Keith Phillips Oral History

Keith “Keetie” Phillips is an Indiana rock ‘n’ roll pioneer, drummer, bandleader, and founding member of Keetie & the Kats, one of the state’s most influential early rock bands. Emerging from Edinburgh, Indiana, in 1958, Phillips helped define the sound and excitement of Indiana’s first generation of rock ‘n’ roll musicians, becoming known for his energetic drumming, flashy stick-spinning performances, and charismatic stage presence.

Before forming Keetie & the Kats, Phillips performed with Bob Pence & the Rhythm Rangers, the first group to play the legendary Whiteland Barn. The group featured Bob Pence on guitar, Dave Ellman, and Keith Phillips on drums. Although Phillips no longer recalls the names of the saxophonist and bassist, he remembers that performance as the beginning of what would become one of Indiana’s most celebrated early rock ‘n’ roll venues. As the first group to take the stage at the Whiteland Barn, they helped launch a venue that would become synonymous with the rise of rock ‘n’ roll in Indiana.

This page includes the Interview Highlight, Complete Interview and an Image Gallery that help illustrate this Amazing Indiana Music Story

Originally featuring Larry Lee, Dave Ellman, and Bill Rooker, the band evolved over the years with members including Norm Chafey, Johnny Scott, Larry “Wazoo” Gardner, Dave Kelly, Jimmie Clendening, and Gary LeMaster. Their early recordings included “Dreamer’s Romance” and “That’s the Way,” both released on K-W Records of Indianapolis and featuring lead vocals by Jimmie Clendening. The band later recorded “Chee Wah Wah” for Monument Records. In 1963, the group became Keetie & the Kasuals before Phillips later formed The Keith Phillips VI.

From 1959 through 1968, Phillips and his bands toured throughout the United States and internationally, performing with many of the era’s biggest entertainers, including Paul Anka, Bobby Vee, Del Shannon, Al Hirt, Boots Randolph, Roy Orbison, and Sammy Davis Jr. A career highlight came in 1966 when The Keith Phillips VI appeared on The Mike Douglas Show, introducing their music to a national television audience.

Among the musicians who most influenced Phillips was legendary jazz drummer Gene Krupa, whom Keith considered his lifelong idol. Long before the two met, Krupa’s dynamic playing style and showmanship inspired Keith’s own approach to the drum kit, including the signature stick twirling and spinning techniques that became a hallmark of every performance. Years later, while Krupa was appearing at The Embers, Indianapolis’ premier supper club on North Meridian Street, he would often stop by Charlie’s Mad Pad in Fountain Square after his own performances to watch Phillips play. Although they never performed together, the two developed a close friendship built on their mutual love and respect for music.

Outside of music, Keith was equally passionate about hot rods. While performing at the Sixth Avenue Bar in Terre Haute, Indiana, he became friends with fellow hot rod enthusiast Bruce Miller, owner of a customized 1931 Ford five-window coupe named “Katzass.” Drawn to the car’s unique design and intrigued by the connection between its name and his band, Keetie & the Kats, Keith eventually purchased the iconic hot rod from Miller and proudly drove it for nearly seven years. After leaving the music business and moving to California, the car was sold and eventually abandoned in a field, where it sat deteriorating for years. It was later discovered by John Mondabach, who had first admired the car as a ten-year-old boy while Keith was dating his older sister. At the time, John boldly told Keith, “I’m going to own that car someday.” Keith laughed, but years later John fulfilled that childhood promise by rescuing Katzass and painstakingly restoring it to the exact condition it was in when Keith owned it. Today, the legendary hot rod is preserved in Morgantown, Indiana, where Keith still visits both John and Katzass whenever he returns home.

As the musical landscape changed with the arrival of the British Invasion, Phillips recognized early that live teen dance halls were nearing the end of their golden era. His prediction proved accurate, marking the close of an important chapter in Indiana’s rock ‘n’ roll history.

Today, Keith Phillips is remembered not only as an outstanding drummer and entertainer, but also as one of the musicians who helped establish Indiana as an important part of America’s early rock ‘n’ roll movement. Through his performances at the Whiteland Barn, his national touring career, and his enduring influence on generations of Indiana musicians, Keith “Keetie” Phillips remains one of Indiana’s true rock ‘n’ roll pioneers.

This interview highlight from our oral history interview with Keith Phillips offers a glimpse into his remarkable career as one of Indiana’s early rock ‘n’ roll pioneers. In this excerpt, he recalls touring with some of the biggest stars of the era—including Bobby Darin, Bobby Vee, Bobby Vinton, and Bobby Rydell—and shares the story of meeting his lifelong idol, legendary drummer Gene Krupa, who later became a close friend. The complete interview can be found below for those who want to hear the full conversation. The Complete Interview and Image Gallery can be found below for those who want the full conversation.

This complete oral history interview with Keith Phillips chronicles the remarkable career of one of Indiana’s true rock ‘n’ roll pioneers. Keith shares memories of his early years with Bob Pence & the Rhythm Rangers, the formation of Keetie & the Kats, and the rise of the legendary Whiteland Barn. He recalls touring with many of the biggest stars of the era—including Bobby Darin, Bobby Vee, Bobby Vinton, Bobby Rydell, Roy Orbison, and Paul Anka—and tells how his lifelong admiration for legendary drummer Gene Krupa eventually grew into a close friendship. Keith also recounts the incredible story of touring Canada as Bill Black’s Combo, traveling more than 15,000 miles while performing 30 one-night shows in just 35 days, discusses his famous custom hot rod “Katzass,” and explains how The Keith Phillips VI landed a national television appearance on The Mike Douglas Show after performing at the same Cleveland nightclub where the program was being filmed. Filled with firsthand stories from the early days of rock ‘n’ roll, this interview offers a fascinating look at one of Indiana’s most influential musicians.