Theryl "The Houseman" deClouet was playing at Benny's fronting a funk
group called Michael Ward and Reward where he met Mercurio and Raines.
Twenty years their senior, Theryl became somewhat of a spiritual advisor
for the two college kids who had started their own band called Galactic
Prophylactic. "We get along so well," says Mercurio. "He's like a father
to us. He gives us advice on everything from love to.....well, mainly
love."
After Mercurio and Raines picked up Stanton, Richard and Ben and shortened
their name to Galactic, Theryl remembers that the band had an idea. "They
wanted to see if they could play behind a real singer, and I wanted to
do a thing where I could create more up-tempo stuff. I write a lot of
ballads." All were quite pleased with the Houseman's vocal additions and
he has not missed a gig since! "Their concept of how they wanted to sound
fit with me wanting my voice to be heard, and they always dug the way
I perform. 'C'mon, everybody, put your hands together!' - they get so
tickled that I can do that."
For newcomers to the band, it does not go unnoticed that Theryl is different
looking in appearance and age. Theryl's friends have been known to playfully
tease him. "We won the Offbeat best new funk band award, and we're up
for the Big Easy best emerging funk band award, but everybody that's been
around--they know how long I been around. They laugh, you know: 'How's
it feel being the oldest best new artist?' So I just laugh along with
it, because it is kind of funny. It's just been peaches and cream for
me. I'm just riding the wave. In this racially segregated crazy town that
makes all this great music, I always wanted to do an integrated thing.
They're funky - they've really grown as musicians. It knocks me out every
show that I'm up there with five white boys from the suburbs that's making
good funk, and people are loving it and I'm loving it!" 
Theryl deClouet grew up in the New Orleans music community. "I come from
the basic Uptown thing," deClouet says. "I went to junior high school with
Cyril Neville, and I know Aaron Neville and all his brothers since I was
young. They were my inspiration-- they had records out, you know, when I
was a little kid!"
