For your next event, let the genie out of the magic party lamp to grant your wishes: Fun and excitement – The Troupers! Personally engaging, and energetic entertainment for a variety of events – The Troupers! Talented and accomplished musicians who are good people – The Troupers!
A once in a lifetime memorable event (with lasting smiles, warm feelings, and knowing that we had the BEST celebration – ever! – The Troupers! Preparation for our event with someone who offers the best personal client service with professional attention and execution of all details tailored with our needs in mind: Trouper Bill! The Troupers mission is to make your event both fun and memorable by providing “Can’t Sit Down Dance Music” and working very hard to please every client – before, during, and after our engagements.
The Troupers are in their second decade, creating memories with hundreds of satisfied clients, consistently joyful accolades, tons of fun offering Jazz, R&B, Rock, and Contemporary dance classics. Let The Troupers prove to you their sustained history of packed dance floors all night long! By engaging The Troupers as your event genie, you will not receive video’d smoke and mirrors, or un-delivered audio magic (check out our video!). Just the real deal “Trouper-style” The Troupers Bios The Troupers are seasoned professional entertainers, collectively appearing on more than one hundred CD’s and albums, performing in 12 countries. From soft background jazz for your cocktail hour to the last note of your successful dance party, The Troupers will prove to you why they get rave reviews {“I’ve never danced so much before!”}{“Sounds just like the record!”}.
Stellar vocals, musicianship and delightful entertainment energy qualify The Troupers as a must for your event. You deserve the best, so hire the professional entertainers that will be better than the food or the flowers The Troupers!
Here is who we are: Trouper Robin Carter – Lead and backing vocals, percussion, resident Diva: “Robinator” was born in Brooklyn, NY. She attended the Julliard School of music at age 16 and graduated from the Metropolitan School for the Arts in Syracuse, New York while studying with Michael Massner vocal coach to Diana Ross and Melba Moore. She has sung for the President of the United States, the Governor of NC, and famed poet-laureate Maya Angelou’;s birthday party. Robin toured Paris, London, and Switzerland (including the Montreux Jazz Festival) with the Ira Wiggins Group, and has performed with jazz great Tom Browne. Robin delivers powerful performances equally to soft jazz ballads, Tina Turner, Chaka Khan and other R&B dance classics, Journey’s Steve Perry, and AC/DC! Need a classical aria? Robin can deliver! In 2011, she released a solo jazz CD – “Return to Paradise”. TROUPER Mitchell Gamble Lead and Background Vocals, Tenor/Alto/Soprano Sax The Troupers pied piper extraordinaire, Micky Gamble has performed professionally for over 30 years, playing drums and guitar at an early age, and later developed into a singer, showman, and saxophonist. At age 16, with his first band ,”The Uniques” , he played throughout Long Island, NYC, NJ, Conn., and Pa. During his 5 years with Liquid Pleasure, he played with: Bo Didley, Chuck Berry, Mary Wells, Wilson Pickett, The Temptations, The Tams, Pieces of A Dream, Jeffery Osborne, Millie Jackson, and gospel singer Luther Barnes. He is an alumnus of North Carolina Central University with a BA in Music and Public Administration. Micky’s endless energy (on-stage and in the audience), 1,000 watt smile, soulful lead vocals/saxes, prove that he has never met a stranger. Trouper Glen Edwards Drums, Percussion, Flute, Lead and Background Vocals Glen first sang in public at age four, singing Yes Jesus Loves Me at TV station WRAL – a sure sign of things to come! While getting his BS in Music Education from Atlantic Christian College, Glen played with Gene Barbour & The Cavaliers, The Steve Ball Band, Smokehouse (with future Lynard Skynard lead guitarist Ed King co-writer of Sweet Home Alabama), The Fabulous Shades, Casablanca Orchestra, & The Al Oringer Quartet. After graduation, he played with Spiral (shared the stage with Little River Band, Sanford Townsend Band, Mother’s Finest); backed up Fabian, Frankie Ford, The Clovers; opened for The Four Tops, Gladys Knight & The Pips, and The Temptations. He played drums, percussion, vibes, and flute on Mike Deep’s Sea of Joy which sold in over 20 countries, and collaborated with Mike on the critically acclaimed 1998 CD of original tunes The Deep Edwards Project. Recently, Ole Blue Eyes has been a member of The Legends of Beach and Nantucket. Trouper Charlie Atwell Guitars, backing vocal, and Papa extraordinaire Charlie is a career musician, a guitar player’s player, who brings a lifetime of experience, expertise, and influences to the stage with every Troupers performance, handling their impressive array of musical styles with finesse and taste. He has played in successful bands: Celebration, Firefox, The Eastern Seaboard Band, Main Event and The Coconut Groove Band., to name a few. Charlie is also known for his R&B background. The Piedmont Blues Society says This accomplished, self-taught musician and songwriter’s unique styles and tones are unlike any you have heard before, his soulful voice, along with his talent for making his guitar sing the rhythm and blues, have been awarded praise among many. Not only talented in the rhythm and blues genre, Charlie Atwell is also well known for his peerless styles and tones in other areas such as jazz, funk, country, rock and roll, and “boat-music.” Trouper Mike Williams – Bass and Background Vocals and Troupers Ambassador The youngest of seven children, Mike Williams joined the church choir at age 5. He would sneak his brother’s bass guitar (age 12), go over a friend’s house, and would play for hours, later playing in his first band in the seventh grade. A music major at North Carolina Central University, he traveled with NCCU’s Touring Choir, while playing around NC with: Soul Desire, JABB, Rich Emily and many others. After graduating, Mike joined international Reggae artist Rolly Gray and Sunfire, and while touring all over the US, playing with: Peter Tosh, Yellow Man, Ziggy Marley, Muddy Waters, Aaron Neville and the Neville Brothers, Billy Preston, Pattie Labelle, The Manhattans, and Third World. He is still a bassist with NCCU’s Theatre Program, appearing in: “Little Shop Of Horrors”, “Annie”, “Rave”, and others. Trouper Bill Butler – Keyboards, guitars, backing vocals, Founder and Leader Bill Butler has been a professional musician for over 35 years, performing throughout the US and seven foreign countries. A studio musician/arranger, he plays many instruments in a wide variety of styles, studied classical piano for nine years, performed at the 1964 World’s Fair, appeared in concert with Stan Getz at age 16 (baritone horn), and played guitar with the ECU Jazz Ensemble. Bill was a founding member of successful bands Heartwood and Nightshift. He has performed in concert with musical artists: Herbie Mann, Kirk Whalum, Steve Martin, The Four Tops, The Neville Brothers, Alex Bugnon, Nagi, Asleep At The Wheel, Jerry Jeff Walker, Boz Scaggs, Melissa Manchester, Hiram Bullock, Richard Elliot, Vassar Clemmons, Byron Berline, John Hartford, John Hammond Jr., Jim Stafford, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, David Allen Coe, The Stanley Baird Group, The Tarwater Band (with novelists Clyde Edgerton, Susan Ketchin, Lee Smith, and Bill Henderson), Mainstream, and The Fabulous Shades. Depending on who you talk to, he has a great sense of humor and also writes his own promo.