BAND BIO
"Occasional Astronauts" is a premier Central Florida-based band specializing in performing your favorite Rock, Country, and Pop hits from the 60's to Today.
Billy Ashbaugh - Drums/Percussion
Billy has been performing professionally for nearly 30 years. He is the current drummer for the legendary Moody Blues. He has also toured, recorded, or performed with 'NSYNC, Pat Benatar, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Gloria Estefan, Britney Spears, and many more.
His experience has led to over 70 television appearances, including the Tonight Show (6 times), the Super Bowl XXXV Halftime Performance, Saturday Night Live, the MTV Video Music Awards, the Grammy Awards, and Rock in Rio 2001, where he performed for a crowd of 280,000. Billy is currently featured on The Moody Blues "Days of Future Past - Live DVD (featuring the Toronto Orchestra). Keep an eye out for him on the broadcast of the 2018 Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony with The Moody Blues.
Kirk McKim - Guitar/Vocals
Texas native Kirk McKim has been performing professionally for over 25 years. A renowned figure in the world of guitar, he has been featured in a variety of Guitar magazines.
Kirk got his professional start playing 2nd guitar with Mark May, touring with The Allman Brothers Band. Shortly thereafter, he decided take a chance on LA.
After spending the late 1990s in Hollywood working with top film composers, he moved on to Nashville for session/touring work with CMA nominated artist Julie Reeves and DreamWorks Nashville artist Redmon Vale, among others. From there, Kirk toured the world and recorded as a member of the Pat Travers Band for over 10 years. He is currently the touring/recording guitarist for the Boxmasters, and records/performs with his original 3-piece Rock band "thru the noise".
Kenny Martin - Vocals/Guitar/Percussion
Kenny began his professional music career in Fort Myers, Florida performing as a solo artist. Shortly after moving to Orlando, he met Dave Smith, Eli Pedone, and Rick Jorgensen. The band Curb 60 was born. After co-writing/recording two albums and a whirlwind tour, he moved on to the Central Florida cover band scene.
Kenny has since enjoyed over a decade of success performing with several projects including Disposable Heroes, Rocktopus, and Quick Change, as well as constant work as a solo acoustic artist. A multi-instrumentalist, Kenny's versatility brings Occasional Astronauts to the next level, whether it be as the Vocalist/Guitarist (and occasional Bassist) with the full band, Singer/Guitarist with the band's acoustic duo version featuring Kirk, or as the Percussionist/Vocalist in the 3 piece version of the band with Rick and Kirk. His ability to connect with a crowd on a personal level makes him an irreplaceable asset to Occasional Astronauts.
Rick Jorgensen - Bass/Vocals
Rick has been performing professionally for nearly 20 years. With fellow Astronaut Kenny Martin, he co-wrote/recorded two albums and toured with Curb 60. From there, Rick entered the Central Florida cover band scene, where he has had success performing with Orlando mainstays including the band 2 AM, Sixty Watt Sun, Quick Change, and others.
He also performs regularly as a "hired gun" for numerous artists, and has recorded tracks as a session bassist. From top theme parks to 5,000+ seat conventions... Dive Bars to Weddings, Rick brings invaluable experience and understanding when it comes to entertaining any crowd. As an unabashed pragmatist, he is able to adapt to any situation with calm and ease, and prides himself on his ability to "lock with the kick", ensuring the band is sonically rock-solid.
