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All photos by Rick Morales
Ron Porter
Lead Vocals / Percussion In addition to raw talent, lead vocalist Ron Porter brings a lifetime of experience to AUGUST. He began
playing percussion and the drums in the sixth grade and discovered singing around the age of 14 in eighth grade. While in late elementary and middle school he took snare drum lessons which resulted in performing with
his junior and high school bands while growing up in Normal, IL, in the 1950's and 1960's. From eighth grade through college
he performed with various bands, playing pop, jazz, funk, rock and roll, soul and country music. These varied experiences
gave Ron the depth and range that has shaped his style.
Destiny knocked on Ron's door after
graduating from Illinois State University. Given the choice of being a performer on the road or a teacher, he chose the latter,
and spent the majority of his career in the West Aurora (IL) School District teaching drama and theater. Always the performer,
and even while teaching, he continues singing and playing drums and percussion with various bands throughout the Chicago area,
including a short stint as the drummer of AUGUST in 1975.
While on one of his
many travels, Ron sat in with the noted drummer, Les DeMerle, for a show on Amelia Island, FL. Additionally, he had the opportunity
to play for Shirley King, daughter of the legendary guitarist, B.B. King. He lists as his influences
Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Joe Williams, Sam Cooke, Joe Cocker, Lou Rawls, B.B. King and Bobby Blue Bland to name a few.
Ron took over the reins as lead vocalist with AUGUST in early September, 2007. 
Dave Simpson
Guitar / Vocals / Keyboards
"Music has been very, very good to me. It's kept me young and it helps keep me sane." As a founding member of AUGUST, Dave has been playing for as long as he can remember. With his first "guitar"
having a "Mickey Mouse face", his early musical learning saw him graduate through instruments from Montgomery Wards
(Airline), Sears (Sivertone) and eventually landing with the more professional Gibson ES175 before he settling on his present
collection. A self-taught musician, a method he does not recommend by the way, he has learned piano in addition
to his expertise with the guitar. In school he performed with the choir and began his college career as a vocal major
before switching to economics. While in high school he performed with a rock band named after his graduation year, " The
Sixty-Niners". After graduation he performed with Mercy Steele, Strychnine and several
other local bands. One of the bands Dave worked with was an opening act for Roger Miller of "King of the Road"
fame. Since his original AUGUST days he has performed with countless electric, acoustic and religious groups, many of
which have produced CD's. Ever versatile, Dave has taught guitar lessons, composed music and still finds his
musical talents in great demand by many performers in the area. In addition to be an anchor in AUGUST's rhythm section,
he also continues performing as guitarist and vocalist with the acoustic group, Tricoustic. 
Steve Owens
Keyboards / Trumpet / Vocals
A self-taught musician, Steve came from a musical family (his father and sister were accomplished
trombonists) and originally started out as a trumpet player until he discovered the piano at the age of 12. Steve played
both piano and trumpet primarily for his own enjoyment (and wore the grooves off of many CHICAGO albums) and would occasionally
sit-in with various bands thoughout the Fox Valley. He was contacted by guitarist Dave Simpson after a local open mic
in suburban Geneva, and was immediately interested in becoming part of a "horn-band". Steve is also
an award winning illustrator & graphic artist, at which he now freelances while pursuing his music. When he
isn't playing with AUGUST, he is the keyboardist for BEATNIK TURTLE, a Chicago-based (and primarily) studio band, and
continues to perform the occasional open-mic circuit with his brother John, a drummer. He has played venues such as
Martyrs, Second City, and Schubas...and performed television commercial promos for the ABC Family Channel.
"I guess one of the biggest influences on my piano skills is an unknown individual. It was many years ago.
Late one night in a Holiday Inn lounge I sat down and started playing the piano. A few minutes later I was approached
by a cocktail waitress who said that someone had a request, that I stop playing. Yikes, I was mortified! I'll never
forget that if I live to be 100. Ever since then I strive to become better and better." "So, thanks,
whoever you were,...the next time you hear me I hope you have to pay!" LOL! 
Gary Mackey
Bass / Vocals
"The dream is alive!" At the age of 14, Gary Mackey was first introduced to music through
the Beatles. He begged his mother for a guitar and she gave in. She bought her son a Gibson 335
guitar. This was the beginning of the dream. At age 15, he became responsible for one of many small groups
in the Fox Valley being born. His involvement with music became his obsession. Listening to music and wanting
to reproduce the sound was as important then as it is today. By the age of 17 he was playing bass guitar and enjoying
every minute of it. His passion at this age was to organize his fellow musicians into something more than just a "garage
band." He joined his high school band and played the baritone sax though he could not read music. This
made for an interesting challenge for the band director. AUGUST, the band, became a reality in the early 1970's.
To all involved it was an exciting time...little did he know what the future held for them. Because of career and lifestyle
changes, Gary embarked on a 30-year sabbatical but never lost his passion for the music. As of today, in his
living room sits a 6'8" black satin Kawai Artist Grand piano along with numerous bass, acoustic and electric guitars.
In February of 2006, Gary had a reawakening and called former drummer and band member, Mark Werthmann, and said, "We're
puttin' the band back together!" What happened after that was a miracle. And the dream continues... 
