Photo provided One of the hottest new bands to break onto the Pine Island music scene is the Burnt Out Band.

Matlacha and Pine Island are well known throughout Southwest Florida for their artists, award-winning authors and poets as well as a being a mecca for live music performed by local artists. Nearly every night of the week, throughout the year, island pubs, restaurants and social clubs offer a variety of music. Gaining a reputation as one of the most popular bands found in Lee County is Pine Island’s own, Burnt Out Band. Combining the talents of former single performers, Lonnie Hendrix and Brad Rodgers, rounding out the band are Dave Washburn and Harold “Bubba” Harms. Music performed by Burnt Out ranges from Blue Suede Shoes to Up on Up On Cripple Creek, this band takes listeners back to the roots of rock ‘n roll.

Heading up Burnt Out is lead vocalist and guitarist, Lonnie Hendrix, who hails originally from Roscoe, New York. Hendrix began playing the guitar in 1975 and by 1976 was performing professionally. Forming his first band in 1977, “BLT” and played until 1980 emulating the style of the famed Sha-Na-Na. He then formed a new band he dubbed as Mystic incorporating keyboards, tenor sax, electric guitar, blues harp and vocals to specialize in weddings and private parties throughout the upstate New York area. Taking a sabbatical from the professional music scene in 1984, Hendrix resumed a career in music in 1988 when forming the band Spirit, a hard rock, high energy band performing music from the 60s and 70s. Covering bands like the Rolling Stones, Bad Company and others until Hendrix moved to Pine Island in 2001. At that point Hendrix traded in his electric guitar for an acoustic and developed a folk-based comedic solo act well known to audience as Froggy’s, the Ragged Ass Saloon and the Double Nichol. Then in 2008, Hendrix abandoned his solo act and concentrated on the forming of Burnt Out.

Another man behind the music of Burnt Out is former solo performer, Brad Rodgers. Providing keyboard and vocals for the group, Rodgers who came to Pine Island via New Albany, Indiana, spent his early career touring with the famed group, Up With People and at age 16, he was the featured lead singer with a popular Indiana band known as Smoke. Rodgers first entered the recording studio at 1968 and started playing keyboards at age 15 and guitar at 17. While attending Ball State University, Hanover College, and Indiana University, Rodgers took private music and vocal lessons under the guidance of Sarah Hegmann and Roxanne Jones. After leaving school, Rodgers performed at dozens of venues throughout the Midwest and then took a 15-year hiatus from music to manage his family’s business. Returning to performing in 1992, Rodgers moved to what he calls “the greatest place on the planet” Southwest Florida and played in an eight-piece band, Fat Jacks, based in Fort Myers. Later, he made his home on Pine Island and has performed as a solo act on Pine Island as well as Useppa, Boca Grade, Sanibel and Captiva.

Raised in Boswell, Indiana, Dave Washburn contributes bass guitar to Burnt Out. Beginning his interest in music, Washburn was presented with his first electric bass guitar as a Christmas present in 1968. By the time he was 12 years old he was playing professionally with a group called Flash and the Be-Bop Boys. He later moved on to the group, Axe which featured music reminiscent of Alice Cooper and Steppenwolf. While attending college in Indiana, Washburn and a friend created the band Waystar, a band dedicated to the progressive traditions of Roxy Music and Genesis. After college, Washburn relocated to California to play bass on demo tracks for independent record producers. By day, he worked at the GM Van Nuys plant working on Camaros and Firebirds. Eventually, Washburn got the long awaited call from A&M Records to play bass on disco tracks. After a stint with A&M, Washburn moved to Northern Michigan and became part of a group called Zebra with whom he played for several years. In 2003, Washburn moved to Pine Island and worked with several other groups before teaming up with the Burnt Out Band.

As seasoned professional, drummer Harold “Bubba” Harms has shared the stage with noted performers Tony Bennet, Victor Borge, Sammy Davis Jr., Donovan, Will Lee, Heather McCrae, Ira Sullivan, Danny Thomas and more. He also served as a percussionist in the Florida production of the Broadway show Hair at the Coconut Grove Playhouse. Specializing in composition and music production, Harms has co-written, performed on and co-produced tracks for hundreds of jingles and TV spots. Among them were Manufacturers Hanover Bank, Florida Coast Banks, Hickory Farms, Polyglycoat, Bahama Bread and Proctor and Gambles Tide commercials. He is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Association International and Songwriters Guild of America. In 1983, he also founded and directed the Sound Engineering Program in Miami-Dade College/Kendall Campus and taught songwriting for the music department until he retired in 2005. Harms continues to be a voting member of the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences, the presenters of the annual Grammy Awards.

Since joining talents, Burnt Out Band has performed at island locations that include regular appearances at the Ragged Ass Saloon, the American Legion, the Moose Lodge and Miceli’s as well as benefits including Breast Fest, the Franconi Anemia Foundation, and, most recently, the Bobby Bryant Benefit held at Ragged Ass Saloon in St. James City.