Dear Maco Fans,

           This is Dr. John comin' to ya, sadly for the last time. After 19 years and a lot of soul-searching, I have decided to move back to my hometown of Pittsburgh, Pa.  I played in many bands during that time in the Wilmington area, but none had the "group" experience and family atmosphere than in my 5 years with Maco Station.

          From my first introduction to Big Daddy, Billy and Mitch, through the changes the band has seen lately, I've always thought of my fellow bandmates as friends and thoroughly enjoyed playing with them. I guess you're bound to develop a closeness and mutual respect with someone you perform with 70-80 times a year, and we hope it showed onstage. It's a team effort to pull off a successful show night after night, month after month, especially when the band scene has not been very accommodating in recent years. I have always said that "if it's not fun, I wouldn't do it" and there were times when it seemed more like a job than a gig. But once the music starts, you forget about your troubles and go with the flow. It's the best therapy in the world.  And now the burden falls on Big Daddy, the sole surviving original member, to keep the Maco train on the track. He has always been the backbone of the band, the driving force, the reason it was a success. And when Karen replaced Mitch as the lead vocalist, the band hardly missed a beat, expanding its songlist and style, and playing the same clubs with a new sound.  Karen and Mike have proven themselves a great asset, handling the bookings and the tough clubowners, providing a place for band practice, and proving their dedication to the cause.

    Now the Maco light will shine on, as Big Daddy and Karen are looking for the right musicians to continue the Maco tradition. As you may know, Bill Ferencak and Mike Fowler have handled the bass duties since Billy Stratton's departure, and the search is on for a permanent rhythm section.  Please come back to this website soon as Karen will be keeping you posted.

    The summer was good to us and the fall will bring new horizons for the band. Above all, they will need your support to keep the bookings and make it all worthwhile. As I hate long goodbyes, I'll just say so long and ROCK ON!   It was a lot of fun and I'll remember it always.   Peace.