Rock Bottom Remainders ready to retire

For the past 20 years a group of best selling world class authors have been sharing more than just their literary talents. The likes of Kathi Kamen Goldmark, Dave Barry, Sam Barry, Roy Blount Jr, Amy Tan, Stephen King, Ridley Pearson, Greg Iles, Scott Turow, Mitch Alborn, James McBride, and “The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening have been making music – well sort of – as members of the rock group Rock Bottom Remainders.

Grammy Award winning legendary rocker Bruce Springsteen once referred to Rock Bottom, “as being almost as good as a lousy garage band.” The band took their name from the literary term that is used for remaining books nobody wants.

Speaking on the band, Dave Barry said that they don’t like songs with many chords in them; he added that they are up to almost four chords. Rock Bottom performs sixties rock cover tunes with an occasional original tune thrown in. Barry adds that while the group may not be good, they do have fun and entertain.

After 20 years of working rehearsals and appearances around writing schedules, book promotions, and public appearances the band has decided to call it quits. The band’s founder and lead singer Kathi Goldmark died recently after a battle with cancer; prompting the decision; “we sort of felt this would be a good time to end it because it just isn’t going to be the same without Kathi,” said Barry. The band has two more gigs in June in Los Angeles before they officially part ways.

The proceeds earned from every concert for the past 20 years has gone to charity. The Rock Bottom Remainders have earned some $2 million for charity since their beginning.

Despite being a chart topping band, The Rock Bottom Remainders have shared the stage with some of the top names in rock and roll including The Boss, Warren Zevon, Judy Collins, Ronnie Spector, Gloria Gayner, Al Kooper, Steve Martin, and Roger McGuinn of The Byrds; who says the band is pretty good.