Prince Gabriel’s Fleet (1974-1979), also known as The Fleet, was a strings and vocal folk group. The band included guitars, female vocals, drums, tablas and violin.
Genre: Folk
Base Location: Eugene, Oregon
Members:
- Tom Morrison – Guitar (also played in The Goofy Band)
- Tim Tompkins – Cello, Vocals, Recorders, Percussion (music major at U of O; wrote string parts for the Moody Blues; also played in Providence from Boise, ID)
- Tom Tompkins – Viola, Violin, Vocals (also played in Providence from Boise, ID)
- Don Lax – Violin
- Stephanie or Frances? Tompkins – Vocals
- Suzanne James
- Gina Leishman
I played with Tim Tompkins in a folk group he fronted called: “Prince Gabriel’s Fleet”, his brother Tom, also played Viola and recorded with Prince Gabriel’s Fleet, in Eugene Oregon, I think in 1974-5. -Tom Morrison, United Kingdom, October 2006 (Source: PNW Bands)
Joseph Reesha (dba "Hurricane Montgomery" through 1980 says
1/19/2016: The Fleet was a staple in Eugene.. It also included Timothy’s wife, Stephanie, to which they had a child, Gabriel. Dianna Hobbs was also intricate and was one of the co-song writers. I do not know when they actually started the band, but I was a musician on the west coast, with buddy and fellow singer/song-writer, James Thornbury. James at times would play bass for the fleet. And Deanna would occasionally, along with Fax Sinclair (then she went by Fax Goodlife), and Sunshine (the author Ken Kesey’s daughter) would do backup vocals, and go by “The Blue Tips” as in Diamond Blue Tip Strike Anywhere Matches… Prince Gabriel’s Fleet did many gigs and benefit’s and more, from ’76-’79. Stephanie had/has a remarkable voice and a high range that allows her to mimic Bird Calls, especially those of a High Pidgin or Dove. Just beautiful and unique..