Rick and John "Fast Johnny" Scharbrough jamming
on the deck of Lazy Daze Coffee House

Playing for himself

Ditto

Life-long Irvington area resident, Rick Freeman was a founding member of one of the most popular and successful bands in Indianapolis history, the “Spirtles”.

Mr. Freeman recalled that when the “Spirtles” first formed, they were just friends jamming at the old “Hummingbird” on the north side.  One day they received a call from Chubby Wadsworth, the then owner of the "Patio" in Broad Ripple, asking them to come play there (that was back in the day when the "Patio" was THE place to play in Indianapolis).  Things suddenly exploded, Rick said, and before they knew it, they were among the most popular bands to play there --- and always to a full house. Subsequently, they played all around the Midwest, even opening for some nationally touring acts.

The “Spirtles” could perhaps be best described as a jam band, with extended songs allowing band members to share gentle melodic solos.

Years later at the “Club LaSalle”, another near-legendary club also owned by Chubby Wadsworth, when Chubby was asked how to describe “The Spirtles”, he smiled and whimsically said something along the lines of, “image the Grateful Dead . . . with talent.”  He might have not been far from the truth.

You can watch and listen to a video of a "Spirtles" reunion performance from 2007 at the Water Bowl in Muncie:     LINK

"Spirtles" reunions are infrequent now in that James has moved to the wilds of western Wyoming.

Today, Mr. Freeman continues his full-time job in business, but he has been known to host the occasional very relaxed acoustic open stage on Sunday afternoons at Lazy Daze Coffee House.

Trivia:  Mr. Freeman remembers that at a child, he watched many movies in The Irving Theater. He said that years later, the “Spirtles” played a New Year’s Eve concert in the theater.

You may contact Mr. Freeman via e-mail at:  :rickeyjeff@gmail.com