The Marke 5 were high schoolers from Fayetteville, near Raleigh. Members were Donnie Wofford on vocals, Bill Muffet lead guitar, Pete Sanchez guitar, Steve Kellburg bass and Eddy Truman on drums.
“Pay” has a lot going for it: unusual staccato guitar work, a solo heavy on reverb, sharp drumming and good lead and harmony vocals. Great bass work stands out on “The Leader”, a solid shout-along tune. Both songs are credited to Donnie Wolford and Bill Muffett.
Ed Truman later played with a version of Minnesota band the Castaways (of “Liar Liar” fame) when Castaways’ guitarist Bob Folschow was stationed in Fayetteville while in the military.
Jimmy Capps was a very popular DJ on WPTF in Raleigh and started the JCP label in early 1965. He released records by dozens of groups including the Unknown IV, the Counts IV, the Symbols, the Vigilantes, the Nightwalkers, Davy Butler, and the Vibra-Sonics, recording in his studio behind the McDonald’s on Hillsborough Street. Jimmy Capps died in 1967 at age 47, and the label soon folded, ending a remarkable run at documenting the local Raleigh-Durham scene.
Sources include: Tobacco-A-Go Go vol. 2, and Fuzz, Acid and Flowers.
The Marke Five was a good Band. I went to Seventy First High School with them all and was Vocals in a H.S. Rival Band “The Taxmen”! Later I did Vocals with the ever popular (in Fayetteville at the time) “The Symbols”.., with a Capps Production “Can I See You Tonight”
Saw Donnie regularly at Edwards Music in Good Ole Fayyetteville/Ft. Bragg, N.C. for the past five years.
George E. Miller
“The Taxmen”
“The Symbols”
Oh! We had a blast and Rocked that Town……
It is great to read of this band and I, as a 71st graduate (66), know some of the guys and it would have been great for them to have had continued success.
Just found out about this site from my brother. We all had a great time. I remember our manager wanting us to ride unicycles, wear white pants and orange shirts. I spoke with Eddy a few years ago as well as Brad once in awhile. It was good times to remember.
steve kellberg
Marke 5 Bass
Eddy,
Just found out about this site from my brother. Cool to see we are one the net. Hope you are doing well. Just retired from police work and will be on the road traveling. Have not seen Brad for a few years now. I hear he now has his own shop. Later.
Steve
who did you know in this band,
hey george long time no hear about, ed from the marke five………still kickin
glad you enjoyed the band, it was a cool era
Ed is still a great drummer. The only thing is, now he plays Big Band music with Second Time Around (I play bass) out of Lumberton, NC instead of rock and roll! It’s great to see our ’60 era rockers still playing music!
Norm
ed truman played with bob folschow of the castaways but not a version of the castaways, we just did a few years of playing the circuts of bars and lounges as a folkrock band.
hey steve, those were some good times in those days, i dont think our manager wanted us to wear white pants and orange shirts, that was donnies idea. he did want us to learn to ride unicycles though. i never got a chance to try to learn, i think pete learned how though.
my latest thing has been big band and it is the greatest experence ive ever had playing. see yourself at you tube glory days fayetteville nc 2nd time around band
the symbols got back together to play a class reunion for the class of 69 from 71st high school. combining members of the two bands together made an awesome show. no practice and havent even seen each other in over 40 years and still entertained the crowd just like the old days. if i can figure out how to do it will download some songs from the gig.
Ed Truman has posted video clips from the Symbols/Marke 5 reunion from June 13:
I Saw Her Standing There
Gloria
Twist and Shout
As Tears Go By
thanks chas for posting the tapes of the reunion party. it was a blast to play with the guys, some of whom i hadnt seen in over 40 years.
wish you could have made it to the party. it was a good jam
I played with Eddy in two bands, (Carl Wallace and) the Interludes and Bluebird, both based out of Fayetteville in the early 1970’s. I still have some tapes of me and Eddy in our 2-piece band, Bluebird (we sound great for 2 musicians!). He was/is such a talent. A great musician on drums, guitar and vocals. The biggest mistake I ever made in my music career was to to leave Eddy and Bluebird. I love you Eddy and I hope you are doing well. I hope one day we can hang out and have a beer together. There isn’t a week goes by that I don’t think about you.
Dave (now Julio) Edwards
Denver, Co
hey dave, just saw your post. you did the right thing by joining the military, probably made life a lot better. do you still have your b3?
