BIOGRAPHY
Skip Lilly is Steel Daddy. A North Carolina native living in Asheville, Greensboro,Greenville and now Daytona Beach Florida, Skip has spent the last 20 years entertaining thousands from Atlantic City NJ, to Key West Fl, from the British Virgin
Islands to the Bahamas.
Skip got inspired by the sounds of the Steel Drum on the Island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands in 1982. A small little place (Dirt Bar) called Stanley's Welcome Bar in Cane Garden Bay, It's known that Jimmy Buffett wrote a song there called "Life is just a tire swing" and "Manana" where he mentions the Bay. One evening in 1983,a full steel drum band entertained the crowd and the sound just took hold. His father continued to visit these islands and exposed Skip to these sounds for some time.
After graduating from East Carolina University with a business and Marketing degree, Skip set sail to work as captain for The Moorings, a charter sailboat outfit on Tortola
in the British Virgin Islands. There he captained sail boats and worked hosting charter guests. It was then he fell in love with the idea of playing a drum himself.
After getting into the corporate world in 1996, in 2000 Skip sent money to a man in Trinidad who made Steel Drums. After a Year and a month wait, a Steel Drum showed
up. He taught himself to play this instrument and before long was playing live at local restaurants and venues.
Ellie Mannette, the founder of the 55 Gallon Steel Drum is pictured here with Skip. He trained under his workshop to learn the proper origin and concept of the instrument.
Also pictured is Robbie Greenidge ( Jimmy Buffett's Steel Drum Player) along with Ray Holman, a well known panist from Trinidad. He also played and worked with Jeff
Narrell.
So Years later, Skip is touring around playing music on the side and relocated to Florida (2006), Married Christel Lilly in 2007, Had a daughter, Peyton Lilly in 2009 and son Landon Lilly in 2012.
Skip works a full time job at Vision HR, A Human Resource outsourcing company. His role is Sales and Marketing Manager. This company helps businesses with Payroll, HR Compliance, Workers comp, Benefits, Business Insurance and Recruiting.
In 2018, Skip became Chairmen of the board of the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce and is very involved in the local business community.
Skip has played in venues like Atlantic City & Jimmy Buffett's Cheese burger in Paradise and Margaritaville Café in Key West, The Homestead in WV and Snowshoe Resort WV. British Virgin islands, Sea Spray Marina, Elbow Cay, Grabbers on Guana Cay,Abacos Bahamas. He has also entertained some distinguished guests like the US Ambassador to Finland, Senator Kay Hagan and Mark O'Meara of the PGA Tour.
