The next time you listen to a selection of classic pop tunes on the radio, think about George Devens. Chances are, the Little River resident helped record most of them.

Ben E. King's "Stand By Me". "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head," sung by B.J. Thomas. Bobby Vinton's "Blue Velvet". "Walk On By," written by Burt Bacharach and sung by Dionne Warwick. And "People", crooned by Streisand herself. Before he retired, Devens, now 69, played vibraphone or percussion on all of these recordings, and many more.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Devens started taking drum lessons in his early preteens. "Loved to be a drummer, loved rhythm, loved to hit pots and pans. Before I went into the Army at 18, I got into mallet playing. When I left the Army in 1952, I was more a vibraphone player than a drummer."

After his military discharge, Devens went on the road for two years with George Shearing, legendary blind English pianist. When Devens started a family in 1954, he decided to get off the road. He became a studio musician in New York, making records with Perry Como, Jerry Vale, Andy Williams, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Burt Bacharach, and many others. He also recorded music for radio and television advertising. "I made every possible jingle – every airline, every cigarette and car manufacturer, every fast food," he laughs.

The three decades between the mid-1950s through the mid-1980s were stormy for Devens personally. His first marriage ended in 1963, after the birth of three children. He remarried in 1968 and divorced six years later. But this was a lucrative period for Devens, creatively and financially. "It was a vibrant business, no synthesizers, no mechanics – just real musicians and real writers."

The new high-fidelity and quadraphonic recording technology made voracious consumers of music lovers. "People would say, 'I've gotta buy new records. These old records of mine just don't sound good any more.'" Devens, a versatile percussionist with years of experience, was on dozens and dozens of the new records.

The Beatles? Devens played marimbas with Ringo and congas for Paul. Quincy Jones? Devens kept the rhythm on a number of early tunes recorded by the legendary producer. Sinatra? Devens recorded with him, and then turned down Ol' Blue Eyes when he was approached to go on tour. His work also appears on the soundtracks of almost 100 films, including Arthur, The Wiz, All That Jazz, and Animal House.

Devens thrived on the collaborative sessions of those three decades, but the new recording methods of the mid-80s would redefine his role and induce him to retire when he was just 55. "Recording everything at once was exciting, but when technology lifted us up to 32 tracks, things changed," he explains. "Timpani 'leaks' into everything. The things I contributed to a recording were the loudest, and the last to be done. I'd come into a studio alone. Everything was recorded already except what I had to add. I played my part and went home. And that wasn't fun anymore."

When Devens retired, he spent time in his Vermont vacation home. During this period, he met his soulmate Susan, a talented chef and calligrapher. He was asked by the local art center to do a small show. "Before I knew it, it blossomed into 13 people on the stage. It was a big show and it made a lot of money for the center." In the next few years, Devens produced five additional shows in Vermont, Massachusetts, and New York, each of which highlighted the lives and songs of Gershwin, Berlin, and other composers he loved.

Four years ago, Devens decided to move to the Grand Strand. "I was really getting tired of the Vermont cold. I spent some time looking in several areas, and then I made the move down here. My kids are on this coast, and the climate's exquisite. And I love being on the water."

Devens has filled his Lightkeeper's Village condo with carefully selected paintings, clever inventions, and his beloved Saporiti Italia furniture in gorgeous earthtones and functional shapes. He discovered the designer when he lived in midtown Manhattan. "There was a fabulous store near Bloomingdales, and I used to stand in the window like a little kid, looking at this furniture. When I came here four years ago, I decided to sell all of my early American furniture and buy all of this stuff."

Devens is loving his retirement. He and Susan travel occasionally, visiting family and old friends. He teaches classes for the Extended Learning Program at Coastal Carolina University, and plays at piano bars and for private parties. He recently finished a short engagement, entertaining the patrons of Collector's Café with show tunes and jazz standards. At the moment, however, Devens is between gigs – patiently waiting, he says, for the right opportunity to play his music for an appreciative crowd.

Sipping a good martini, listening to George Devens play the piano and sing those sweet old songs in his mellifluous baritone. It is hard to think of a better way to spend an evening.

Looking for a consummate entertainer to liven up your club or social event? Call George Devens at 280-4504.