Eddy,
I got rid of the B3 about 10 years ago as we are all too old to lift it anymore. I did get a chopped Hammond B (older that the B3) and 2 Leslies, but we don’t use them in the band. I have a Motif ES6 that gets good organ and old synth sounds for the band, plus a Kurtzweil piano.
I really got a lot of use out of the old B3. I bought it from Edwards Music in Fayetteville, NC around 1972. Mr Edwards (no relation to me) even signed for me to get it. I used it for 25 years and probably put 200,000 miles on it. They just don’t make them like that anymore.
Julio
i love the sound of a b3, they have alot of stuff close to it these days but still there is something about the real thing that just cant be replaced. they are a b to move, maybe that is what the b stands for.
Hey Ed, I have been reading all those things on this site. A lot of people I still remember. Where has time gone?I also ran across the reunion class of 69. You guys were really good not to have been rehearsed. I saw George Miller a few years back and he gave me some photos of the Mark5 at a “Battle of the Bands”inside of the lunch room at 71st.As I recall you guys won that battle. I remember I was in my first group with Roger Hay .We were called “The Intruders”We placed second!!!!!Wow.we had only been together for about a week or two. Any way I took those pics to Edwards!Music and showed them to Bobby Williams and Brad Muffet.I wish I could get a hold of George I am sure he would want those pics back.I heard he was in Fla,I don!t know.Anyway I am happy you are still going strong and staying out of “Atlanta Jail” Lynn
hey lynn, whats up? like to get some copies of the band pics from you if i could. give me a call sometime. are you back in fayetteville now? last time i saw you , you said you were staying at the beach. home phone is 868 0844
Well how is it going Steve. Long time
Going well Don. I might be up that way next spring seeing family in Anderson.
I knew Donnie and Bill and then Joe Boyland of The Symbols. Communicated with Joe until right before his death. Now he had a life I would like to hear more and more about.
you must mean steve, or pete, no bill, members were donnie,brad pete, steve and ed
I was thinking Billy Muffett, perhaps the years have taken too many names and places away from me…..
dang i almost forgot he was called bill , now everyone calls him brad, what is your last name?
This is Jerry, George Miller’s younger brother. George had a beautiful military funeral today. I want to thank everyone who went and for those of you who remembered him on this website. When George was in The Symbols back in the 1960s our front door would ring and teenage girls were there just wanting to know if George Miller of The Symbols lived there! The Symbols had Rock Star status and excitement in our memories. George always played guitar and even taught me bass. With our electric drummer we were a complete band. We had so much fun, especially when we got the songs right. We played for hours on an Akai Reel to Reel recorder. He was a good guy and I will miss him. He served in Vietnam, received the Bronze and Silver Stars. Plus he loved Skydiving when square parachutes came out in the seventies. I was at the reunion of 71st High last year and videoed The Symbols and The Marke V. You were a geat bunch of guys and George loved being there. Thanks for making one of his dreams come true.
Jerry Miller
Earlier today I attended the “Funeral” for this friend of mine (George Miller). I found out that my friend was sick through another friend of mine (Paula). I just want to go on record that he lived music in his very soul. I know this a fact because we were singer rivals during our stint at 71st HS. George would tell me everyday for two yrs I guess that I was better at singing than he. I in turn would say the same to George. That lasted a long time. After I retired from the Army I was at a worksite of mine…Who shows up one day ? “George” We hadn’t seen each other in over 38 yrs. The next day he shows up with black & white photos of a “Battle of the Bands inside of 71st lunchroom (won by none other than “The Marke 5”) George gave those photos to me…still have them! He was such a proud fellow with such a desire to be known inside this crazy world of music.He was really proud to have been a member of the group “THE SYMBOLS”.I remember this group so well because I knew most members. I just knew they were gone national. They were in eyes anyway. Talented group of men! I visited George in hospital several times in last two weeks. His brother Phil wanted to snap a pic of George and me. He grabbed my hand and told me ” Lynn thanks for caring you matter a lot to me (everyone matters at this point) I looked at George and said “Buddy YOU matter to all of us” Rest Peacefully you “SYMBOL”. Lynn
Jerry,
I was very sorry to hear of Georges passing on. I also wish I could have been there to see him at the reunion, while he was in the hospital or even at his funeral. If you have any pictures of George when he sang with us (The Symbols), I would surely like one for my photo memoirs. In Sept. last year, I had a massive heart attack and after 3 operations, stent and bypass grafts, I almost feel bionic. Now Joe, Randall and George have passed on and I am truly sorry for that. Well I talk with Johnny Betz, Carl Erwin and David Moore from time to time so we are still all here. Take care and hope to hear from you.
