Cover Story & The Headline Horns

Gary Staples - Keyboards
Gary studied music at the Berklee College of Music in the early 1970’s while working in the metro Boston area. He traveled the east coast with various club bands until settling in the Lehigh Valley. He has played with Jazz guitarists George Benson, Mark Elf, and Grover Kemble. He has worked local bands Clue, Cover Story, and the combinations. “When the music moves us, it will usually move our audience and then our experience is complete”.

Emmitt Harris - Vocals
As a lead vocalist for over 30 years, Emmitt has worked with musicians from across the country. He has performed on the east coast, Midwest, Texas, and Canada. Emmitt was the lead vocalist for a local band Lucky 7 from 1995 to 2007. His musical influences include classical, jazz, rock, blues, and R&B. Always seeking challenges, Emmitt auditioned for, and landed a minor role in the rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar at the Civic Theatre in 2004. He appeared in the dramatic production To Kill a Mockingbird in 2005. He also played the character “Muddy” in The Cider House Rules. Emmitt’s smooth style and unique interpretation of the singing legends of our time is a musical treat for everyone – young and old alike.

Ben Staples - Drums
Ben started playing the drums at the age of 10. He has played with small groups and concert bands throughout high school, receiving Maine State performance awards his junior and senior years. After high school he attended The University of Maine and graduated with a degree in Computer programming. During his college years he continued to play with various rock, jazz, and original bands. Now living in Pennsylvania, he has played with Lucky 7, Bowl-A-Soul, Cover Story, The Staples Trio, Copper Penny, and The New Groove – to name a few. Ben is among the best percussionists in the Lehigh Valley. His musicality, technique, and ‘Groove Sense’ makes for great listening and dancing.

Tom Vallone – Guitar/Vocals
Tom started playing guitar in local clubs at the age of 15. He played with The Madison Brothers, which is where he found his passion and love for the guitar, Hammond B3, horns and drum sound. He founded the band known as The Wandells that had a 30 year run in the Lehigh Valley. Over the years The Wandells were an opening band for Chubby Checker, Dion & the Belmonts, The Dovells, Jerry Lee Lewis and countless other bands. Tom is currently the lead guitarist for Cover Story, which was co-founded in 1995 by him and long time friends Gary Staples and Bob Sedlock.

Joe Vitale – Tenor Sax
Joe is a Lehigh Valley native who has been playing and singing for more than forty years. He is one of the most popular sax players around and is equally recognized for his great vocals. He is also well known for his repertoire of Italian songs. Currently he is with Tower Suite and Cover Story and the Headline Horns.

Wayne Dillon – Trumpet
As a performer, Wayne has played with The Studio Jazz band and the Art Blakey jazz ensemble from the University of Miami. Outside of school, Wayne has performed and recorded with Jeff Healey, Albert Collins, KC and the Sunshine Band, Al Chez (from Dave Letterman band), The Meteors, and The Hamilton Philharmonic. Locally he’s played with the Don Mayer Band, the Craig Thatcher Band, and Cover Story and the Headline Horns.

Don Mickle – Tenor Sax
Don is known as The Godfather of Horn Sections in the Lehigh Valley. Not only is he a great player, he is a fine bandsmen and also arranges horn charts for Cover Story and many other local horn bands. . He was a co-founder of local band, Bowl of Soul. He played 15 years with King Henry and the Showmen and at times, with Lucky 7.