Bushmen band back together after 40-year hiatus with song titled 'Salt Street Skinny'

It’s never too late to turn a nostalgic high school past into a harmonious present. And that's just what a few Rittman talented musicians did.

Back in the late 1960s Jim Ullman and Jack Ullman along with Larry Griffin and Ronnie Osburn found a passion for playing music.

“In high school, we shared a common interest in music. I think it had a lot to do with the Beatles and the music that was coming out of that,” Jim Ullman said.

Although the Ullman brothers were born to deaf parents, music found its way into their hearts. They both crafted their own cardboard guitars playing The Beatles songs.

When Griffin and Osburn joined them, their interest expanded to different genres, including surf music, garage bands and Motown.

Each member had a strength, and the Bushman was formed

They were known as the Bushmen. The origins of the name may have been hazy, but for them and their fans, it became a vessel of cherished memories.

“Maybe we were watching something on TV and it popped into our head,” Griffin said.

“Could have been Polywogs or the Twizzlers or something,” Jim Ullman added.

Each member of the band had a role, Griffin played lead guitar, Jim Ullman the rhythm and vocals, Jack Ullman played drums and Osburn played bass guitar.

In a time when YouTube didn't exist, learning music was a challenge. Griffin and Osburn learned from their fathers who both played guitar, and the Ullmans learned some chords from them. They would listen to songs on the radio and start strumming until they all got.

“I think the songs and our passion to learn how to play those songs just draw us,” Jim Ullman said

Entertaining the high school lunch crowd

The high school lunchtime was when they first kicked off as they were allowed to play music during lunchtime.

“That was the biggest thing it was a treat for us to do that,” Osburn said. “We would drag all that stuff up to the school and play 15 or 20 minutes, drag it all home again just for the fun of doing it,” Larry said.

Summer parties, proms, clubs and Rittman’s swimming pool are some of the places they performed at for several years.

"I'm shocked at how three years of our life shaped so many memories, even to this day, these are probably the best friends I have,” Jim Ullman said.

Life gets in the way, but 40 years late the band is back

The Bushmen disbanded as life took each one in a different direction. However, echoes of youthful melodies reverberated once again 40 years later.

The band was back once again when Jim Ullman's sons, David and Brian, reunited them.

“I taught my sons how to play, and they thought it’s a great way to show honor,” Jim Ullman said.

David and Brian followed in their father’s footsteps − they wrote, played and produced music. They performed in clubs in Akron, Barberton and Cleveland, and produced multiple albums.

Jack Ullman lost his wife in 2008, and getting back behind the drums again helped him to overcome his grief.

“He actually went out and bought another set that he felt like he really wanted to fulfill a dream,” Jim Ullman said. “The more he played, the more he wanted to play.”

The gig that turned into a big band bang

The two generations played together in several places, but their gig at the Rittman’s BG’s Main Event was a magical return for them.

The place was so full that the place sold out all its drinks and food that night.

“All our friends that we went to school with, a lot of those people showed up, but we had so many people say, we wanted to come, but there's no place to park,” Jim Ullman said.

“The song "Salt Street Skinny" became an honor Griffin’s contribution to the band after he described himself as an old salt street skinny in one of his conversations with Jim Ullman.”

“It was probably in 2012 and I told him, I'm going to write a song for you,” Jim Ullman said.

The release of 'Salt Street Skinny'

In April 2023, Jack Ullman died, but the group completed the album with the talent of David and Brian Ullman and released "Salt Street Skinny."

Through their journey, the Bushmen recognized other musicians they had played with before, like keyboardists Gary Thompson and Jim Hobell.

“They didn't play long with us, but they were excellent. We had a lot of fun with them when they became part of what we were doing. It was just the friendship that we had all these years,” Osburn said.

Osburn also acknowledged a close friend, Ray Oiler, who helped the band carry equipment and move from one place to another.

“He was part of that family group that we had. We had each other to go through those tough years as a teenager,” Osburn said.

"Salt Street Skinny" is a dedication to friendship and reminiscing. It is available online on Dreaming Out Loud Records’ website and sold as a CD for as low as $1.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Rittman Bushmen band from 1960s reunites in new era with new song