Seventies hard rockers Glory included Iron Butterfly rhythm section Greg Willis (King Biscuit) and Jack Pinney (the Jacks, Esse & the Showmen) and future Beat Farmer Jerry Raney, as well as guitarist/keyboardist Jack Butler (Good & Plenty), and singer Mike Millsap (Mother Goose).
They appeared regularly at Neutral Grounds and Starlight Bowl in Balboa Park, opened locally for Steely Dan and ZZ Top, and were reportedly the first local band to play both the Belly Up Tavern and San Diego Stadium. The members stayed together in a California Street rental house off of Kettner, just north of where the Casbah would later operate. "We could practice anytime day or night," says Raney, "because the house sat between 5 south and the railroad track close to the airport."
Raney had come from the band Thee Dark Ages, while Greg Willis and Jack Pinney had played with the Palace Pages, later known as Iron Butterfly. Both Raney and Mike Millsap had previously been members of Blues Messenger, and Raney had played with Pinney in the Roosters. The group also included at various times rhythm guitarist Mike Berneathy (Gnarly Beast) and Pale Fire drummer Bruce Morse, both of whom appeared on the group's 1972 studio demo for "Peaches," as well as singer Bobby Bales and guitarist Steve Arenz (both circa 1974), and even Paul Nichols from Bratz did a term behind the drum kit.
The band split in 1978, with some members regrouping as Jerry Raney & the Shames. That trio of Jack Pinney (Roosters), Greg Willis, and Jerry Raney would become regulars at local clubs like the Bacchanal, My Rich Uncle’s, and the Spirit (later to become Brick by Brick). Willis later joined Carlos Blues Experience.
A notable Glory reunion happened at the downtown club Anthology on May 26, 2010, at a benefit for the California Music Project and for music education in public schools. Taking part were Jerry Raney, Jack Butler, Greg Willis, and Jack Pinney, who also performed with their respective bands, the Farmers, Private Domain, and Modern Rhythm. Original Glory vocalist Mike Millsap made a surprise appearance, for his first gig in over twenty years.
In April 2012, Greg Willis suffered a stroke, most likely caused by high blood pressure. "I didn't have any idea I had high blood pressure," he says. "I'm completely surprised." An October 28, 2012 Halloween benefit show was announced for the Moose Lodge in Spring Valley, where a reunited Glory (including Willis) would play with the Farmers, Joey Harris and the Mentals, the Swingin' Kings, and Modern Rhythm. Mike Berneathy passed away in October, 2018.
A reunion gig was announced for November 3, 2019, to feature Jack Pinney, Jack Butler, and Jerry Raney. "We may be able to get Mike Millsap to come and sing a couple," said Raney before showdate. "It's hard to get him out. He was our lead singer in the early days. I'm hoping to have Preacher Patterson on bongos and percussion."
(1974 photo courtesy Jerry Raney: Left to right - Jack Pinney, Steve Arenz, Jerry Raney, Greg Willis, Bobby Bales, Mike Berneathy)