PROFILE: TIM HALL: Music gigs far from ‘taxing’ for local accountant

PROFILE TIM HALL

Music gigs far from ‘taxing’ for local accountant

As head of Crowe Chizek’s tax-consulting group in Indianapolis, Tim Hall advises business and individual clients on complicated tax matters. Fourteen times a year,
however, he puts down the spreadsheets and picks up his drumsticks to tour
as a drummer with 1950s rock-and-roll star Jimmy Dell.

An RCA Victor recording artist, Dell, whose single “Teeny Weeny” topped the charts in 1958, toured with childhood friend Dwayne Eddy and other wellknown stars like Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.

Hall originally started playing the trumpet-not drums-in grade school and continued throughout his tour of duty in the Army from 1974 to 1977 as part of the 74 th Army Band stationed at Ft. Benjamin Harrison.

“I auditioned as a senior in high school for the Army bands,” Hall said. “There was an opportunity to play with the band here or in Hawaii, and like a crazy person I decided to come back here instead of going to Hawaii.”

He attended the Naval School of Music in Norfolk, Va., for six months while in the service, and it was during that time that Hall developed an interest in the drums.

“The pastor of the church I was attending in Norfolk had a set of drums that he wasn’t using, and I just started playing drums to gospel records,” Hall said.

Hall met Dell, who gave up rock-androll for gospel music in the late ’60s, through an Indianapolis minister who happened to be Dell’s nephew. Dell’s band was playing at a local church-Westside Church of the Nazarene-and Hall learned that the band needed a drummer to tour periodically in the Midwest.

“I asked if I could join him and started playing here and there with him,” Hall said. That was six years ago. Hall continues to play weekends when Dell’s band
tours the Midwest.

Once a year, Hall takes vacation time to play longer tours.

So why does he do it? Hall says it’s not just for the love of playing music; it’s also a great stress reliever-“a chance to get away from business and do something totally different and relaxing.”

For many years, Hall, 50, chose another way to reduce stress: riding his motorcycle on long-distance trips. But he says the 12- to 14-day trips were beginning to
take a physical toll on him.

Hall tours with the band from late spring through the fall, which avoids his busy tax season.

He has been married to his wife, Janet, for 28 years and has three children-all of whom are musically inclined. His 21-year-old daughter plays trumpet, and his twins-who are seniors at Avon High School-play drums and flute in the award-winning school band. But unlike TV’s “The Partridge Family,” this family doesn’t perform together.

Hall plans to continue playing with the Jimmy Dell Band as long as Dell’s still performing. Hall asked Dell five years ago when he planned to retire, Dell replied “in about five years.”

“Now when we ask him, he says ‘In about five years,'” Hall said laughing. “He really enjoys performing, so I don’t know when he will retire.”