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Meet the Soul Purpose Band...

  Yvette Kleckley, Lead Vocals - has over 25 years of performance experience in both lead and background vocals. She is a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and currently resides in the Atlanta Metropolitan area where she has had the honor of performing the National Anthem on three separate occasions for the World Champion Atlanta Braves, and on one occasion for the Atlanta Falcons. Yvette has performed with Speech, of “Arrested Development” and recorded background vocals on his Gold CD “Spiritual People”. Yvette performed as the primary lead vocalist at the Atlanta Church of Christ (ACOC) for over 15 years being featured in weekly church services, at annual church conferences (with over 7,000 in attendance), and at women’s conferences. While at the ACOC, Yvette was a featured vocalist for the church choir, “A Deeper Shade of Soul”, who recorded two live concert CDs at the Roxy Theater. A Deeper Shade of Soul had a concert tour in New York City performing at three separate venues featuring Yvette as the primary vocalist. She has participated in and won Wisconsin state vocal competitions and proceeded on to win a Regional competition. Yvette studied music in college and she currently teaches music for “Metro Music and Movement” at six national franchise pre-schools. In addition to performing with Soul Purpose, she currently performs with the “Smooth Flow” band at weddings, receptions, civic events, office parties and night clubs.
       
Mark Whitten, Lead Vocals - "Hard Hitting" Mark Whitten, a most powerful vocalist. Born in McRae, Ga. Mark's early musical influence was gospel. He moved to Arlington, Virgina, where he worked as a firefighter/paramedic with a Metro area Fire and Rescue Dept. While with the fire dept., Mark sang lead vocals in a cover band made up primarily of fellow firefighters. He also traveled the East coast singing at special fire service engagements, which included sharing the stage in 1989 with then President George Bush, at the annual Congressional Fire Caucus Banquet. There he gave a moving rendition of "America, The Beautiful". After relocating to the Atlanta area, Mark continued to sing in church. He soon joined, toured and recorded with a 'BLUES' band called "The Truetones". He is still a paramedic and still hitt'n hard when he sings the 'Classic Soul'with "The Soul Purpose Band".
       
  Spencer Bean, Lead Guitar/Vocals - A native of Los Angeles, CA, Spencer was first introduced to Soul Purpose by his friend Melvin Jordan when Spencer filled in on lead guitar at a Life University concert in July 2004. Spencer had spent 21 years as the lead guitar player, back-up vocalist and band leader with Gladys Knight and The Pips. In addition to his long tenure with Gladys Knight, Spencer has also recorded, toured nationally and internationally, and performed in the bands of many other legends of music including Marvin Gaye, B.B. King, Barry White, Natalie Cole and Patti LaBelle, just to name a few.

Spencer’s music career of nearly 30 years began at California State University where he studied Jazz, Classical Guitar, Voice and Music Composition and Music Arrangement. Spencer now lives in Alpharetta, GA and became a full-time member of The Soul Purpose Band in March 2009, and we are blessed and honored to perform with him. For Spencer’s complete bio/story, please see http://www.facebook.com/spencerbeanmusic
       
Pete Alvarez, Bass/Vocals - “Miami Pete” Alvarez began his musical career at the age of 10 in sunny Florida. His early musical influences were classical music, to which he was exposed at a very early age. Pete was enamored by the guitar sounds of Montoya and Segovia and began studying classical guitar with the great Spanish guitarist Espigul. In the early 60’s however, the sounds of Rock and Roll could not be ignored and when the British invasion hit a new musical style took hold. He began his rock music career as a rhythm guitarist but soon switched to bass guitar where he could “feel” the music. In the 70’s Pete was introduced to the Atlanta music scene. He frequented such venues as Alex Cooley’s Electric Ballroom, Sans Souci, Richards and The Harvest Moon Saloon. He soon began performing locally with The Collections, Peabo and Po’ Boys and other local musicians.

In the ‘80’s Pete put together two successful groups in Atlanta; NOSTALGIA, a Rock and Roll Revival group that performed across the southeast and NIGHTSHIFT a variety act that featured music from country to soul. Pete is a consummate artist whose style of playing can be described as a mixture of Beatles to Motown, heavily influenced by the Afro-Cuban rhythms of his native land. Pete joined Soul Purpose in July of 1994 to fulfill a desire to play with a “kick ass” horn section and a group of great musicians. He plans to continue his musical career until they “pry my fingers from the fret board”.
       
