The Bel Airs spend a lot of time on the road, but the band usually plays New Yearâs Eve at home in Columbia. That wonât happen this year. Michael Cherry, 63, has been the drummer for the Columbia-based rock, rhythm and blues band for 25 years. âAnd Iâm the new guy,â he said. While some musicians lost a hobby or a side business with the pandemic, Cherry lost a living. Since The Bel Airs went their separate ways when the pandemic hit in March, Cherry has been doing a hodgepodge of handyman work and spending time at home caring for his mother who has dementia.