Len Wade

Len Wade was told by many in the industry that he sounded 'too black'. He grew up in Birmingham, Alabama; the young kid with the big voice was already playing bass and fronting his own band (The Len Wade Band) while still in high school. After graduation, he accepted an invitation to join a band in Fort Walton Beach, on the Florida 'Panhandle'. Founded by drummer and road-manager, Billy Self, The Tikis also included Clyde Masters on bass, Phil Scott on trumpet, Hayes Hopper on the saxophone, and Wade on vocals and piano. Soon enough they became the house band at the local Club Lido. Their first recordings were for Finley Duncan's Minaret label, and by 1966 the Tikis landed on the Dial label where Buddy Killen first thought to record Len as a solo artist. None of his output at Dial went anywhere, and after UA didn't know what to do with him, Len moved to Louiville Kentucky to study music at Bellarmine College. In the 80's, he gave it one more try with a deal at Mercury-Polygram, but never felt comfortable with the image the label promoted and walked away from the music industry for good.