  Dave Penn, Keyboards/Business Manager - Dave is the founder of SOUL PURPOSE. A native of Thomaston, Georgia and a graduate of Georgia Tech, Dave began to play with various rock and R&B bands at the age of 14. The most successful of those early groups was an 8-piece/R&B/horn band known as Alfonzo and The Bootleggers. During the mid-to-late ‘60’s, The Bootleggers played many high schools, colleges, and night clubs in Georgia and the Southeast. They also performed in the Atlanta area for WQXI radio at such infamous teen “hot spots” as Misty Waters and Lake Spivey. During this time they were the back-up band or opening act for artists such as The Kingsmen, The Swingin’ Medallions, Rufus Thomas and Percy Sledge. After a hiatus from the music business, a reunion of The Bootleggers in 1987 rekindled Dave’s interest in live performance. In 1993, he began to put together today’s SOUL PURPOSE to revive the soul and beach music classics of the ‘50’s and ‘60’s.
       
Gary Smith, Keyboards - is an Atlanta native and attended Henderson High School in Dekalb County and the University of Georgia in Athens. Gary began playing piano at the age of 6. When he entered high school, he began to develop an interest in big band,jazz and popular piano standards, and studied under one of Atlanta's top instructors. He began using these fundamentals to develop his rhythmic style with several Atlanta area rock and R&B bands and was a regular at Alex Cooley's Electric Ballroom, where he jammed with Southern Rock headliners such as Wet Willie, Bonnie Rait and Elvin Bishop. After college, Gary reverted back to his love of the standards and played with local jazz artists. A twenty year career in the information and software industries that required extensive travel limited his playing time to impromptu performances at piano bars and resorts across the U.S., the United Kingdom and northern Europe. In 1997, the “bug” bit again and Gary put together a group to bring back the big, classic, sounds of rock and R&B. This rejuvenation of the musical spirit and desire to play with others that crave the “real” sound led to Gary's association with SOUL PURPOSE in July 2000.
       
  Tom Schwarzer, Drums - has been a professional drummer for almost 30 years mostly in the Atlanta area and the southeast Georgia area . . . Savannah, Statesboro and other great little Georgia towns. Tom attended Georgia Southern College. Tom has performed with Jim Dawg and The Wolfpuppies and for a short stint with Poker Alice Band. Tom joined The Soul Purpose Band in June 2006.
       
Daniel Williams, Tenor Sax - is currently a professional saxophone and woodwind doubler in the Atlanta area. He also works as an arranger/composer and private teacher on piano and woodwind instruments. Daniel plays with many groups and various styles of music from R&B to Jazz and Worship.
       
  Marion English, Trumpet/Flugelhorn - enjoys a versatile career as a freelance trumpet player and music educator. Having received both Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Music Education from the University of Georgia, where he was trumpet soloist and band captain of the famed UGA Redcoat Marching Band, Marion has since taught twenty years in the Georgia public schools and is in his sixth year as Associate Director of Bands at North Gwinnett High School. He currently performs with The Soul Purpose Band, the Still Swinging Big Band, The Lanier Brass Quintet and has extensive experience in solo performance for wedding ceremonies. Marion joined Soul Purpose in 2003 and is the primary music arranger for the horn section.
       
Fritz Siler, Trombone - is a retired band director and retired 1st Sergeant of the 151st Alabama Army National Guard Band. He was a member of the Auburn Knights Jazz Orchestra while attending Auburn University and currently performs with the Atlanta Seventeen, a not-for-profit charitable big band, in addition to Soul Purpose. Fritz has also performed with the Shrine Circus in Columbus (GA), Albany (GA) Symphony Orchestra, and the Columbus (GA) Symphony. He is actively involved in the Georgia Association of Jazz Educators as past president and is a “pit” musician for the Springer Opera House. Having performed with such notables as Barry White & the Love Orchestra, Warren Covington & the Pied Pipers, Guy Lombardo & the Royal Canadians, and The Bob Hope Show, Fritz is also a charter member of Soul Purpose, joining the band at its inception in 1974. He is married and proud of his three grown children.
       
  Dennis Baldauf, Bari/Alto Sax - Born just outside of Cleveland, Ohio, Dennis kept his love for the saxophone through high school, the Vietnam War, and a move to Georgia in 1978.
He has played with several combos in the Atlanta area, including the popular blues band Frankie Lee and the Solid Senders. Very versatile, he also played saxophone with the Southernaires, the Voice of the Southland Ragtime Band, and has been a member of the Soul Purpose Band since 1995. He also does contemporary and traditional Christian Music at his Church, and plays alto and tenor sax along with harmonica in a local country and rock band. Dennis lives in Newnan, GA.
       
Rick Sargent, Sound Technician -