To Max, on the anniversary of your passing:
Those of you that have known me through the years, know that I have had several drum heroes. First there was Ian Paice of Deep Purple, Bill Ward of Black Sabbath. John Bonham gave me inspirational moments, as well. Then the late, great Cozy Powell, who began to mold my style. There was always Tommy Aldridge, just incomparable. Lately I’ve enjoyed emulating Mark Poiez, and Todd Sucherman. But there was only one drummer that left a permanent rhythm in my soul, one man who really inspired me to play even to this day.
The band was Jesse Bolt, and the drummer was Roy “Max” Hill.
God rest his soul...
I struggle even now to describe what it was that captivated me about his playing. He had power, and chops, but also a simplicity that served the songs so well, never over-playing or dominating the music, but damn, you knew he was there. Always in the pocket and driving the rest of the band, with that huge lightning bolt right behind him, showing his prowess to the crowd.
And there were ALWAYS crowds...
Marty Burns said it best, they were KISS in a club...
Marty Burns said it best, they were KISS in a club...
Back in the tape-trading days, I snagged a couple of tapes recorded off the sound board from several shows and literally wore them out playing along with headphones on. No telling how much anguish I caused my roommates and neighbors. But I could not stop, I HAD to play those songs. I had no idea I would be called on to do it live in 2014, at a reunion of Jesse Bolt to benefit his family after Max’s tragic passing on January 4th of that year.
Thanks to the kind words of my friends Noble O’Rourke and Marty Burns speaking to the band while they were searching for a drummer, I got the call to audition. I made the cut, and played the show, and have been involved with the band up to the present.
I was also fortunate to acquire the last kit that Max owned, again through my good friend, Noble. I have taken great care to restore them to their prime, as Max would have had them, with the hope I would one day play them onstage with the band.
I got that opportunity on April 13, 2019. Thanks to the persistence of Rick Haywood, and the support of Rhonda Hudson Jordan and Tommy Sugg, it happened basically in my own backyard in Grifton NC, always a hotbed of Jesse Bolt fans due to their numerous performances back in the day at a local club, the infamous Redneck Saloon.
Which, in fact, was the first place I ever HEARD Jesse Bolt. I say heard, because I was too young to get in, so I stood outside with my ear to the wall, and like a desperate scream, I heard three guitars...
It could not have been more fitting...
I have done my best to help keep the legacy of Max and Jesse Bolt alive, with the support of the band and the diehard fans.
And Max, I hope I’ve done you proud. ⚡
After my upgrade and finally on stage in 2019, the stickers on the bottom of the bass drums say “In Memory Of Roy ‘Max’ Hill.
And the band played on...
