Hot House Tomatoes

Phyllis was born in Sulpher Springs, Texas into a music loving family.  She grew up listening to radio and live jamborees, produced by her Dad, Lou Erck, a popular DJ on KSST Radio in Sulpher Springs and later on KRAE  in Cheyenne, Wyo. and later on KHAP in Aztec, NM and later on KGMY in Missoula, Montana.   Her musical roots were stimulated at an early age in the pews of the Sourthern Baptist church where she learned to sing harmonies with the church choir and with my siblings who all sing. She studied piano throughout grade school and high school and sang in choirs and vocal ensembles in high school and college.  After high school, music took a back seat to marriage, kids and career.

Phyllis’ “day job” career took her to New England where in the 90′s she started attending bluegrass festivals and eventually got her first Dobro, a Regal.  This was the beginning of a journey pursuing music as a hobby and semi-professionally.  In 1998 she formed the band Blue Angel with Victoria (Ginty) Hawkes and they recorded the album Dance a Little Closer.  In 2002 she returned to Montana and formed the acoustic duo Ramblin’ Rose with Curtis Rathburn.  They recorded the EP Ramblin’ Rose Bluegrass.  In 2009, she started picking the piano back up in hopes of playing in a band setting.  In 2010 she joined the band Hot House Tomatoes, the band she currently actively performs with in Missoula, Montana.  We are just starting to record our first project.

Phyllis is an active member of the Montana Rockies Bluegrass Association and hostesses a winter bluegrass jam series 2nd Saturday’s Jan-Mar at Ruby’s Inn & Convention Center, in Missoula, MT.

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