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Bo Toliver and the Timers / Billy Bonder


Dayton, 1958-1961

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The Timers, best that we know, were a rock/R&B band from Dayton. The band played often at Engle's Bar in town, with many gigs listed in the paper from 1958-9. The band was mentioned a few times in 1960, playing at the Rancho club (they also played the Rancho in 1959).

Unfortunately there is little info that we can find on the band. From 1958 into 1958, they were listed as Billy Bonder and the Timers. Around mid 1959 the name in the listing became Bo Toliver and the Timers, with Billy Bonder as lead singer. Bo's legal name was Donald.

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The personnel of the band, from ads, was Bonder, Cliff Cruchet (sax), and Toliver...ads for Engle's bar mention a six piece band. Cliff's name is also listed as Clutcher in some of the ads.

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An interesting show occured in June 1959 with boxer Davey Moore as "special guest". Moore was from Springfield and ascended to world champion, before dying due to an injury in a 1963 title fight, one of modern professional boxing's greatest tragedies. Moore's death was the subject of songs by Bob Dylan and Ohioan Phil Ochs.

The band had one 45 released in September or October 1958. The A side was an instrumental "Farm Dell Rock" with alternating sax and guitar breaks while the other side is an R&B  vocal song "Begging". The copyrights list Toliver (as Donald Toliver), Crutchet, and Charles Lovett. The band sounds crisp and tight, those Engle's gigs paid off. Farm Dell was the name of a Dayton club. In 1963, Engle's Bar changed name to the New Farm Dell. In the The record credits Bo Toliver and the Timers. while newspaper ads from the same date list them as Billy Bonder and the Timers. Billy's name is mispelled as 'Binder' on the record. The record was released on the local Airway label.

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The band also played with Dean and Jean at Engel's. An ad from 1961 (see below) mentions two song titles, "We're Gonna Get Married" and "Oh Yeah", that are songs released by the duo. The ad implies that the Timers played on those 45s. "Oh Yeah" is a great, frantic R&B record with a ripping guitar lead, so if the Timers are playing on it, well done! 

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The last listing for the band playing came in May, 1961, in Richmond, IN. That was the first mention of the band since June, 1960, playing in Dayton.. There are no mentions of Bo, Cliff, or Billy in the paper, except for Bo's obituary. There is a mention of Charles Lovett as a Dunbar High School student in 1956, very possible the same person credited in the song copyright.

Bo passed away in 1990. According to his obituary, he was born in 1929 and had been a musician for the past 40 years.

Discography:
Farm Dell Rock / Begging - Airway 105, Oct. 1958

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