Studio Musicians
Oliver C. Brown was a member of KC and the Sunshine Band when they recorded their big disco hits that helped define an era of popular music. Oliver’s percussion instruments can be heard on “Shake Your Booty,” “Boogie Shoes,” That’s the Way I Like It” and “Get Down Tonight.” While influenced by...
Steve Fister began playing the guitar at the age of five and by twelve he was performing in clubs. Nothing else seemed to drive him like music and so he kept pursuing the opportunities that came his way, such as touring with rock bands and teaching guitar in music stores. He toured with Iron...
Andy Leftwich began playing the fiddle at the age of six when his dad bought one from a local pawn shop. Andy grew up knowing he could always express himself though music and by the age of twelve branched out to play the mandolin after seeing a young performer at a festival. Growing up, Andy...
Vernon Porter can be heard playing bass on many Kenny Loggins recordings from 1981-1984, which is one of many crowning achievements of his career. It started when young Vernon was in the fourth grade and was encouraged to appreciate music by his Bluegrass playing uncle and father. He joined the...
Shelly Berg is the Dean at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. Shelly is perfectly fitted for the position as his passion for the faculty, students and the ever-expanding programs and curriculum the school offers radiates off of him. The school has become one of the top music...
Tim Smith grew up in a very musical family as his father and uncle both wrote and record music. In fact, his uncle, Arthur Smith, wrote two of the most famous instrumentals in modern country music (“Guitar Boogie” and “Dueling Banjos”). Young Tim was playing bass in his uncle's recording studio...
Ricky Peterson is a lifelong Minnesotan musician whose family is deeply rooted in a characteristically “Minneapolis” sound. Ricky is best known for his 20 year association with saxophone legend David Sanborn, and for having produced, written and played keyboards for Prince. Peterson has also...
Melvin Dunlap played bass on several classic soul and R&B recordings beginning in the early 1970s. When he was a kid, he was sick and stuck in bed for an extended period of time and started playing an old Fender bass his parents purchased from a pawnshop in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio....
Craig Doerge played keyboards in the famous group of Los Angeles based studio musicians known as The Section. The Section, which also included Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel and Danny Kortchmar, recorded a string of hit records with artists such as James Taylor, David Crosby, Jackson Browne and Linda...
Paul Franklin asked his father to help modify his pedal steel guitar, as he had ideas to create sounds and chord changes that were not possible on the instrument at the time. His father, also Paul Franklin, created and patented the Pedabro, which his son, Paul, used on classic recordings, such as “...