Chazz deMeyer was born in Chicago in 1951.  Starting on the accordion, and quickly becoming a keyboard player, the 60’s and 70’s music culture lured him away before he graduated high school. At the age of sixteen he left home to travel and record with Friend and Lover, famous for their national hit “Reach Out Of The Darkness”. When the first production of “Hair” came to Chicago, Chazz was the lead pianist for the shows run.  Soon after he joined folk star Bonnie Koloc, co-wrote several songs on her self titled album and toured Europe with her.  When Kevin Cronin first left REO Speed Wagon he hired Chazz’s local band to launch his solo career.  Chazz has also co-written several songs for the Siegel Schwall Blues Band. It is these bands and song writers he performed behind that has shaped his writing styles, for they all had one thing in common, they were story tellers.

 

At the age of 24, things took a turn for the worse:  he suffered a severe spinal cord injury in an auto accident.  He recovered enough movement to be a proficient one handed keyboard player and had quite a few good years playing Mini Moog bass with local bands, but honestly playing bass never satisfied his soul.  Disabled, but determined, Chazz returned to school at the age of forty, received his Bachelor’s in Business and created a comfortable life for himself and his family, but there was still something missing, music. So White Ibis was born. Those were the early years of digital computer recording offering a one handed musician a dream come true.

 

The decision to become a successful song writer 33 years after his accident is undoubtedly the most difficult and rewarding challenge he has encountered. In 2007 he built his home studio and in one year recorded his debut album “Recovery” and wrote his memoir “The Fire Within”.  In October of 2009 he is released his second album, “Vampire Love”.  In 2015 he released his final album "Chazz Goes Country", trying his hand at country music.  All of his collections are self published under WORKING HAND RECORDS and WORKING HAND PUBLISHING. 

Although Chazz no longer creates music, he is content  spending his days out in the wood shop trying his best not to lose the hand that has served him so well throughout his life. LOL