Barefoot Skinny

BAREFOOT SKINNY

Barefoot Skinny (March 5, 1963 - ) is an Entertainer, Song Writer, Recording Artist, Film and Video Producer, Teacher, Inventor, Restuarantuer, Pilot, and Boat Captain. He entertained thousands of visitors and locals in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize, Central America from 1993 to 2006 at Fido‘s Courtyard and Ramon‘s Village. During that time he invited many great performers on his stage. Guests included Jerry Jeff Walker, Kelly McGuire, Katoorah Jayne, Kevin Black, Bobby Mason and John Inmon to name a few. He also taught a free music program at San Pedro High School for 6 years as a volunteer. He then built and operated Barefoot Skinny’s Hammock House, a live music restaurant and bar on Ambergris Caye from 2001-2003.

EARLY LIFE

Barefoot Skinny was born Timothy Budd on March 5, 1963 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The son of Walter Budd, a traveling ink salesman and Linda Bernice Kimbriel Budd, a house wife and political activist. He has one older brother, Laurence Budd still living and one older sister Lacy Budd now deceased. Both parents have passed.

IN THE BEGINING...

Tim was interested in music from the age of three. His brother, (then Larry at age 13), had a rock band that practiced in the basement of their home. It didn’t take long for Tim to jump on a pair of bongos and start jamming. His grandmother, Mae Budd, then bought a Baldwin Acrosonic piano for Larry, but Larry showed little interest in it. Tim however, took to it right away and began teaching himself to play. He composed his first piece at age 6. The family then moved to Denver, Colorado where his brother influenced him with the music of Donovan, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, and Frank Zappa. There was little to do musically until the family moved to Arlington Heights, Illinois in 1970.

It was there that his brother Larry formed a new rock band called Onyx. Tim would never miss a practice in the basement and often asked to sit in on the drums. Not satisfied with sitting in, Tim created his own band at 8 years old called Hot Spiral. “We knew four songs. Baba O'Riley, Wipeout, Hang On Sloopy, and our original song Hot Spiral. That was it! I was playing on a Sears paper head drum set.” Tim then joined another band as a drummer with bassist Larry Sullivan (Last Bullet) and guitarist Steve Walters to form Black Velvet. After one show the band broke up. Tim and Sullivan went forward to create the band Silver Arroe and began performing original songs and covers from BTO, Kansas, Jethro Tull, The Who, and Deep Purple. The group was a very Album Oriented Rock and Roll band and included Chris Smith on rhythm guitar, Dan Brink on Lead guitar, Johnny Ailport or drums, Zofo on Lead guitar and vocals, Larry Sullivan on Bass and vocals, and Tim on keyboards and Lead vocals. The band had great potential, but then Tim had to move to Dallas, Texas with his father.

ARTS MAGNET

Upon arriving in Dallas, Tim attended Highland Park High School. It was there that he learned about The Arts Magnet Academy at Booker T. Washington. He was able to arrange a piano audition with the school and failed. He then insisted they let him audition on drums and was accepted. Having only played by ear, Tim learned to read and write music there while performing on vibraphone and drums. Tim quit his Senior year for political reasons and went on to study recording engineering and radio broadcasting.

THE RAFT

In Dallas, while working in a sandwich shop at age 17, Tim met Ben Prevo. Ben was an ambitious song writer and superb guitarist. He asked Tim to audition on drums for a new Blues band he wanted to form. At the audition, Tim met Steve Verhault, who was interested in having Tim play drums in his new reggae band “The Raft“. Having known nothing about reggae music, Tim took the challenge. The Raft included Steve Verhault on Lead guitar and Vocals, David Strictland on keyboards and vocals, Tim Smith on Bass, and Tim Budd on drums and vocals. The band launched it’s debut gig at DJ’s night club on Greenville Ave. and became an overnight hit, quickly building a large following.. “While the Punk and New Wave movements were taking off in 1980, we were the only reggae band besides The Lotions from Austin. And people just loved the reggae music.” Later, bassist Steve Benton replaced Tim Smith.

