Bill Payne

Gerry, Mark (Bill's cousin), and Bill backstage at the Temecula Valley Balloon And Wine Festival on May 17, 1992.

Meet Bill Payne from Lake Elsinore, California.

I grew up in Huntington Beach California, a beach town located in Orange County. In 1972 I was sixteen years old and I was playing in my friend Joe's band. One day we finished band practice and Joe put on a new album that he had just bought. The album was AMERICA! At that moment I became a fan. About two years later, around 1974, I saw my first America concert. The concert was at the Anaheim Convention center located across the street from Disneyland. It was a great show!

In 1987 I moved to the small town of Lake Elsinore California. Lake Elsinore is located at the base of the Eastern side of the Santa Ana Mountains. For a southern California town it is considered somewhat rural. Soon after moving to Lake Elsinore I started hearing rumers that Michael Woods, America's guitarist, lived in town. I was able to confirm that this rumor was true five years later at the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival.

On May 17, 1992, America headlined the concert at the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival, located just twenty minutes south of Lake Elsinore. A few local bands were scheduled to open for America. One of my friends by the name of Scott Tondelson, was scheduled as one of the opening acts. He asked me if I would like to sit in with him and play guitar at the concert. Of course I jumped at the oppotunity, this was my chance to be on the same stage as my all time favorite band. And maybe, just maybe get to meet the band.

My cousin Mark, who is just as big a fan as I am, came down from Folsum California (about a 10 hour drive) to see the show. Mark and I were hanging out back stage. We spotted America's tour bus and sat down under a tree a ways away from the bus. We both had one eye on the bus at all times. A short time later we spotted a man walking towards the bus, at first we weren't quite sure who he was. Then we both realized that it was Dewey! We approached Dewey and introduced ourselves. Dewey later went and got Gerry and introduced him to us. We found both of them to be real down to earth and very personable. We confirmed sometime during our conversation that Michael Woods indeed did live in Lake Elsinore when he was not on tour with the band. Later that day we enjoyed the America concert, both of use not believing that we had just met the band that had been so much a part of our growing up.

Recently I met Pete Leonardo who is a friend of Michael Woods and the band. Pete told me about America's web page. Pete also told me that Michael, when he is not on tour with America, occasionally sits in with a local Blues Band from Temecula named "Little Chris and the Night Crawlers". Little Chris was one of the local bands that also opened at the 1992 Balloon & Wine Festival.

My Experience of meeting America and being able to play on the same stage as them is an experience that I will never forget. As far as my musical career these days, it pretty much consists of sitting around a campfire with friends, all of us taking turns singing our favorite America song. It's really not a bad career. Long Live America!!!!

I have taken or been given quite a few photos of the band and would like to share them with you.

• Miscellaneous (1975)
• Irvine Meadows Concert (June 26, 1983)
• Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival (May 17, 1992)
• Temecula Thornton Winery Concert (May 18, 1997)

Feel free to send your comments or questions to Bill.