About | Bio

William Knapp grew up on Hollywood Avenue in Stratford, Conn. riding bikes with friends, buying old 45s at tag sales, and watching the waters of Long Island Sound at the seawall and Long Beach. He had an early interest in music and his parents purchased his first drum set when he was 7 years old. They were tired of him banging on pots and pans in the kitchen. His mother, a singer, always fostered William’s love of music.

William took organ lessons from a neighbor and this was the foundation for his musicality. See the little organ in the corner of this photo with the music! Here is where he first learned how to push boundaries by developing his own musical style and language, much to the chagrin of his teacher. He was an excellent keyboard player and this knowledge helped him as a contributor with not just drumming and percussion, but writing, arranging, recording, mixing, and mastering with many bands.

After the sudden passing of his father in 1972, music became even more important to William for solace and comfort. His mother Evelyn was a singer and had recordings of her music. She supported and fostered William’s interests. This included a bootleg radio station that he set up in his bedroom. William, through CB radio, became interested in ham radio and also set up his own radio “shack.” He was a lifelong registered ham radio operator and used WA1WK as his last call sign.