Over almost 4 years the band shared the stage with The Neville Brothers, Taj Mahal, The Lotions, Toots and the Maytals, and even Stevie Ray Vaughnat the old St. Christopher’s Bar and Grill. The band broke up in late 1983. Steve Verhault adopted Rastafari as a way of life and went on to perform with many great reggae artists as Stevie One Shoe.

S’MORE

Tim then stumbled through a few more bands (Lazy Ace, and Patty Sterlingand the Satisfires with Ben Prevo) looking for the right thing. His long time friend and brother-in-law, Dave Burnette began working with Tim on a concept album of songs about a struggling Jamaican in America. They then decided they should create an all original act called S’More to promote the album. S’More included Jack Gilbert on keyboards and vocals, Dan Brink on rhythm guitar, Jimmy O’Neil on bass, Jay Deaver on piano, Dave Burnette on lead guitar, percussion and vocals, and Tim on drums and vocals. The band wrote and rehearsed tirelessly only to perform one show in a parking lot next to a dumpster near Bachman Lake. Having lost their rehearsal space, (Mom’s garage) due to neighbor complaints… the band broke up.

THE TOKYO DOGS

Mike Geldon, bassist from Lazy Ace, then introduced Tim to Lex Orr. Lex had formed a very hip all original New Wave act called The Tokyo Dogs. “The Dogs” needed a new drummer and Tim auditioned and got the gig. The band featured Lex’s original songs that were very drum driven with lyrics that were often humorous or tongue-in-cheek. The band had a uniform look and was well received by audiences. More to the point is that the band was getting a lot of record label attention. Unfortunately, a bad management decision led the band to break up after 2 years. The band included Lex Orr on vocals, Rick Lyons, (Tim Chevront), on lead guitar and vocals, Mike Geldon on Bass and vocals, Tim Budd on Drums, vocals, and later Keyboards, and “Mikey Dog” Goodsell on drums. The band reformed later without Tim for a short run. Lex, Tim and keyboardist / composer Stan LePard later formed the pop band “Secret Cinema” and had limited success.

BRUNCH

Tim decided to keep working the original act angle and asked Raft bassist Steve Benton and Jay Deaver to form Brunch. Brunch worked in the studio for a few months but never performed. This idea led up to the formation of Damaged Children. A name Benton coined from his experience working in a state hospital.

DAMAGED CHILDREN

Dave Burnette jumped on board with pianist Jay Deaver to create a whole new type of music. Deaver being a well trained musician discovered MIDI and with Burnette began creating unique sequenced synth music with thrashing electric guitar on top. Tim had been familiar with MIDI as well and joined the band on electronic percussion. The three wrote hundreds of songs together, mainly about fictitious characters and their plights. They released two music videos, (Space Shuttle and PDAP) and a Double Album in 1988. The band earned a small cult following in Dallas but only performed 5 concerts. Tim left the band after tiring of Deaver’s drug and alcohol abuse.

BEARFOOT GIBBY AND THUNDERBUD

In 1993 after having visited Belize on a documentary project in 1991, Tim moved to Belize. He then met Rex Gibson, aka Bearfoot Gibby, called so for his enormous bear sized bare feet. Gibby ran a bar in the middle of nowhere called JB’s Watering hole in central Belize. He also played guitar for his guests from time to time and asked Tim to grab his battery operated keyboard and jam with him for the customers. The two had great fun and soon Gibby moved to Ambergris Cayeto manage and perform at Fido’s Courtyardin San Pedro. Once there, Gibby asked Tim to join him to play drums. Tim agreed, and the two became Bearfoot Gibby and Thunderbud. It was a fun mix of cover songs and gags ala Sonny and Cher with bad jokes thrown in, and the crowd liked it. After a two year run, Gibby decided to return to the USA leaving Tim behind. Gibby suggested Tim should become Barefoot Skinny and be a DJ. Well Tim was skinny and always barefoot, but a DJ? NO. So Tim dusted off his old keyboards and drum machine and went to work programming and writing.

