Paul Gum
Keyboards, Bass, Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Banjo
Paul started playing the piano at the age of 3. Well, it was more like tinkering around on it then. But he continued playing and learning as he grew. Paul also, picked up the guitar when was around 8 years old. Before he went to high school, Paul had already competed and won multiple talent shows and was featured in various piano recitals playing a variety of piano styles, especially Scott Joplin’s Ragtime. When he went to high school, he joined the concert and marching band switching between playing the trumpet to playing the snare and roto-tom drums in the marching band. At that time, the music director was putting together a jazz band, and was searching for a bass player. Paul signed up saying, I play the guitar a little, but I have never played bass. What the hell, I’ll try it.
When Paul was 14 years old, a good friend of his, Troy Fitzgerald (A hell of a drummer and guitar player by the way), had an older brother that was already playing in a very popular local band Southern Transfer. Their drummer and keyboardist left. Troy moved into being their drummer and suggested to the other guys in the group to consider Paul for playing the keyboards. He auditioned and got the job. While playing for Southern Transfer for many years, Paul continued to play bass and keys being hired for recording work as a session player for multiple people.
In the early 90’s, Paul was contacted by Tim Wilson about playing keyboards. He agreed and became one of the original members of a new band called Southern Company. Paul played keyboards and acoustic guitar with Southern Company until around 2002 when he needed a break from the extensive traveling and workload. He left Southern Company on good terms, without any animosity, and basically took a break from playing music for about a year.
Around 2003-2004, Paul started sitting in various bands that needed a fill-in player. One in particular was the band Groove Diggers. Their Keyboard player had an obligation that affected his scheduling. This is where Paul and Elvin Davis started to play in the same group. After about six to seven months, “The Gruv Diggers” broke up. A few of the other members and Paul started a group called “Sonic Temple” and kept on playing. Sonic Temple lasted for a couple of years when the Lead singer Wade Sampson (on a side note - a kick-ass singer!!!) started having health issues from an automobile accident that happened years earlier and had to leave the group. The remaining members of Sonic Temple did not want to continue using the name “Sonic Temple” without Wade in the group, so they changed the name to “The Mixx” and continued to play on nonstop until about 2010 when the Lead singer/bass player left the band to play with another group. This is also when he acquired the nick name “The 5th member”. (You will have to ask about that one)
In January 2011, while The Mixx was looking for a replacement for the singer, Elvin Davis and Paul were contacted by Dan Barelle about throwing together a “side” group trio called “The House Catz” with Paul playing Bass guitar. About the same time, Elvin was also filling in as guitarist for Southern Company. In January 2012, the bass player for Southern Company put in his notice. Since “The House Catz” was strictly a “side band” and “The Mixx” was not having any luck finding a replacement singer, Paul jumped on the chance to rejoin Southern Company, especially playing bass!!!!
Today Paul’s talents add and compliments the multiple talents of the other members of Southern Company by not just adding the bass line down for the songs, but bringing in his skills on Keyboards, guitar, Banjo, and even Bagpipes (if needed).
