Roger Pace (November 24, 1944-May 29, 2001) Birth Name Roger D. Paesch.

Great American entertainer who performed in Boston and Baltimore in 1967 known for his high energy performances of R & B Soul music. In addition to fronting the band, Roger played several instruments including saxophone and drums. He was nicknamed “Mr Blue Eyed Soul” because of his high energy, fast dancing, and funky performances. His performances were similar to the late James Brown and most recently-Michael Jackson.

Early days Roger resided in the Essex section of Baltimore. He once told a band member that he performed on stage in a Vaudeville show at the age of 3 years old. However, this can not be verified because in the 1930’s most vaudeville shows were closed.

Rogers parents were John and Thelma Paesch. According to Roger’s aunt Patricia, John and Thelma, Roger’s parents loved to dance, especially the jitterbug. But she didn’t know if Thelma’s family were in vaudeville. Apparently the Paesch family was not in the music business. Roger’s father was a crane operator and his grandfather worked for a whiskey distillery, according to the 1910 and 1930 censuses and also their pre-WWII draft registration cards.

Marriage: Roger’s marriage is unverified but sources reveal that Roger was married to a woman named Inez and they had one son, Johnathan born about 1987. At a later date, Roger and Shelly (see comments) were married.

Final Chapter:

Trudy Morgal fills in a couple blanks on Roger. He went in the hospital for a biopsy … for what exactly Trudy wasn’t sure … maybe liver. He was in the hospital overnight and apparently went into cardiac arrest in the middle of the night. He wasn’t in the hospital for a heart problem so he wasn’t on monitoring equipment and he died before anyone knew he was in trouble. It may have been his body’s reaction to the invasive procedure, or whatever … “just one of those things” as Trudy puts it … and very sad. Trudy echoes what we all have been saying … “Roger was the best.”

Rogers aunt Pat stated Roger’s funeral was crowded with musicians and club people and that Roger was buried with his sax.

Shelly, Rogers girlfriend recalls “Leaping Larry playing his harmonica in honor of Roger’s life. It was a scene out of a movie….. and I felt as though I was watching it unfold from somewhere up above. It was surreal to say the least. I knew a chapter of my life was coming to an end. My heart was deeply broken and part of me left this earth w/ Roger.”