Fans, friends & family, we hate to tell you this, but Hot As A Pepper is announcing the departure of Shannon Ferguson from the group after an awesome year of shows and working together.
She’s relocating to Georgia to be closer to her family and to pursue her music career in the larger Atlanta market.
We will continue to work together on existing shows, original music collaboration and will undoubtably need her to fill-in and join us on stage again!
In the mean-time, HAAP is starting the process of finding our next front-person!
If you are someone who wants to front a popular variety dance band, or know of someone who is, please visit the site linked below.
Please join us in wishing Shannon the best in her future endeavors and in her move!
Hot As A Pepper, a well established Greenville SC based variety dance band is looking to fill the spot of lead vocalist / front person.
We’re in search of the best and most versatile singer to fill this position – male or female.
The band covers songs from the 50s to current, across many genres, including Pop, Top 40, Rock, Disco, R&B, Funk, Carolina Beach and more. We also have a forth-coming CD of originals. Artists we cover include Prince, Lady Gaga, Micheal Jackson, Bruno Mars, Rick James, Justin Timberlake, Maroon 5, Daft Punk, DNCE, Chairmen of the Board, Temptations, Earth Wind & Fire, Kool & The Gang, KC & The Sunshine Band, Alice in Chains, B52s, etc.
The band plays frequently at bars, clubs, private and corporate events and festivals, mostly around the Upstate, though we have slowly been leaving many of the local venues to focus more on events.
If you are interested in playing a minimum of 4 to 10 shows a month, mostly on the weekends, and want to work hard to be the best, with weekly rehearsals, then we want to hear from you!
Please send links of your videos, audio, as well as photos and make sure you send a bio or tell us about yourself.
PLEASE DO NOT CALL – JUST SEND INFO TO HELP US LEARN ABOUT YOU FIRST!
Auditions will be held at our Simpsonville based studio.
All the cliche and typical requirements, wants and needs apply.
Professional appearance, attitude and gear. Reliable transportation. Know how to read a clock and can be on time to rehearsals and shows. Have reasonable communication skills and check your email/text. No vices that negatively affect your performance or relationships with venues or band members.
If you play an instrument – bonus! If you are interested in collaborating on originals – bonus!
You can use our contact form or email johnh {4t} hotasapepper.com
Have you joined our mailing list? If you subscribe, you will receive an email once a month (or sometimes once every 6 months if we forget, again) that has our show dates and any important news about the band in it.
We discovered that one of the 15 upcoming wedding trends that’s changing everything is “live bands over DJs”.
We’ve always known that a live band is the way to go, and not because we happen to be biased, but because we have heard so many times that live music brings things to LIFE.
You rarely hear how the wedding reception was so incredible, that the rendition the DJ did of some song was perfect, however, you do hear that the band kept people dancing, and covered songs in a way that a person loved even better than the original artist.
Nothing against DJs, they are certainly handy in specific situations, but in almost ALL situations, bands leave a lasting impression on your attendees.
Let’s talk about booking Hot As A Pepper for your wedding reception, and how we can customize the experience to suit your every need.
We are available in SC, TN, GA, NC and surrounding areas in addition to our home of Upstate / Greenville, SC.
Here’s the 15 upcoming trends article for you to read:
If you have been living in a cave, you might have missed that our friend and lead vocalist, Chip McDonald, who John M. Hoyt reached out to when starting Hot As A Pepper five and a half years ago, has had a career change that will take him away from the band.
Chip’s powerful and versatile voice will be missed by all of us, but not more than having him with us on stage and off. It’s going to take some getting used to, that’s for sure.
So, just how many people does it take to replace one singer?
Apparently the answer is ONE HUNDRED AND ONE. That’s how many wonderful individuals reached out to Hot As A Pepper when we posted our plea for a vocalist!
Take a second to wrap your head around that number. ONE HUNDRED AND ONE.
No, we didn’t audition that many, we asked each person to provide us with video or audio clips, and the band members and several friends/advisers listened to the best of the bunch and then we scheduled auditions, stacking them 3 at a time, with 1 hour blocks for each of them.
We had a couple no-shows (one person actually rescheduled at the last minute, and then didn’t show up the second time either!), we had a couple who came in with very very short notice and still managed to do a great job!
We thank each and every person who offered themselves up – your time and interest is greatly appreciated!
Ultimately, we were unanimous in selecting Mary Norris to front HAAP!
Here’s a clip of her joining us on stage at The Boiling Springs Ale House for a few songs.
We had no rehearsal, and these are not all songs she is familiar with – which amazes us and serves to further underscore that Mary is the right person for the job!
Actually, we didn’t even get a sound check. We set up an extra mic and a floor monitor, which we rarely do and let her rip.
Thankfully, our sound tech, Pamela was there to make sure it went okay out front…
Mary is studying music and she’s also busy in the Upstate Live Music Scene – she’s a singer, songwriter, guitarist that fronts her own original act.
We’ll be updating our member’s pages, photos and bios soon, so watch for more information about her!
Obviously, this will open the door for us to add some songs from female artists, many of which have been requested!
As always, we invite your requests and suggestions for music, but ask that you be patient as the band works with Mary to get her up to speed for our first shows of 2018 – then we can explore some new material!
Our first show with Mary fronting HAAP will be at Craft & Barrel on January 19th, 2018, we hope you will come and check us out!
Another member change – Chris Carroll who has been playing with us for months has now taken over the permanent main guitarist spot. So he’s officially no longer just a “fill-in”, he’s THE man.