Don
Don, the only pic I have of the Symbols, I got from Paula Peel. She gave me the pic of the Symbols and I inadvertently miss named you in the photo. I asked George and Paula who were the guys in the pic. I labeled names according to their instructions. (there am I off the hook) I would check with Paula Peel for anymore photos of the Symbols. Maybe David Moore has some. If I did I would have used them all in the videos I made last year. I’m surprised there are not many photos of The Symbols out there.
Sorry to hear about your heart attack. My other brother had one about 5 years ago. He changed his diet and is healthier than ever now.
Ed, my maiden name is Carolyn Martin. I graduated from 71st in 1966. Thanks for the great replies you give to others and that keeps more of us coming back.
Where the heck are you? I live on the coast of N.C. Retired US Army in 1988 and retired again from police work in 2008. I was wondering where you went too. I think the last time we saw each other was when I came back from VN in 71. You were living in Hope Mills if I remember correctly. Hope to hear back from you. By the way, Brad and the band rivals got back together last June in Fay. for the class of 69 reunion. Another is set for next June I think. Google for 71st High class of 69 reunion and you should find it.
steve
Hi Don
Don’t know if you remember me, I was the keyboard player in WC Doan with you and Jason O’Dell, Buddy Woodward in Fayetteville from Dec 1969 – Mar 1970.
We Played at the Redwood Club, the Keg, the Upstairs Basement, VFW, Jone’s Skating Rink (southern pines), YMCA, etc. I had a Hammond M3 and Fender Leslie back then. You had just got out of the Navy. We were a pretty good band, but Jason thought Time was a magazine. Anyway, give me a shout out at my website and shoot me an email. I have the log of our gigs and dates, always fun to read. I’m making a DVD of all my old bands, clippings, recordings, etc., to send out to everyone I played with. My last gig with you included: Buddy, Jason, Richard Gates, James Flynt, & Morse Cordiano at Anderson Creek Hi School on May 14, 1970
Hi Guys,
I graduated from 71st in 68 and went to this year’s mega reunion. It was great seeing Johnny Betz and Gary Miller again. How many of the bands use to play at the YMCA on weekends? Would have like to seen Steve Kellberg and Eddy Truman at the reunion this year. We are planning a class of 68 45th year in 2013 and maybe can get everyone together
gary, this is ed truman, i was at the reunion, on drums, the band members were johnny betz, david moore, brad muffett, rick lewis and me on drums
I am Jimmy Capps daughter. I live outside of my mom’s childhood home, Greenville, SC. Mom died at 4 years after daddy, almost to the date. My brother, “Jimbo” (now Jim) lives in Greenville, NC. Thank you for remembering my dad so well in your post.
Mon 11 / 27/2017
Wow, I can’t believe the dejavu’, and thrill of my times ‘, with the
Marke 5. These were the best guys and best of times / memories.
Hat’s off and many Thanks’ to them, for the ride’.
Just found this website. oh, I did learn to ride the unicycle, then.
I am living in California, and retired, March 2015.
Pete Sanchez
hey pete, just saw your comment, glad things are going well for you
Pete, Eddy, Steve, Brad, You guys were and still are the best. Ed you are right about the unicycles but that was “W C Browns Rogues” the guy who gave us all that equipment. You are correct about the white pants, I so wanted to be a Beach Boy. One problem, I couldn’t sing. Great times, God Bless. I know I’ve been gone forever, but please email me….
Denwolford@icloud.com
Hey Pete you did learn to ride the unicycle very quickly. It took me some more time. We had great times together.
Hey Pete , wondering where you took off to. Hope all is well with you. Where are you?
hey really felt like we hit the big time going into that little studio back then, your dad was ahead of his time and documented a lot of music from the 60s
Remember hanging out with Bob Leroy Fulschow and his girlfriend/wife just after getting out of the army in ’69 in Fayetteville. Several of us ex-army used to get together to jam time to time. It was a great scene, between local garage bands and the constant flow of musicians from everywhere that were stationed at Ft. Bragg. Best to Bob, all the members of the 440th Army Band, and all the garage bands of Cumberland County and surrounding N.C.!