Welcome to the Killa Band page

 

Danny Whittington is one of the more accomplished musicians based here in Boone. His bass and guitar playing has been applied to musical genres ranging from rock and funk to reggae and gospel on many local stages.

Whittington has played in various groups while jamming with other bands such as Soul Benefactor and more. He is also the long-time Director for the Junaluska Gospel Choir at the Mennonite Brethren Church in downtown Boone.

These days, Whittington is bringing funk music to the High Country with his latest incarnation.  The members of A Killa Band include Whittington on bass and guitar, Jonathan Priest on drums, Mike Runyon on keyboards and Doug James on guitar.

“We play the blues and R&B and we’re doing music by Bill Withers and more,” Whittington said. “I’ve been getting into Withers’ music lately as I didn’t realize he had so many tunes. At my workplace, we like to play music on Pandora (online radio) and you can suggest it to play music by Al Green, for instance. If you type in ‘Al Green’ into Pandora, naturally Bill Withers’ music will be in the mix. That is my favorite genre of music to listen to; the older rhythm and blues. Bill Withers is the man, buddy, and I put him up there with Al Green. And, we’re doing a few tunes by LTD when Jeffrey Osborne was in the band. We also have some B.B. King songs that we’re doing as well. Of course, we have to have some Eric Clapton tunes in there and even a couple of tunes by John Mayer. We’re trying to keep it old and new, but not too new.”

The goal of Danny Whittington and A Killa Band is to get folks up and out of their chairs and grooving.

“I like for us to be very danceable,” Whittington said. “As a result, I even throw in some Sly and the Family Stone with Larry Graham on bass, as well as ‘Low Rider’ by War. But, we probably stick closer to blues funk. We like to play B.B. King’s music. We don’t overly concentrate on any particular genre of music. But it does sort of have to be funky and I like for it to be danceable because ultimately we’re aiming at the party crowd.”

Whittington became enamored with the music of B.B. King when the now-dead Rock and Roll Hall of Famer played here in Blowing Rock many years ago.

“What a legend, and I was sorry to see him go last year,” Whittington said. “Actually, I’m sorry to see a lot of musicians go who died recently like David Bowie and all of those guys. I just hate to see it. I remember B.B. King when he used to come around and play in the 1970s and early 1980s in Blowing Rock at P.B. Scotts (the now-defunct geodesic dome-shaped bar and music venue). I think he played three years there. As a matter of fact, in one of the big magazines back then, he was asked about some of the favorite places that he performed at and he said that P.B. Scotts in Blowing Rock was high on his list because it had an upstairs balcony. The balcony would wrap all of the way around the stage and he loved it because the people were right up on top of him. He just liked that tight feel and he said that was one of his best experiences.”