Carlos Perez remains as our backup guitarist!
Happy new year from the 2018 Hot As A Pepper members!
The full band line-up consists of:
The Core:
John M. Hoyt – Bass / Vocals
Chris Eller – Drums
Tony Gardo – Keys / Vocals
Chris Carroll – Guitar / Vocals
Mary Norris – Vocals / Guitar
Habanero Horns:
Ed Wimberly – Trumpet
Tom Wheat – Saxes
Hot As A Pepper has an immediate opening for a versatile vocalist!
We’re a dance and party band!!!! Genres include Pop, Top 40, Dance Rock, Disco, Funk, Motown, R&B, Soul, Beach, and even some Jazz, Reggae or Country – what ever gets butts outta seats and on the dance floor.
We play bars, clubs, private / corporate events of all types and festivals.
We play A LOT. Mostly around the Upstate.
HAAP is in our 5th year, we have received awards and are always booked out months in advance.
Some young blood would be a welcome addition to this group!
If you play an instrument – you move to the front of the line!
You can do some homework by checking out our song list, videos, list of shows (past and present).
If dance music is your passion, then we want to talk with you!
Use our contact form for more information – send us links and tell us about yourself.
Here’s a few tunes from our most recent shows:
(She’s A) Bad Mama Jamma A
1999 F (starts in C)
24k Magic F
Angel / Joker F
Angel Eyes C
At Last – F
Back in Love Again – D
Badonkadonk – F#
Billie Jean – F#
Blurred Lines – G
Boogie Shoes – C
Born to be Wild – E
Brick House – A
Brown Eyed Girl – G
Cake by the Ocean E – SNA
Can’t Take my Eyes off You – E
Caribbean Queen – C
Carolina Girls D
Country Girl Shake it – E
Creep G
Desperado
Disco Inferno – B
Dock of the Bay G
Don’t You Forget About Me – E
Everybody Talks – E
Fame F (Fm7-Cm-Bb)
Forget You – C
Funkytown – E
Get Down On It – E
Get Down Tonite/That’s Way -F
Get Lucky – E
Give it to me Baby – C#
Hang on Sloopy G-C-D
Happy F
I Can’t Go For That – Fm
I Feel Good (I Got You) D
I’m Your Boogie Man – G
Into the Mystic – D#
Jungle Love Eb
Kiss
Ladies Night – Cm
Lady Marmalade G
Let’s Dance
Let’s Dance (D# ahhhh, A#)
Let’s Go Crazy
Let’s Groove – Easy
Magic Carpet Ride D
Man in the Box – E
Mary Jane’s Last Dance
Moondance
Moves like Jagger B
Mustang Sally C
My Girl – C
Need You Tonight – C
Never Tear Us Apart – A
One Thing Leads Another Bb
Perm – G
Play that Funky Music – E
Power of Love
Pride & Joy E
Proud Mary D
Purple Rain – A
Rollercoaster/Jungle Boogie C
Santeria – E
Satisfaction E/A
September
Shape of You – C#m
Sledgehammer – Eb
Smooth
Sugar – G
Super Freak – D
Superstition
Sweet Caroline B
Sweet Home / All Summer Long / Werewolves of London – D
Talking in Your Sleep – D
Thinking Out Loud D
Treasure – F
Twist & Shout – D
Two Princes
Two Tickets to Paradise A
U Honky Tonk Women G
U Rock this Town – D
Under the Boardwalk G
Upside Down
Uptown Funk D
Vehicle – Eb
Wanted Dead or Alive – D
Word Up – Gm
You Dropped A Bomb – E
Hot As A Pepper has a few dates left in 2017 and we are booking 2018 already.
If you have an event coming up which would benefit from fun and upbeat music, then please check out HAAP!
We want to play for your wedding reception, graduation, reunion, corporate event, customer appreciation day, festival, block party, or any other function you might have.
HAAP covers the most popular songs from favorite classics to current chart toppers, across a wide array of genres including disco, funk, beach, motown, dance rock, R&B, soul, pop, top 40 and even newer country. A little bit of everything – a WHOLE LOTTA FUN!
Referrals are always appreciated! Please pass this link on to perspective clients:
Thanks for your support! We wouldn’t be able to claim to be the BEST MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT – Best of the Upstate, if it were not for you!
864-979-1224 or use our CONTACT FORM for more information
The Greenville News Best of the Upstate Readers Choice award for BEST MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT
This is exciting news!
Hot As A Pepper members John M. Hoyt, Chip McDonald and their spouses Pamela Hoyt and Debra Hoyt attended the big gala event at Huguenot Mill behind The Peace Center in Greenville, SC on Tuesday, July 11th after receiving notification the band was one of two finalists for the BEST MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT category.
Our invitations got us in and a entitled us to a few drinks each and some hour devours, allowing us to mingle and talk with friends.
We were up against stiff competition who has a very large following and is well established, so you can imagine our surprise when they called our name as the winner for Best of the Upstate – Best Musical Entertainment!
We appreciate each of you who supported, nominated and then voted for our band. That means a lot to us! And while an award in and of itself not a direct measurement of who is “best” or who is a success, it is an honor to have the support that we have had from you! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU a million times over.
We didn’t win this – you did!
Need a band for your wedding reception, corporate event, birthday bash, graduation, retirement or any other purpose? We want to talk to you! Contact us and lets make some booty wiggle!
Did you join our mailing list yet? You can do so HERE and we promise not to bombard you with more than a couple emails per month.
