Revisiting "Crusader Rabbit" (1971-72)

By Chris Baker

I arrived at Frostburg in September of 1970. The only people I recognized from my high school disappeared after registration. I didn't know anyone else. I had been playing guitar since I was 11, so to make friends I would sit up on the hill underneath the trees in front of Frost Hall and play. 

Before long, I had made several acquaintances, and, one thing leading to another, I was invited to play in a band whose guitarist had just left. The other members of the band were Terry Natale (drums) and Roy Hamilton ’73 (bass). We were received well, but did not stay together after my freshman year. 

At the start of my sophomore year, I got together with Eddie Foy ’74 (guitar), John Koory ’74 (bass) and Chris Dickson (drums). It was Chris's idea to name our band “Crusader Rabbit,” after a cartoon show he enjoyed as a kid.

Our first gig was in the quad (see photo). We were very well received and began to receive invitations to play at fraternity parties and other venues in and around the campus and Frostburg and Cumberland. We played nearly every weekend -- sometimes twice. We usually received anywhere from $100 to $250 a night, depending how long we were required to play -- sometimes as much as four hours. 

Crusader Rabbit (with Chris Baker on lead vocals) playing in the quad at FSU, 1971.

We never ran out of songs, as I had been in a number of bands in high school and knew how to play just about everything that was out there at the time. We played some soul songs by people like Eddie Floyd and Sam and Dave, but mainly we played rock songs by the Rolling Stones, Cream, Rod Stewart and anyone else who had put out a record by 1971.

I really wanted to have a band people could dance to, since I enjoyed dancing myself. The rest of the band was very gracious in going along with it. We had a lot of success and a ton of fun. In fact, I paid my way through my two years at Frostburg with the proceeds from our jobs. (I actually received my degree from Lee University in Tenn.).

The “real” Crusader Rabbit cartoon from the 1950s inspired the Frostburg band’s name.

Crusader Rabbit thanks their fans and supporters in a letter to the campus newspaper.

After I left Frostburg, I began my career in consumer finance. I married a stunningly beautiful lady (Jeanette Prest) and have two sons and four of the most beautiful grandchildren you or I have ever seen. (Marry a beautiful girl, get beautiful grandchildren.)

I worked for a number of financial institutions, ending up as a vice president with Bank of America when I retired in 2005. I have enjoyed leisure ever since (I'm usually on the golf course or my swimming pool -- I live in Phoenix), and still play my collection of guitars and other musical instruments. One of my sons gave me a harp for Christmas (47 strings are a lot more difficult to deal with than six). I just bought a new Les Paul Standard. More money than sense, I suppose.

Hopefully, the campus police have forgotten I ever existed.

Chris Baker and his wife, Jeanette.