Bio
Behind the Music
Gary Willard began playing guitar at age 8 and fronted his first band by 13. He built his reputation in the local Cleveland music scene, fronting cover bands like Breakout and Nasty Habits across a five-state area. He later transitioned to original music with his band, The Evidence, opening for iconic acts such as Cheap Trick, Belinda Carlisle, and Bad English at venues seating up to 5,000 people. He was heavily influenced by DIY pioneers Todd Rundgren and Pete Townshend, as well as songwriters Elvis Costello and Neil Finn. During the 2020 lockdown he used the downtime to completely rebuild his studio, launching his current path as an independent solo artist.
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE WHO HELPED ALONG THE WAY IN BANDS, STUDIOS, STORES, GIGS, AND OVERALL SUPPORT OVER THE YEARS:
Troy Anthony, Tim Joseph, Bill March, Paul Silvestro, Rick Palencar, John Zimmerman, JR Silvestro, Jim Boresh, Bob Bruno, Danny Borsch, George Shuba, George Sipl, Kirk Yano, Michael Mann, Bruce Gigax, Grant Barlow, Dave Nigro, Jon Porter, Gary Pollack, Damon Apel, Ron Lyons, The Johnson Brothers, Mike Lentine, Jim Benson, Tony Ciulla, Mark Lavelle, Marc Holan, Jane Scott, Tanya Gazdik, Judy Black, Edward Hill, Lee Barrish, Nancy Alden, Jayson Polansky, Nino Paglia, Jeff Andrews, John Latimer, Mark Litten, Barry Gabel, Kurt Wright, Charlie Weiner, Beachwood Studios, Bishop Photographics, Audio Recording Studios, The Staffs at the Cleveland Cafe, Cleveland Connection, Peabody's DownUnder, The Agora, the Front Row, Nautica Stage, Empire, and the National Rib Cook- Off.
Buddy Maver (Manager of The Evidence for some of the best rock and roll memories I have)
And to all of our family, friends, and fans who came out to support us along the way, and most of all my wife Cheryl, for believing in me.