FORT PIERCE FOLKS
The Journey of Choncey Conch and The Adventures of Hugh Manatee are
two of the three books he has written for children. Mays has also been a
music teacher in public and private schools for years.
51
The ships took him to Sweden, Finland, Russia, Nova Scotia,
Mexico, the Caribbean islands, and many other countries.
He missed a ship once because he had a flat tire on the way
and had to fly to the Bahamas to catch up with it. He’s been
scuba diving in the Virgin Islands, Tunisia, the Black Sea and
many other places including right off the Treasure Coast. He
also played in every state in the union except Hawaii. When
the opportunity arises he skis, hikes and bicycles.
Mays played for a long list of celebrities, sometimes as part
of the Craig Turley Orchestra, including Michael Bolton, Bob
Newhart, Don Rickles, The Temptations, Four Tops, Aretha
Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Robert Goulet and many more.
Mays even spent a few months playing for a circus and later
at Disney World as part of the Toontown Trio wearing a partial
Mickey Mouse outfit. “It was work but it was fun,” he said.
With all of this it would seem like there wouldn’t be time
for anything else. But there is. He’s kept up a steady side
career as a music teacher, grades K-8, starting in 1996 in West
Virginia. He is a music specialist at Independence Classical
Academy in Fort Pierce. Along with that, he has written
school plays and music for all grades including elementary
schools and chorus. He also composes and arranges music for
professional orchestras, big bands, and brass ensembles. You
can find him by his name on YouTube playing jazz with other
local musicians.
He’s proud of the children’s books he wrote — The Journey
of Choncey Conch and The Adventures of Hugh Manatee. A third
book, Choncey Conch and Friends, is being illustrated now.
So what’s next? After the Mathis tour, he’ll be on tour with
singer Judy Collins and on a Temptations-Beach Boys cruise
to the Caribbean.
BRYAN CHAUNCEY MAYS
Age: 64
Residence: Fort Pierce since 1999
Born and grew up: Kentucky
Education: Morehead State University, Kentucky,
bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music
Family: Wife, Marcia; son and daughter.
Hobbies: Scuba diving, cycling, skiing, hiking
What most people don’t know about me: “That I
worked on cruise ships off and on for 14 years.”
/www.bestvaluepawn.net
