Steve Lester Oral History
Steve Lester is a founding member, guitarist, songwriter, and lead vocalist of the Indianapolis-based 1960s rock band The Boys Next Door, one of Indiana’s most successful regional touring groups of the era. Often described as “the Beach Boys of the Midwest,” the band earned a strong following for its harmony-driven sound, polished live performances, and original songs that received widespread radio play across the Midwest.
Lester’s musical journey began in high school, when he and friends started learning to play together in a group that predated The Boys Next Door. As the lineup evolved, the band coalesced around five core members: Steve Lester (guitar and lead vocals), Steve Drybread (bass and vocals), Jim Koss (drums), Skeet Bushor (keyboards), and James Adams (guitar and vocals). Under the guidance of manager Bill Overman, the group refined its sound and began attracting large crowds at teen clubs and venues around Indianapolis.
The Boys Next Door recorded early material at Jan Eden Studio in downtown Indianapolis and released singles on their own imprint, BAD Records. Their growing popularity led to wider exposure through releases on Atlantic/ATCO Records, national touring, and professional production work, including collaborations with producer Al Kooper. At their peak, the band toured extensively throughout the Midwest and beyond, becoming one of the first Midwestern groups to travel with a dedicated tour bus. Although they never scored a Top 40 national hit, several recordings charted regionally, and their music was heard regularly on radio during the 1960s.
As musical directions shifted, Lester departed the band in the late 1960s and embarked on a wide-ranging career as a songwriter, session musician, arranger, producer, and recording engineer. After relocating to California, he worked extensively in Los Angeles and Topanga Canyon, contributing to recording sessions, studio projects, and progressive and classical-rock ventures, while continuing to write and perform original material.
Eventually settling in Joshua Tree, California, Lester built a long-running creative life centered on collaboration, recording, and live performance. He co-founded the Shadow Mountain Band, a bluegrass and Americana group that became a fixture at Pappy & Harriet’s, and continues to record and produce music from his studio today. Reflecting on more than five decades in music, Lester offers a thoughtful perspective on creativity, survival, and the realities of a life shaped by sound.
This interview is part of the Indiana Music History Project’s Amazing Indiana Music Stories series, made possible with generous support from the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation. On this page, you’ll find the Complete Interview, an Interview Highlight, and an Image Gallery featuring archival photographs that help bring Steve Lester’s story to life.
Interview Highlight
In this Interview Highlight, Steve Lester recalls the early days of The Boys Next Door—from learning to play in a teenage group called The Ramblers to drawing a crowd with a spinet piano pulled on a trailer through Indianapolis neighborhoods. He shares how manager Bill Overman first discovered the band, and how key members—including Skeet Bushor, Jim Adams, and Steve Drybread—came together to form one of Indiana’s best-known 1960s touring groups.
The Complete Interview
In this complete oral history interview, Steve Lester, founding member of The Boys Next Door, reflects on a lifelong journey through music that began in Indianapolis during the early 1960s. Lester recounts the band’s formation, regional success, recording history, and national touring years, before tracing his later work as a songwriter, session musician, producer, and recording engineer in Los Angeles and Joshua Tree. Along the way, he offers candid insights into the music industry, creative longevity, and the personal choices that shaped his path over more than five decades.
Image Gallery
Steve Lester – BSA Scrambler – First New Bike – 1966
Steve Lester’s first band, ‘the Imposters’, with Jimmy Koett and Pat Rice, around 15 years old
Steve Lester with New Fender Jaguar – Steve Worked All Summer in a Factory to Buy It – Mid-60’s
Shadow Mountain Band – L to R – Bruce Addis, Chickenfoot, Steve Lester, John Toler
Left – William (Bill) Overman (Manager) – Right – Skeet Bushor – 1964
Steve Lester – age 18 or 19 at Boys Next Door gig with possibly the Hollies.
The Boys Next Door – Live – Jim Adams, Steve Lester
Little Bit Country – Mid 80s
Skeet Bushor
Sound Investments -A’capella Vocal Group – 1988
The Boys Next Door – Midwest Theatre – 60’s
The Boys Next Door – Live – Side Stage
The Boys Next Door – Midwest Tour Stop
The Boys Next Door – Christmas Kiss – BAD (Bushor, Adams, Drybread) Records – 1966
Steve Lester – Cohn Ranch
Steve Lester – Folksinger – Indiana Farm – 1976 or 1977
The Boys Next Door – Poster – Wayne Armory 3-9-1968
The Boys Next Door – See the Way She’s Mine – ATCO (Atlantic) Records
The Boys Next Door – Skeet Bushor
The Boys Next Door – Teen Tempo Magazine Pages 1-2
The Boys Next Door – Teen Tempo Magazine Pages 3-4
The Boys Next Door – Teen Tempo Magazine Pages 5-6
The Boys Next Door – The Wildest Christmas – BAD (Bushor, Adams, Drybread) Records – Autographed – 1966
The Boys Next Door – Whiteland Barn – 1966
The Boys Next Door – Why Be So Proud – Soma Record Co. MN
The Boys Next Door 12-29-1964 Backstage at the Coliseum in Indianapolis
The Boys Next Door 60s Posing Wrecked Car – Policeman took Photo – LtoR – Front – Jim Adams, Steve Drybread. Rear Jim Koss, Skeet Bushor, Steve Lester
The Boys Next Door commercial
The Boys Next Door Compilation Album Cover
The Boys Next Door Poster – 1966
The Boys Next Door van
The Boys Next Door with their Tour Bus
The Four Wheels – Central High Playmate – Soma Record Co. MN – 1965
The Four Wheels – Cold 45 – Soma Record Co. MN – 1965
The Four Wheels – Jim Adams on Guitar
The Four Wheels – Live – Jim Adams Singing
The Four Wheels – Live – Jim Koss on Drums – Jim Adams on Guitar – Jumping
The Four Wheels – Live – Jim Koss on Drums – Jim Adams on Guitar
The Four Wheels – Live – Side Stage
The Four Wheels – Live – Steve Lester
The Four Wheels – Ratchet – Delaware Records – 1964
The Four Wheels – Sneaky Little Sleeper – Delaware Records – 1964
The Four Wheels – Steve Drybread – Skeet Bushor
The Four Wheels 1965
The Four Wheels at The Indiana Roof, Indianapolis, IN – Feb. 1965
The Four Wheels Live
The Rumbles Ltd – Out of Harmony – (S. Lester) – Mecury Records – 1967
Clockwise from upper left – Lee, Steve Sr, Steve Jr, Michael, Feduska
