Gary Sinise & The Lt. Dan Band

It was 1997 when Gary Sinise and Kimo Williams first met and worked together on the Steppenwolf Theatre production of Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire." Williams was hired by director Terry Kinney to compose the score for the play and Sinise, a co-founder of Steppenwolf along with Terry Kinney, was playing the role of Stanley Kowalski. It was during the technical rehearsals for the play that Gary and Kimo began to discuss their love for music and after learning of Gary's talents on the bass, Kimo invited him to his home for a jam session. Over the next few years, whenever possible, these two pals would play together with other Chicago area musicians and in 2003, as Gary began what has turned out to be an extraordinary commitment to the USO, it became clear that those early jam sessions had laid the foundation for what would become The Lieutenant Dan Band.

Following one of his many trips overseas to visit those serving our country, Gary asked the USO if they would allow him to take a band with him on a tour. The USO agreed, the band began rehearsing and in February of 2004, The Lieutenant Dan Band hit the road on their first overseas USO tour to Korea, Singapore and Diego Garcia. Since those early sessions at Kimo’s house, a few gigs for the troops in the Chicago area in 2003, and that first overseas tour, Gary and the band have played an average of 30-40 shows per year with a good 75 percent of those shows for USO, charities or benefits.

"Lieutenant Dan" is the character Gary portrayed in the 1994 film "Forrest Gump," a role for which he earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. As Gary began visiting troops around the world, people (even little kids) who didn't know him as Gary Sinise, the actor, would recognize him as "Lt.Dan." Those in the military also seem to identify strongly with the character. And so the name for his group was an easy choice: Lt. Dan Band!

Gary Sinise and The Lt. Dan Band cover everything from classics by Stevie Wonder and The Police to contemporary songs by Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, the Zac Brown Band and much much more. Pop, Rock, Blues, Motown, Soul, Country, even tunes from the 40's big band era. There's something for everyone and each show highlights the musical diversity of the band, as well as the passion and energy each member brings to the stage. Whether performing for troops overseas or at a local club, the goal is to have fun and rock the house!