Mark Werthmann
Drums / Vocals
One of the founders of AUGUST, drummer Mark Werthmann began his musical life with organ lessons
at age 10. He was introduced to the drums by his cousin, and for his 14th birthday, received his first set of drums
from his parents. (They made the down payment and he finished paying for them with his paper route.) By
age 15 he was performing with local bands in the Aurora, Illinois, area before participating in the formation of AUGUST in
1972. While attending Waubonsee Community College (IL), Mark took trumpet lessons for two years, playing
fourth chair trumpet in the college's jazz band as well as drums in the school's concert band. Besides playing drums
and keyboards, and in addition to his trumpet lessons while in college, he also learned the basics of playing the reed instruments
such as clarinet, saxophone and flute as well as the "brass" instruments: trombone, French horn and other valved
instruments. Although predominantly self-taught, he did study
for a short time with Chicago's "The London House" drummer, Marshall Thompson. His studies continued
with well known Chicago-area drummer Mike Murphy. Werthmann was also one of the drum line instructors for the Fox Valley
Raiders Drum & Bugle Corps in the late 1970's.
After leaving AUGUST, Mark was a member of the pit orchestra
for the Miss Illinois Pageant as well as various musical plays. Additionally he performed with various local bands,
one which was the house band of Big Rock Recording Studios where he participated in the recording of numerous radio jingles
and commercials before settling into a quartet whose career lasted for 10 years and included his eventual wife, Bonnie.
After taking a musical hiatus for a number of years, he has returned to the drum chair with AUGUST. 
Dennis Morgan
Guitar / Vocals
Guitarist Dennis Morgan comes to AUGUST with a long background in performance. Although predominantly
self-taught, Dennis took guitar lessons to learn the basics around the age of 13 and continued his musical education by listening
and learning. Today he enjoys listening and learning from the guitar stars of the past and present. His diverse musical tastes
are not limited by musical styles.
His performance history describes his playing
in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s with a southern rock band called “The Duke Lodge Band”. Following
his stint with “The Duke Lodge Band”, he played with a rock band called “Bad Breaks”. Both bands were
in the LaSalle-Peru (IL) area.
For
the past several years, Dennis has played in a Christian band at his church as well as playing and recording for his own enjoyment.
His addition to the AUGUST rhythm section in late June 2007 strengthens the band both vocally and instrumentally.
Phil Barish
Keyboards / Arranger / Composer
Keyboardist, Phil Barish brings
to AUGUST a variety of musical experience and background. Having begun the piano at the age of 6, he continued his
music studies through his college years, receiving his degree in composition from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana
(IL).
In high school at Maine East
High School (Park
Ridge, IL),
Phil performed with the schools’ Jazz Band, Pit Orchestra and Choir. While performing with his high school’s
music programs, he also played keyboards and arranged for “Brass Transit”, a 7-piece group that performed material
by Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Doobie Brothers, Ohio Players and others.
At the University of Illinois, Phil played with University Jazz Bands and various
chamber groups. After graduation and during the late 1980’s he played keyboards with “Small Fortune”, a
5-piece pop, rhythm and blues group, The 1990’s included a variety of projects that he still participates in which include
jazz and modern “classical” music-based duos and trios. He also plays keyboards and arranges for the alternative
rock group, “Bob’s Yer Uncle”.
Phil has
composed, arranged and been the pianist with “Central Standard Jazz”, a quintet that performs modern and traditional
jazz standards in addition to original compositions. He has also been pianist, arranger and composer with the jazz/R&B
female vocalist, “Summer Kwai”. Occasionally you can hear him performing the jazz standards of Duke Ellington,
Count Basie and others with the “Big Band Sound of Deerfield”.
Always busy, he’s composed for various ensembles of winds, brass, strings and percussion and will often compose
and record on the computer with and without “live” instruments.
His musical influences include Igor Stravinsky, Claude Debussy, Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane, Wayne
Shorter, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Sammy Nestico and Claus Ogermann to name a few. Phil will be on sabbatical beginning in January, 2008, but will return periodically
for some of AUGUST's live performances.
Larry Padilla
Guitar / Vocals / Keyboards
Larry is a self taught musician, dividing his time between guitar and keyboards roughly equally
since the age of 10. His biggest musical influence was his oldest brother "Dillo", who with other local teens
formed of the first Rock and Roll Band's in Aurora, Illinois in the late 1950's. Coming from a large musical
family, Larry formed several bands with his brothers starting in 1962 all the way until 1971. He played several engagements
in groups which included future AUGUST members Mark Werthmann and Scott Lies in the late 1960's. When Gary
Mackey and Mark Werthmann were in the process of putting together the band that would become AUGUST, Larry was invited to
join, accepted the invitation and became a founding band member. Larry remained with the band from the start until
it's final "reunion" perfomance at the Paramount Arts Centre in Aurora, Illinois in 1976. Several
original songs, written and arranged by Larry were part of the AUGUST set list. In the fall of 1976 Larry and two former
AUGUST horn players joined with some Larry's earlier band musicians to form another horn band, LIBERTY ROAD, which continued
to perform locally and in the Chicago area until New Years Eve 1983. The highlight of the Liberty Road experience was
a recording session at the Union Carbide Building, Chicago, Illinois, in July 1978, which consisted of 3 original
songs. His musical oddessy continued with stints with "Oldies" bands for 7 more years.
Larry moved to Watertown, Wisconsin, in November of 1990, returning to play his last job on New Years Eve 1990, in Grays Lake,
Illinois. In early 2006, when he got word from his brother "Dillo" (who used to work with Dave Simpson), that he
was trying to get in contact with him, he had an inkling that something was in the works, and so was not completely shocked
when he got the call from Gary. Skeptical yes. Surprised no. Interested definitely. Larry
says, "I would have been satisfied just to have gotten together with the guys to reminisce and enjoy catching up with
old friends, but after just a few rehearsals I believe that Mackey's dream may be more than a wish, it's becoming
reality." Larry is a guest performer due to his residing in Wisconsin. 
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