About

 John Degaard, AKA, “Chip” Dee was raised in Chicago, Illinois, and was immediately taken with Chicago blues and “Chicago-style” Dixieland jazz performed by legends like Muddy Waters, Nat King Cole and Benny Goodman.

In college, Chip Dee studied drums and piano and received his Bachelors of Music Education (BM.ed) at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri. Along the way, Chip landed drummer gigs with famed-trombonists Warren Covington and his Big Band and Bill Watrous while opening for the great pianist and composer Stan Kenton and Maynard Ferguson Orchestras as well as Elvis Costello, Little Richard and Gene “Duke of Earl” Chandler. The list goes on…Tommy Roe, Little Anthony, Sam the Sham, The Drifters, The Coasters, The Platters, Lou Christie, The Tokens, Capris and many more.

Chip currently can be seen in the New York area as well as around the country as Keyboard player/vocalist with “Kenny Vance and the Planotones”, as well as with

His own groups, ”Good Rockin Tonite” and “The Chip Dee Band”.

View our calendar here for upcoming dates of Chip Dee Band Performances.