Wilk McKean

Wilk McKean was born and raised in New Orleans and grew up with the sounds of Dixieland jazz, rhythm and blues, and pop. At the age of nine, his grandfather bought him a trumpet, and he learned the basics of music, hoping to be the next Al Hurt. In 1963, when he heard the Beatles on the radio, his life changed forever. He bought his first guitar at the age of twelve and began to play with true passion. He played his first professional gig at the age of fifteen, and by the time he was legal to perform in clubs, he had already played his share of them.

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McKean subsequently played in groups with names like The Shadows of Eternity, Potter's Field, and Bayou. During this time, he also had the opportunity to work as a vocalist in some of the area's top recording studios. At the same time, he was also compiling a nice collection of original music and sold several radio jingles.

In 1979, Wilk helped form a group called Flite, which continues to be a very popular musical influence on the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain. He stayed with Flite, playing numerous venues including clubs, weddings, private parties, Mardi Gras balls and fairs until 1989.

In April of 1989, McKean left the U.S. for a seven-year European tour. While living in England and Germany, he played with a pair of German musicians in a trio called The Night Dogs. When he returned to the States in 1996, he decided to settle in Pensacola and is still happy to call it home.

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