Bay Bridge Band

Shana Hodge is the powerhouse lead vocalist of the Bay Bridge Band. A Mobile, Alabama native, she has been singing since the age of three, captivating audiences at community events and leading worship at her church. Inspired by legends like Sandi Patty, Journey, Queen, Prince, and Whitney Houston, Shana brings a dynamic energy to every performance. Beyond the stage, she’s a skilled social media marketer, helping entities like Laura Coleman Family Law and the Bay Bridge Band amplify their online presence. She also serves as the secretary to the Director of Elementary Education for Santa Rosa County District Schools in Milton. A talented pianist, Shana teaches 13 students in Milton, sharing her love for music with the next generation. When she’s not rocking with the band, you’ll find her at church, soaking up the sun on the beach, or doting on her sweet grandpuppies.

John Drummond got his first snare drum at age 9. He's played percussion in concert bands, marching bands and rock bands. He currently performs Sunday mornings with the Celebration Choir and Orchestra at First Baptist Church in Milton. An avid unicyclist, banjo and guitar player, John is the founder of Unicycle.com and Banjo.com. He published a book on Amazon.com - Reinventing The Wheel: The Story of Unicycle.com, https://a.co/d/0bfdsque John earned a bachelor of science degree in communications from Kennesaw State University in Georgia and worked with the IBM Company for 23 years. He currently owns a painting franchise.

Marcus May is Bay Bridge Band's sax player and vocalist. Marcus was born and raised in Northwest Florida and graduated from Milton High School. After graduation, he joined the U.S. Army Band as a saxophonist and served for 21 years, retiring in 2022. During his career in military music, he served in many locations including seven states (Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama, Colorado, Arizona, Hawaii and Georgia), two tours in South Korea, and deployment to Iraq/Kurdistan. Becoming a professional soldier and musician provided him with the opportunity to refine his musical craft while also growing as a person and professional. He was able to reach countless people through the power of music. Some of his fondest memories are performing for children while visiting hundreds of local schools. After retirement, Marcus moved back home to Navarre, Florida to begin the next chapter in life as a civilian. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of West Florida and is now a 3rd grade teacher at Holley-Navarre Intermediate School. He has been playing with the Bay Bridge Band since 2022 and looks forward to many more years performing with them. Some of his favorite music comes from artists and groups like Prince, Michael Brecker, Chicago, the Beatles, and Supertramp.

Steve McWilliams began playing music at age 6, on the piano…which was a family requirement of his musician mother. Around age 12, he picked up the trumpet, playing in the middle school band. The music instructor at the middle school started a guitar class after school. Steve, his brother David, and three dozen or so fellow students showed up to begin their drive to rock-n-roll stardom. About 5 or 6 of them stuck with the class, Steve and David included. Over the next couple of years they were exposed to the music of the Beatles, Cream, Stones, Eagles, Doobie Brothers, and Chicago. The music of these artists continues to be Steve's major influences. Recognizing the boys' natural aptitude for music, their parents purchased a Gibson SG guitar for David and a Fender Precision Bass for Steve. Soon they started a band with friends, playing covers from the bands listed above and Top-40 songs. Steve continued to hone his musical skills over the years, singing duets with his wife Debbie at church and at weddings, and playing bass with church orchestras. A founding member of the Bay Bridge Band, Steve's vocals and precise bass notes fills the band's music with a tremendous bottom-end sound. Steve's day job has taken him around the South, living in Alabama, Georgia, and finally returning to Northwest Florida. Now retired, Steve and Debbie are enjoying time with their two adult children and spouses, and with one grandchild.

Jeff Rogers plays lead trumpet and flugelhorn for Bay Bridge Band. A lifelong musician, Jeff started playing the trumpet in 5th grade in school and at church. Over the years he’s played in many groups including the jazz-fusion sextet FourCast, the Majazztics and other bands, orchestras and ensembles. Jeff is a Christ follower, family man, runner and shade-tree mechanic. Both of his sons are musicians and reside in Nashville. He is founder and Chief Buzz Officer of Buzz Marketing, LLC, a full-service marketing agency serving clients along the Gulf Coast. He has more than 30 years of experience engaging audiences through creative, strategic marketing and communication.

Gene Belser, a gifted musician and founding member of the Bay Bridge Band, hails from Pensacola, Florida. Nearby Milton is now “home”. Gene's passion for music was ignited early in life when he witnessed his neighbor play the trombone. That neighbor would later become Gene's first high school band director, inspiring a lifelong dedication to music and performance. Gene's commitment has led him to collaborate with various groups over the years. Jimmy Pankow, trombonist for the iconic band Chicago, has profoundly influenced Gene's musical style. He vividly recalls attending a Chicago concert at a small venue during his high school years. Gene's admiration for Chicago's music has endured, and they remain one of his favorite bands. He joined the Bay Bridge Band in 2014, performing at the band's first concert, a local high-school reunion.

Chuck Wyatt is a native of Houston, Texas, and a skilled musician/trumpet player. Before relocating to the Pensacola area, he played with the Blue Soul Band out of Lafayette, Louisiana for over 15 years. He joined the Bay Bridge Band in 2017. You may have witnessed his most famous musical moment as the young man who took a nose dive, on national television, in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade back in 19, um, well, let's just say it's been a few years. Chuck also has a strong passion for sports and played NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey throughout his undergraduate years at Wesleyan University. When sports and music aren’t enough, he enjoys scuba diving and flying as a private pilot. He is married to Noemi, who played sax, back in the day, for the University of Texas jazz band.

Billy Spencer is a laid back CPA by day and fun-loving keyboard player at other times and has been a resident of Milton for over 50 years. He has played in local bands with John (drums) and Steve (bass) since middle school, but took off about 35 years before his wife, Emily, encouraged him to get back to playing music with the Bay Bridge Band when it formed in 2014. Billy has been a member of the Pine Terrace Baptist Church choir and has played in the church’s praise band for several years. He recently retired as Chief Financial Officer of a manufacturing company in Pensacola.

Josh Page is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Bay Bridge Band. Born and raised in Andalusia, Alabama, Josh began his musical journey at the age of 5; his first instrument was drums, which he learned from his dad. He received his first guitar as a Christmas gift when he was 12 and says he hasn't put it down since! Some of his biggest musical influences include Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Carlos Santana and Eric Clapton, to name a few. Josh started his first band in high school and has played in many bands since then. He moved to Pensacola, Florida because of the inviting music scene in our area. When Josh isn’t playing with the band, he's oten playing pickleball or volleyball with his wife, or spending time together working out. Josh earned an electrical engineering degree from Auburn University. He's the owner of CoJo Engineering, a Pensacola-based firm. He says Auburn provided the scholarship but he's big BAMA fan! ROLL TIDE!