Bios

Rex Shipplett

Rex’s music career began in the fifth grade with his first lesson on the flutophone. When it came time to choose a real instrument, however, his father decided for him: a “straight” Bb soprano sax, which just happened to be in his closet. Money was very tight, and Rex’s dad determined it would be cheaper to recondition the old horn (vintage 1940) than to buy a new saxophone. Consequently, Rex learned to play the soprano sax before soprano sax playing was “cool”.

By the time of his senior year in high school, Rex had established a reputation of excellence on his horn. It was at that time that his band instructor, E. Ray Wilson, an outstanding sax-clarinetist in his own right, decided it was time Rex tried-out for the Illinois All-State Band. As Rex recalls, “I wasn’t too happy about the idea and resisted Mr. Wilson’s persistent prodding.” With time running out, E. Ray confronted Rex one last time in front of the entire Abingdon High School Band, calling him “chicken”. According to Rex, “Before I knew what I was saying, pride kicked into high gear, and I retorted, ‘OK, I’ll do it!’” After several weeks of hard work, Rex auditioned on the tenor sax and was awarded 1st chair.

Although his major in college was chemistry, it could easily be said that Rex’s real major was BAND. The fall of his freshman year at the University of Illinois, Rex auditioned for the Marching Illini football band on his soprano sax and earned a regular spot, which would last him for four years. He was truly blessed to be a part of an organization that was comprised of some of the finest musicians in the country. Everett Kissinger, director of the football band, referred to Rex’s sax as a “fish horn”!

Rex played tenor sax in the U of I Second Regimental Band but was soon bumped-up to the First Concert Band where he eventually earned top chair on the bass clarinet and baritone sax. If that wasn’t enough, he also played first chair on the contrabass and bass clarinets in the U of I Small Symphonic Band and was soloist on the bass clarinet in the Champaign-Urbana Clarinet Choir. Rex’s biggest joy, however, came the winter of his senior year when he was asked to play the bari sax in the U of I basketball band.

“My greatest motivation for playing sax came from all the old 78’s my dad had. I just couldn’t get enough of Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, the Dorsey brothers, Glenn Miller, and Lawrence Welk. The real cat’s meow, though, was when I heard my first recording of Boots Randolph playing ‘Yakety Sax’. From that moment on, I made it my life’s ambition to learn how to play that song and eventually succeeded!”

Little did Rex know when he married the girl of his dreams, Sue Molter, that he would once again become a member of a very musically talented group—the Molter family. The rest is history. Some 20 years later, Rex is still playing his horns and grooving on what for him is a new addition to his repertoire: funk, blues, and jazz!