Cactus Jack and the Cadillacs were ready to feature guest vocalist Suzie Casta Tuesday evening but the sky opened up with lightning, thunder and rain.
“I was going to sing ‘Walking on Sunshine,’” Casta said while dodging raindrops and lightning bolts as she left the Lake Sumter Landing stage. “Nobody’s walking on sunshine tonight.”
It will take more than dark clouds to stop Cactus Jack and the Cadillacs, one of The Villages most popular oldies rock bands. The group has been playing here 15 years, but the last two years have been the most meaningful for Randy Hill, who plays bass in the band.
Hill, 60, has undergone two, major surgeries for cancer. He also had minor surgery recently, and is taking special medication.
For Hill, old time old rock and roll eases the pain of cancer and makes the disease’s uncertainty more tolerable.“This music keeps your mind and your spirits up,” Hill said. “When you do something you love and make people happy with music, it’s a big mental boost.”
Another morale booster for Hill is the way the band’s fans in The Villages have supported him. “It’s been amazing,” Hill said. “The people in The Villages have given me tremendous support. They wish me well; they send cards and they tell me that they’re all pulling for me. It’s hard to put into words how much that means to me.”
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Villager Jean Flake is a fan of Hill and the band.“This band really rocks and Randy is a wonderful person and great guy,” Flake said. “He is an inspiration.”
Malcolm Goodfellow, another Cactus Jack fan, agreed.
“This a good-time, fun, entertainment band,” he said. “I like it when they joke around and have fun with the crowd. Randy is a part of the good time.
“The thing about Randy, is that he has such a great attitude. I think music makes Randy more alive. He’s a fighter and the band feeds off his energy.”
Casta has been guesting with Cactus Jack for about eight years.
“This band is like a family,” she said. “They’ve been together for more than 30 years. To me, they’re like my big brothers. They watch over me and we all watch out for each other. I think what Randy is going through touches all of us, and he makes us stronger.”
The band includes Jim Stanley on guitar and vocals; Tom Oliver, guitar; Mike Parker, keyboards, Joe Adcock ,drums and Hill on bass.
What kept the band together all these years?
“It’s the family thing,” Jim Stanley said. “We’ve been through highs and lows, sickness and health, but no matter what happens, the music keeps us together.”
Cactus Jack plays a hard-edged rock style. Chuck Berry is the big influence, along with some Buddy Holly. But the band is not stuck in golden oldie land. They also play tunes from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.
“We all grew up with the Chuck Berry, the Beatles and Motown,” Stanley said. “When we started in The Villages, we played mostly ’50s and ’60s. But now, things are changing and younger people are moving here. They want to hear more music from the ’70s and ’80s.”
So go to see Cactus Jack and you will hear songs from the Greg Kihn Band (“Break-Up Song”), the Cars and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. There is still room for Chuck Berry, CCR, the Beatles and Motown.
When Casta goes on stage, the music might include Katrina and the Waves, Pat Benatar, Linda Ronstadt and Joan Jett.
“The biggest thing for us, is to get people up and dancing, so they have a good time,” Stanley said. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously. We want people to laugh with us and at us.”
The style has earned a huge following here for the Orlando-based band.
“The Villages is a great place to play for any band,” Stanley said. “People here are lively and like to go out and have a good time.”
Like the audience, Cactus Jack also enjoys the music of their youth.
“Like all baby boomers, as I get older I appreciate our music more – it’s timeless. ” Stanley said. “And it t always comes back to Chuck Berry. He is what rock and roll is all about.”
