2024 inducted DRIVERs

Johnny “Big Red” Meredith

Life years: 1957 – Present

Bus years: 1980 – 2005

Johnny “Big Red” Meredith was born in 1957 and raised in Elizabethtown, KY. During and after high school Big Red worked for the family business, trucking. In 1980, Hugh Howell was able to get Big Red to start driving his motorhome, and from 1982 to 1985 he drove for Milo Liggett at Loch Raven Coach. He also drove for Platinum Livery from 1986 to 1992, as well as Jim Bodenheimer at Ego Trips. Eventually Meredith Enterprise purchased an entertainer bus and Big Red began leasing and subleased to Senators Coaches. In 2005 he ended the entertainer bus business to focus solely on trucking.  During his career, Big Red drove for the Pointer Sisters, Jerry Reed, Collective Soul Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Charlie Daniels Band, and many others.

When Big Red was working for Milo Liggett at Loch Raven Coach, Milo would tell the drivers to leave the buses unlocked. Otherwise, the homeless people would break the windows trying to get into them, trying to find a place to get warm. One-time Big Red left for a tour and failed to completely check through the bus for someone inside. He got about an hour away from Nashville when someone from the back came up to the driver’s area and scared him to death! Big Red pulled over and “he had a new town to be homeless in.”

As of this writing, Big Red is residing in Goodlettsville, TN.

Kurt Fetty

Life years: 1971 – Present

Bus years: 1991 – Present

Kurt Fetty was born in 1971 and raised in Bucyrus, OH. After high school he operated his own trucking company. Kurt’s uncle purchased an entertainer bus for an artist, and after obtaining a second artist the uncle convinced Kurt to partner with him to purchase a second bus. The second bus was purchased and in 1991 Kurt started driving for entertainer Bill Anderson. The bus was then subleased to the Hemphill Brothers Coach Company. Kurt began driving for Hemphill Brothers full-time in 1992. He remained there until Jan 2024 when he began employment with Roberts Brothers Coach Company.

Some of the many artists Kurt has driven are Bill Anderson, Bill Monroe, Aretha Franklin, Scott Weiland, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Joe Walsh, Nikki Sixx, Justin Timberlake, Bush, Pink, Bonnie Raitt, Alisha Keys, Ariana Grande, Loretta Lynn, Aerosmith, and Keith Urban.

As of this writing, Kurt is residing in Nashville, TN.

Lashawn “LA” Lundstrom

Life years: 1967 – Present

Bus years: About 1998 – Present

Lashawn “LA” Lundstrom was born in 1967 and called Sisseton, SD her hometown. However, she was raised “on the road”, because her family was a touring gospel group, the Lundstroms. This evangelist / gospel group toured year-round and produced over 70 albums. They were inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame in 2005. LA began touring at 4 days old and started performing at 18 months old. As a young girl, she would sit on her dad’s lap and he would have her help steer the tour bus down the road. When LA was 18 years old, she obtained her Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and was also playing music for other gospel groups. One evening a band named Sierra contacted Mark Larson, leasing manager at Hemphill Brothers Coach Company, and asked for a co-driver. Mark told the band that, “your keyboard player has a CDL, if she’ll drive for you, we’ll put her on our insurance.” This became LA’s first driving job for Hemphill Brothers, estimated to be the year 1998. She would do numerous co-drives and actual tours until she officially completed employment paperwork. LA remained with Hemphill Brothers and continued when it became Dreamliner. 

One time LA was asked to do a last-minute run for gospel group Point of Grace. They needed to go from Nashville to Ohio for a morning church service. She was given the bus number, but when she arrived at the bus it was black and had skulls on it. LA called and asked if it was the correct bus, and was told it was the only one available. At the pick-up location, the gospel group members kept circling in their cars, assuming it wasn’t the bus they were taking. Upon arrival at the church in Ohio, the deacons were outside waiting for them and staring at the bus with skulls. LA pulled up to the men and said, “Hi! We are Point of Grace. Where would you like the bus parked?” The gospel group had such a laugh about it and had to explain it to the church congregation that morning as to why there was a black bus with skulls in their parking lot. The bus was usually leased to the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne. 

During her career, LA has driven for Soundgarden, Beyonce, Rihanna, The Jacksons, Justin Timberlake, Rush, Lenny Kravitz, Kenny Chesney, Bonnie Raitt, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Garth Brooks, Aerosmith, KISS, Motley Crue, Keith Urban, Boston, Blake Shelton and many others.

As of this writing, LA is residing in Brentwood, TN.

Randy Dennis

Life years: 1954 – Present

Bus years: 1985 – 2024

Randy Dennis was born in 1954 and raised in Okmulgee, OK. After high school Randy worked at an electronics store, an auto parts warehouse, and a Chevrolet dealership. In 1985 he moved to Nashville to be a road manager for country music entertainer Becky Hobbs. During this time Randy became a relief tour bus driver. He later got a job with entertainer Stella Parton, then became a tour bus driver for entertainer Shelly West. From 1990 to 2024, Randy worked for Nitetrain Coach. He started as a driver, then moved to the Quality Control division. Randy became the Manager of the Conversion Shop before his retirement in 2024.

During his career, Randy drove for Elton John, Billy Joel, Weezer, Marie Osmond, Kathy Mattea, Black Sabbath, Barry Manilow, Jimmy Buffett, Randy Travis, George Strait, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jeff Beck, Kentucky Headhunters, and many others.

As of this writing, Randy is residing in Goodlettsville, TN.

Randy “Grandpa” McDaniel

Life years: Dec 22, 1938 – Feb 29, 2004, Age 65

Bus years: Late 1970’s – about 2001

Randy “Grandpa” McDaniel was born 1938 in Columbus, GA and raised in Pensacola, FL. His nickname was given to him by Christian and pop music entertainer Amy Grant. When he was 5 years old, he played piano for the governor of Florida. After high school Grandpa served in the US Navy for 2 years. During this time, he was a fireman on the USS Midway. Afterwards he had a job in life insurance and worked a milk route for Barber’s Dairy, but his passion was gospel music and playing piano. Randy combined with Willliam Golden to form the Pilots Trio. After some time with the Melody Masters, Randy joined the Thrasher Brothers, After playing the piano for many years, he started driving tour buses for Jim Thrasher in the late 1970’s. Eventually Grandpa was employed with Senators Coaches, and remained there until a health condition caused him to retire around 2001. During his career, he drove for Bachman Turner Overdrive, the Doobie Brothers, Alice Cooper, .38 Special, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Quiet Riot, Ted Nugent, Foreigner, Huey Lewis, Eric Clapton, U2, Amy Grant, Whitesnake, Paul Davis and many others. 

Randy passed away on Feb 29, 2004 while residing in Millbrook, AL.

Raymond G. Brown

Life years: 1954 – Present

Bus years: 2000 – 2022

Ray Brown was born in 1954 and raised in Portland, OR. After high school Ray worked manual labor jobs until he was able to buy his own semi-truck at age 21 or 22. He hauled lumber and plywood in the Pacific Northwest. Eventually he moved to West Plains, MO and started Ray’s Engine, Machine, and Transmission repair shop. Ending this business, Ray got into entertainer tour trucking for a few years, driving for Ozark Mountain Leasing. Around 2000 he began driving entertainer buses for Four Seasons Coaches. For 6 years, Ray was the sole tour driver of a NASA interactive program that went to high schools all over the country. He remained with Four Seasons and continued when it sold to Village Coach, then retired in 2022.

As of this writing, Ray is residing in West Plains, MO.