BAREFOOT SKINNY

Tim’s first solo show at Journeys End Resort as Barefoot Skinny was a disaster. Through power problems and bad cables, the show was a flop and Skinny was scared to death. After solving the problems, he tried again and did a little better each show, though still very nervous. After three weeks at Journeys End he was ready to try Fido’s Courtyard. After several nights at Fido’s his confidence was in place. Soon Ramon’s village was asking for his show at top dollar, and Barefoot Skinny was off and running.

next tim added, james sneaky roady,hoyt,... aka doctor worpo....backing tim up with vocal harmonies.

He then began performing at The Crazy Canucks Bar as well as Ramon’s when bass player Rich “Deep Dick” Nordenberg came from Austin, TX. to visit the island. Rich asked to sit in on bass and did a bang up job complimenting Skinny. Rich decided to stay on the island and recorded the album [ which was named by sneaky...from a dream]...Barefoot Skinny-Dipping In Belize .....in Belize City. The CD release was well received, selling well, and played in bars all over the island. Now it was time to grow.

Skinny added former student drummer Dale Wallace Jr. to the line up. The four piece show opened up a lot of new material and just got better. Skinny then introduced Joke Night every Monday at The Crazy Canucks Bar where visitors could win prizes for great jokes. It was a smash. Live music, great jokes, and Richard’s free Chocolate Dollars.

Skinny and Richard then began work on the second album Hurricane Mitch(1998). Mitch had recently done notable damage to the island and times were tough. Crazy Canucks was under new ownership as well, so Skinny moved Joke Night to Fido’s. Fido’s was to big for Joke Night so Skinny asked Libby Vidrine Storey to try it at her famous Mango’s Restaurant. She agreed and Joke Night was a hit again.[ sneaky roady by this time ,had decided to stop singing]

About this time, the owner of Fido’s, Malcolm Hitchcock, asked Skinny to create a big band for New Years Eve. He was tired of paying top dollar for “mainland bands”. So Skinny approached what few musicians were around and created Category 7.

CATEGORY 7

With only 2 weeks until New Years Eve, Skinny rounded up Tony Buono on lead vocals, Karl “Pineapple Willie” Swint on guitar and vocals, Ebbe Weile on guitar and vocals, James Storeyon Lead guitar and vocals, Charles “Chas the Jazz” Worthington III on bass and vocals, Dale Wallace Jr. on drums and vocals, and himself on keyboards and vocals. In an amazing storm of rehearsals, Category 7 had it’s debut concert Christmas eve at Fido’s as a dress rehearsal. It was a hit! Needless to say, New Years Eve was the bomb.

With such overwhelming success, Mr. Hitchcock asked the band to continue every Wednesday and Saturday for top pay. The band agreed and played the rest of the year nearly intact. Tony Buono was dismissed after two months, but was always invited to appear as a guest.

CATEGORY X

After a year, the band began to tire of the routine. Karl left the band and Kate Vincent was introduced as a female lead vocalist. As members began to come and go, the name Category X was adopted. After one more successful season, the band broke up. But Barefoot Skinny was still going and released his third album “S‘More Barefoot Skinny” in 2001.

HAMMOCK HOUSE JAM

Skinny never understood why no one had a nice bar by the river cut in San Padro like the Dizzy Lizard in Caye Caulker. He approached Mango’s owner Libby Storey about the idea and the two went to work. By coincidence, Libby’s father Tom Vidrine had just purchased land on the front on the island near the cut. He agreed to sell a piece to Libby to build on. Skinny went to work designing and planning and began construction in 2000. It would become Barefoot Skinny’s Hammock House and home of the best Sunday Jam Session around. Skinny and Libby used a tried and true formula that was first introduced but no longer done at the beach bound Palapa Bar. Good BBQ and great music all Sunday afternoon. Musicians from all over the world would come and sit in for a few drinks or food. Many musicians were regulars or old band mates. Times were high.

Then one day it became clear that business would suffer upon the completion of the new river cut bridge. Skinny had received an offer to sell the Hammock House and Libby agreed. The deal was made and the story was over, as were the jam sessions.

Skinny moved to Mexico to work on Film and commercials but is still performing at Café Ole in Puerto Aventuras every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. And wouldn’t you know? It’s all you can eat BBQ ribs.