HUBCAPS

Original Band Members Bios

My name is Christian East. I was born in Houston TX and live in the Bunker Hill area. My favorite music or genre is classic rock. I started playing that kind of music when I was 17. One artist that inspired me to play was Gary LeVox from Rascal Flatts.

I started guitar lessons when I was 9 1/2 years old. My first music school was ABC school of music. I had a guitar teacher named Andrew. My first performance was at talent shows at the Monarch School in 2014. In November of 2015 I joined The HUB Houston school. I joined an after-school group that played music with Mr. Ken Stueart. The group didn’t have a name at that time. My first performance with the group was in 2016. The band performed in the Houston Art Car Parade and our theme was “Born on The Bayou''. I was 15 when we did our first art car parade. In August 2016, I went to a new music school named “Bach to Rock'' in Houston. I had a teacher named Alexis for a bit and then for the rest of my Bach to Rock journey I had a teacher named Keith Rhynes. I was 16 when the group finally came up with the name for the band. It was called the HUBCAPS. That same year, Evan Crawley, THe HUBCAPS member and I performed at a concert called “SpectrumRox'' along with other peers. At 17 I performed at our HUB Houston Christmas program and led the Christmas sing-along. In August of 2019, I started playing guitar more at home to develop my skills. The following years I have performed with the HUBCAPS at the HUB Fundraiser, The Wortham Theater, Jones Hall, Smith and Associates Anniversary, The Art Car Parade (4 times), talent shows, and Christmas events. The types of music we learned during that time were: Country, Classic Rock, Folk Rock, Soft Rock, and Rock & Roll, Pop, Soul, R&B and Neo Soul. Our first song was Folsom Blues by Johnny Cash. Then we learned Sweet Home Alabama, Seven Nation Army, then we learned some Neo Soul. We came up with a song using Neo Soul chords and progressions. The HUBCAPS decided to go to the next level in September 2020. We would play a lot of 4 chord songs. Now we are learning songs with complex chords that will challenge us. Our first challenging song we learned was “Peg” by Steely Dan. When I was 20, the HUBCAPS were interviewed on TV “Houston Life”, that is one of my favorite moments.

My name is Sharp Conoly, and I was born in San Antonio and I lived in Bandera and Houston. (My family owns a dude ranch in Bandera. The ranch has a Jukebox but mostly country music. I listen to a wide variety of music. My favorite music genre is soft rock. Phil Collins inspired me to become a singer because of his creative storytelling and deep themes.

I started doing music by taking piano lessons with Ms. Mary in Boerne, TX. I performed in the children's choir of San Antonio. I didn't become interested in performing music until I listened to Phil Collins. I was really inspired by his music and other artists like James Taylor, Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant, Steve Winwood, and Sting. I decided that I wanted to become a singer when I came to The HUB Houston in 2016. Mr. Ken Stueart, the band director, asked me to be a singer, so I joined the band. Under Mr. Ken Stueart direction the “HUB notes” group was formed for vocal identification and learning vocal parts. I also took personal vocal Lessons from Ms. Jessie Putnam. I spent time on GarageBand sessions with Ms. Cay Taylor, and Guitar Lessons with Mr. Julius, as well as keyboard with Mr. Mitch. I joined the Houston HUBCAPS and have done a lot of songs together. We’ve done some covers and originals. We have performed at the HUB Annual Fundraiser, The Wortham Theater, Jones Hall, Smith and Associates Anniversary, The Art Car Parade (4 times), talent shows, and Christmas events. We are becoming stronger as a band and collaborating with each other. Every song that we do I'm grateful to be part of. The band allows me to express my feelings for music and people. I have so much fun with the band”. I was voted the lead vocalist in 2018.

My name is Evan Crawley. I clearly remember a key moment in my journey towards becoming a bassist and founding member of The Hubcaps: the first of many to come. I was 12 years old, and had been put in a music class at school. At the time, I did not know how to play an instrument, and didn’t know why or how I ended up in that group. One day, we were to decide who was to learn which instrument. Eventually, I reluctantly committed to learning the bass guitar. Soon, I took a liking to the instrument. By the time I was 13, I had my own bass guitar (an orange maple Ibanez four-string), and was taking professional lessons. I learned to read and play music in both traditional notation and tablature. I then expanded my skills, and learned how to improvise and take my bass playing to the next level.

When I was 15, and had just started high school during the first year of The HUB Houston’s existence, my mentor and fellow keyboardist Ken Stueart had the idea to start a band. We decided to call it The Hubcaps, a portmanteau of The HUB and the hubcaps that went on the wheels of vehicles. A project at the time in which recycled hubcaps were used was also an inspiration for the name. In the 8 years that The Hubcaps have been around, I have joined performances at many venues, including Jones Hall and Karbach Brewery, and got to work with some wonderful fellow band members. We have even been featured on the news. Even as members graduate school or become employed, such as myself, The Hubcaps remains a community in which my peers and I can express ourselves through our musical talent.

Mentor/Band Director, Ken Stueart