason's ear and basic understandings of music theory. In 5th grade, he became interested in drumming which strengthened his understanding of rhythm. He ended up being a percussionist all through school and never dreamed of being a singer, especially not one of the caliber of Steve Perry! His main rock influences growing up were The Beatles, Billy Joel, Journey, Van Halen, and finally Rush. He may sing like Steve Perry, but you should hear him play drums like Neil Peart!
After going to college for orchestral music for a year, he discovered his above average singing talent while singing karaoke. He traded his drum set for a badly needed car and decided to find a band that needed a singer instead. That band played Stone In Love. When the band broke up in 1993, the idea came up to start a Journey tribute band. E5C4P3 was formed in June of 1993 and ended up playing all around the US. But tribute bands weren't exactly "cool" yet and life on the road with low pay took its toll on everyone. After 6 years and 20 various band members, Jason walked away from E5C4P3 never expecting to return.
In 2008, Jason's life had become very different. Jason had converted from atheism to Biblical Christianity in 2003. As a married man running his own successful computer repair business, he had no intentions of returning to secular music, especially as a profession. But God had other plans. A myriad of events took place that brought on the reformation of E5C4P3, now that the tribute band scene had become much more respectable, and brought Jason back out of retirement. The computer repair business soon dwindled down due to the smart phone revolution and Jason eventually realized that E5C4P3 was where he was supposed to be.
George is an experienced rock multi-instrumentalist and vocalist from Canton, OH. Being raised in a musical family, George started playing at an early age. His influences are The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Rush.
He has performed across the country as the Geddy Lee in 2112 – The Spirit of Rush. After performing in a number of local bands, he connected with Paul and joined Eclipse in 2008.
Erney’s journey began in a musical family, on an upright piano, in Shreveport, LA. He was big into the synthesizer scene and creating new sounds. Erney was heavily influenced by the keyboard work of Jonathan Cain, Kerry Livgren (Kansas, AD), and Geoffrey Downs (Yes, Asia). In the 80s, he co-founded the Christian rock band Twenty Twenty, composing most of the songs, and charting 8 singles. He has worked with White Heart, Petra, DeGarmo & Key, and others. Erney stopped touring for several years to raise a family, but continued to play in a local R&B horn band, and worship bands where he lives just outside Nashville, TN.
In 2009, Erney’s band won first place in the battle of the bands at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. One of his most memorable moments was hanging out with Tommy Lee (Motley Crüe), and recording in Tommy’s home studio in California. In 2017-18, Erney toured and recorded the best of Foreigner with “Hot Blooded-The Foreigner Experience”.
“T.C. played drums for Twenty Twenty in the late 80s, but we’d lost contact for over 20 years”, Chaney says. “Last year, he was driving a tour bus through Nashville and called to see if we could hang out while he was in town. I picked him up. We grabbed some Mexican food and talked about old times. He told me he was running sound for this awesome Journey tribute band. He showed me a couple of videos of the E5C4P3 concerts he did. I was so impressed with the band (and the sound guy’s work), I said, “T.C., if your keyboard player ever needs a sub, I’d love to have the opportunity to fill in for him.” TC said, “Right!”, and just laughed! A couple of days later, he called to tell me the band was saddened to learn that, unfortunately due to his career obligations, Troy would be leaving the band as soon as they could find a replacement. He told Paul that I was interested in playing for E5C4P3. I auditioned and got the gig. Originally scheduled to begin playing in April, things got delayed due to the COVID19 pandemic. My first show canceled. Then another. Then another. It seemed like the spring/summer of COVID19 would never end. So I just kept working on the Journey songs and remembered the words of Jonathan Cain: ‘Don’t Stop Believin’. I’m honored and blessed to be in this amazing band playing the timeless music of Journey. I believe in E5C4P3 and I’m excited to be a part of this band and continue the journey! The best is yet to come!”
Paul's first serious foray into performing was in the lead role of Scrooge in a musical version of A Christmas Carol in sixth grade. He was bit by the performance bug and started performing as a vocal soloist at church. In tenth grade, his best friend, Mark, decided to switch from bass to lead guitar and urged Paul to start playing bass.
In the late 80's, he founded an original Christian rock/metal band, Catalyst. This band, similar in style to Stryper and Bon Jovi, released a CD in 1990 that received great reviews. However, after gigs across the mid-west and in LA and Hollywood, the band members decided to pursue different interests.
In 1993, he met Jason Kelty, and E5C4P3 took off. After touring regionally for a year and a half, Paul left E5C4P3 for family reasons and put the bass aside for 13 years, other than serving on the worship team at various churches. He came out of "retirement" with the formation of the Akron-based band Eclipse in 1997. After relocating to the Cincinnati area in 2010, he was a member of Stays In Vegas (a wedding band), Weezy Jefferson (a party band) and GenX (a classic rock/80's band). Upon his return to Cleveland in early 2016, he reconnected with Jason Kelty, and rejoined E5C4P3, and the rest, as they say, is history. Or, in this case, history in the making!
Paul also performs in Best of Times – A Tribute to STYX.
Paul's favorite bassists are Ross Valory (Journey), Peter Trewavas (Marillion), and Ricky Phillips (The Babys, Bad English, Styx).
Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, Billy Jones embarked on his musical odyssey at the tender age of 6 with his first drum set, igniting a lifelong passion for rhythm. A pivotal move to Pensacola, Florida, at 10 only broadened his horizons, setting the stage for a vibrant high school career filled with performances. His academic pursuits at Pensacola Junior College deepened his mastery in music through advanced theory, piano, and orchestral studies, all while actively collaborating with seasoned local musicians to refine his craft.
Billy's relentless dedication to his art saw him performing with esteemed local bands until a life-altering encounter in the summer of 1983. A drum workshop in Chicago, hosted by the legendary Zildjian cymbals, introduced him to his idols Steve Smith and Kenny Aronoff. This serendipitous meeting blossomed into a friendship with Kenny, under whose mentorship Billy relocated to Bloomington, IN, for intensive private tuition. These formative years, enriched by touring with a regional show band, sharpened both his technique and stage presence.
In 1986, Billy's journey circled back to Florida for advanced training with drum corps maestro Keith Connelly, setting the stage for his next chapter in Nashville, TN. There, rubbing shoulders with session luminaries like Eddie Bayers and Brent Rowan, Billy's reputation soared. By 1989, he was the heartbeat of the Opryland Rock and Roll Show, a two-year stint that paved the way for collaborations with iconic acts including William Lee Golden of the Oak Ridge Boys, The Goldens, Jo-el Sonnier, Billy Joe Royal, Christian artist Jamie Slocum, and many others.
In 2021, Billy's career reached a new zenith as he joined E5C4P3, the preeminent Journey Tribute band, fulfilling his dream of performing Steve Smith's legendary music. With an annual roster of 80 shows nationwide, captivating audiences of up to 22,000, Billy's drumming prowess has become a cornerstone of the band's success. Relocating to Ohio in 2023 to fully commit to E5C4P3, Billy Jones's musical journey continues to be a testament to his enduring passion, unmatched skill, and the transformative power of dedication to one's craft.