Focal Point

Focal Point is a Richmond Virginia based classic rock band with two albums to their credit. The band started as the Big Dogs 4 piece band with Eddie Slade, Mike Costley, Tommy Saunders and myself.  We plaid for a few years and recorded our first song for a radio contest about American patriotism The song was called "Waiving in the Rain".

Then Mike invited a guy to sit in, a keyboard player named Steve Barnard. Steve and his keys put us on a course for the next twenty years. We decided to change the name to Focal Point.

Like many other recording artists, the band went through several personnel changes through the years. The band started with Will, Eddie, Mike, Tommy and Steve. Tommy left the band and we brought in deadhead Bruce Allen on Bass and Debbie Slade Hamblen on tambourine and vocals. That iteration of the band lasted a few years then Bruce left the band and we kind of didn't do much for a few months.

Then Will was coaching youth football and coached a kid who's dad was George Britt. So we jammed and Ed and I liked him so we brought in George on lead guitar, then Paul Talent on Bass and Wayne Mears on guitar and percussion. We recorded our first album "Reaching" with this version of the band and did extensive touring throughout the state of Virginia.

Then the band changed again when Paul ended up moving out of state. We called Tommy Saunders to see if he would be interested in coming back to the band, luckily he did. So what we started with, we ended with and we thought we had to record one album wish the original band. We recorded the Hammer LP and did a few gigs. I was starting to feel burned out after that record session and decided to leave the band.  told the guys they should keep going and I'll never forget what Steve told me he said "there is no Focal Point without you" that brought tears to my eyes. But I did decide to move on.

Many years later, after my previous band the Troublemakers stopped playing (that band also had 2 different configurations too). Then Eddie, George and I started jamming together again at Eds studio in Dinwiddie VA and we finally reached out to Mike to see if he wanted to jam since we were in Dinwiddie. Well, not only did Mike come by, he had a Bass!! That's right the old guitar player started playing bass. I told Ed this just might work and damn if  it did!

Mike has become a hell of a bass player and Eddie is thrilled about it. So here we are the reunited Focal Point ready to play out soon and likely record some songs along the way in my studio.