West MacQueen Street Band and the Simkins factor

A man that John admires very much is Rick Simkins. Rick and John grew up near each other in the heart of Peoria - John on Columbia Terrace, and Rick on West MacQueen Street. They did not come from a background of privilege, but they were blessed with devoted parents who taught them values and how to live life with honor and integrity. The two men have been friends since grade school and recently shared a seat on the Heartland DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Executive Board. John and Rick share a common interest in the welfare of young people, and their respective job descriptions offer many opportunities for outreach.



Rick is a professional educator and is currently the principal at Germantown Hills Junior High school. If this sounds a little "business-as-usual" there is a twist. The fact is that Rick has an alter-ego. In addition to his role as principal, he is the lead singer and guitarist for the high energy and wildly popular band "West MacQueen Street". I'm not sure about anyone else, but I sure don't recall having a principal that was that cool! Imagine the thrill his school students must feel when they see their principal up on stage. What an inspiration he is to so many kids to live their dreams.

From the West MacQueen Street Band website:

Our band is named after the starting point of where the journey began, a street located in the middle of the city of Peoria, Illinois. Located on this street is a house that has been rocking with the sound of rock ‘n’ roll music since the early days of the Beatles. There, two great parents allowed their son to live a dream and form a rock band. Since then, musicians have passed through its doors for almost thirty years and their music continues to fill the streets today!

Rick has the energy of a 20 year old, and at least part of the band's appeal can be attributed to their high energy and inclusive performances. The band interacts with its fans throughout their performance and it it not unusual to see audience members up on stage singing, dancing and having a ball.

For all these reasons and more, John is proud to consider West MacQueen Street the official band of the Vespa for Judge campaign!