Bill Fulton on keys or piano with Touch n Go Band
Bill Fulton keyboards June 21 1986 recalls a Saturday performance with the Touch N Go Band in Portland, Oregon. Fulton played keyboards and piano in the cocktail lounge at the University Place Hotel & Conference Center. The venue was formerly known as the Red Lion Motor Inn.
A Saturday Night with Touch N Go
Saturday performances often brought added energy to a hotel lounge. Guests gathered to relax, socialize, and enjoy live music. Consequently, the band needed to create an inviting mood while remaining ready for requests and changes in the room.
From the keyboard chair, Fulton helped guide the harmony and structure of each selection. He could establish a song with a clear introduction, accompany a singer or instrumentalist, and support the rhythm section. Moreover, he could adjust his touch and dynamics as the evening developed.
The Role of a Versatile Keyboardist
A working keyboardist must know more than the notes on the page. The musician also needs strong listening skills, dependable time, and a practical knowledge of many styles. Those abilities are especially important during a long lounge engagement.
The Touch N Go Band could shape its program around the audience. For example, an energetic number might be followed by a relaxed ballad. Jazz harmony, popular melodies, and dance-oriented rhythms could all appear during the same evening.
Fulton’s professional experience began in 1982. Engagements such as this one helped strengthen the versatility that became central to his career. He later applied those skills to touring, arranging, composing, orchestration, studio recording, and music for film and television.
Preserving Bill Fulton’s Performance History
The hotel is currently connected with Portland State University. This archive entry preserves the location and date of the Touch N Go engagement as part of Fulton’s performance history.
Visit the Bill Fulton events collection for more documented appearances. In addition, the Bill Fulton Music homepage features his work as a keyboardist, composer, arranger, and orchestrator.
Event details: Bill Fulton on keyboards and piano with the Touch N Go Band, June 21, 1986, in the University Place Hotel & Conference Center cocktail lounge in Portland, Oregon.
Artist: Touch N Go BandDate/Time: June 21, 1986 12:00 am
Venue: University Place Hotel & Conference Center (fka Red Lion Motor Inn)
Address: 310 SW Lincoln St Portland, OR 97201
