DOUG SIMON
Raised in Washington Heights, NYC, Doug was the music teacher at P.S. 108 in East Harlem for 7 years before moving to San Diego. He founded the Night Owls in 2000 and sings and plays rhythm guitar & trombone. He retired in 2018 after teaching music in Vista Unified for 28 years.
RON ROYER
Ron was the Maintanence Director for Vista Unified, retiring in 2021. He has been playing drums since his teens and is still going strong. He is the drummer, and one of the singers for the Night Owls. He also accompanies a local steel drum class when they perform. His two sons are also talented musicians in the San Diego area
ERNIE ENCINAS
Hailing from Los Angeles, Ernie discovered his passion for music at age 9, guided by his grandfather’s musical mentorship who was also a saxaphonist. Serving 22 years in the Navy Band as a saxophonist and singer, Ernie toured South America, West Africa and beyond, sharing his soulful melodies with audiences worldwide. In addition to playing with the Night Owls, he has toured with many professional groups in San Diego, including Tito Puente Jr. and Manny Cepeda.
JIM LEWIN
Raised in Queens, NY, Jim played professionally in his early 20s as the guitarist for the lead singer of the doo-wop group the Impalas. While going for his law degree, Jim mastered the complicated guitar solos of Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, Mark Knofler, etc., and at the same time developing his own unique style. He is still practicing law and is one of our vocalists and our lead guitarist.
JEFF ROYER
Jeff started playing Bass when he was 12 years old. Night Owls singer Doug Simon had the honor of teaching him his first Bass patterns and then he took off and surpassed all of us. He is also a gifted pianist, guitarist and drummer and has an album available on Spotify (rb.gy/x63if8) and Apple Music (rb.gy/h7uy7w) where he plays all the instruments. His father happens to be our drummer, Ron Royer.
LEROY SPARKS
Bass-player extroidanaire from Northern California, Leroy plays a six-string left-handed bass with amazing speed and style. In addition to being the Night Owls‘ bassist, he has played with many professional groups, most recently with a Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin tribute band.