band bios
"Colonel" Tom Parker - vocals, mandolin, guitar, cell phone
"Mother Parker", as he is affectionately known by band members, is the fearless leader of the Backstabbers. When he's not manning the phones or booking hotel rooms, he's in the woodshed writing "new-old" songs for the band. The "Colonel" likes to think he inherited his musical talent from his fiddle-playing granddad and his hymn-singing mother. Truth be known, this talent wouldn't have seen the light of day if he hadn't met up with his pals in the 'stabbers!
Bob Hannan - vocals, guitar, autoharp
Bobby Hannan has one of those voices that could sing right alongside the great country music vocalists. He knows scads of tunes, from ancient Child ballads right up to his own self-penned "lonesome" numbers, and he'd sing them all to you given the right evening. He's a thumb-picking guitar player as well as a more than adept autoharpist.
Kristine Schmitt - vocals
Miss Kristine hails from Lion's Head Ontario…no, from Moose Jaw…wait! from Chicoutimi. It's a band joke that every time we announce her from stage we never say she's from the same place twice. Kristine is a powerful singer and solid presence in the band. She's got real panache, and can sing sad waltzes as well as rowdy honky-tonk rousers. She is also one fine harmony singer, her trios with Colonel Tom and Bob will send shivers up your spine. Oh yeah, she's from Kitchener too, eh.
Tony Allen - fiddle, vocals
When he's not playing a breakdown he's having one. Tony brings his absurd wit and old-time style of fiddling to the band. He's the type of fellow who some folks might call "distracted", but we like to call him a savant. He is truly at his best fiddling in front of a crowd of dancers, and can ignite a dance floor with his fiery playing. He is a sharp dresser and a real omnivore in an herbivorous age.
Sam Petite - upright bass
Sam is the newest addition to the band, and can find his way around any song thrown his way. We like to call him "the Professor" because he seems to know so much about so many things. Sam has played with many different bands, including one of his faves, the Molestics, and can be seen and heard playing anything from Bebop jazz to hardcore country.
