Oral History - all
Keb’ Mo’ is the Grammy-winning blues guitarist and songwriter who got his big break in the music business thanks to Taj Mahal (interview class of 2016). He has performed as Keb’Mo’ ever since his original drummer, Quentin Dennard, stopped calling him Kevin Moore. During his NAMM Oral History... more
Lij Shaw created the famed Backstage Studio at Bonnaroo, which has been the setting for countless hit recordings. The success of the studio has allowed Lij to do just what he loves to do, engineer, mix and produce. He has enjoyed working with such artists as Jack Black, Blues Traveler, Tori Amos... more
Steve Castro has toured backline for over 25 years and loves it. Steve is a roadie’s roadie who has witnessed firsthand many of the major changes in technology that have affected live performances. Steve has served as guitar, drum and keyboard tech for such acts as Sugarland, Lady Antebellum,... more
Chris Huston produced and served as the recording engineer for The Who, Led Zeppelin, and Blood, Sweat and Tears, to name just three. Chris helped shape the role of the engineer in an era when roles were not always well defined in the studio. He supportively approached bands in the studio in ways... more
Pytor Belov is currently the VP of sales and marketing at PRA Audio, and also the President of the Belov Group, LLC. His previous experience includes Director of Gibson Musical Instruments, Production Manager of Roscoe Guitars, and Product Manager of Mojo Musical Supply. He is known as a “tube guru... more
Bill Demkov has been interested in engineering since his first recording session. As a musician, Bill grew up exposed to a number of musical styles and instruments, including the guitar and bass. He formed a band as a bassist and soon found himself on the road with a touring band. When he first... more
Dan Melson was born into a show-business family. He worked as the assistant electrician for the Local 33 Stage Technicians Union for roughly 35 years. Over the years, Dan worked on hundreds of rock shows, basketball and hockey games, circuses, conventions shows, and much more. And has he seen... more
Alan Sanderson cut his teeth as a recording engineer while working for Ocean Way Studios in Hollywood, California. The opportunity gave Alan key skills in working in a large recording studio, which came in handy when Michael Jackson was looking to record a full choir for his HIStory album. Along... more
Jocko Marcellino and eleven college friends formed a doo wop group in the late 1960s called Sha Na Na. Their hope was to keep the doo wop sounds of the 1950s alive and well in the ever changing rock era. They performed at Woodstock in 1969, which led to recording contracts, a television series (... more
George Kirkwood joined the Rodgers Instrument Corp. in the engineering department just five years after the company was formed by Rodgers Jenkins and Fred Tinker. Beyond his fourth year with the company, George became Product Engineer on a number of key innovations and product lines for the... more
Rodgers Jenkins is the founder of the Rodgers Instrument Corp., based outside of Portland Oregon. Under Rodgers leadership, the company developed a strong engineering team that created many firsts for the church and home organ, as well as holding dozens of patents for their innovations. While... more
Randy Holden was a teenager when he formed a rock and blues band in Pennsylvania called The Iridescents. The core of that band moved to California to follow the wave of emerging Surf instrumental bands and formed The Fender IV. The band recorded several songs that have since played an important... more
Bob Spikard formed an instrumental rock band with his high school buddies and they called themselves the Chantay’s. The band’s greatest hit, co-written by Bob, was entitled “Pipeline”! The song redefined the instrumental hit recordings of the era and helped put Surf Guitar on the map. Although... more
Mike Vernon formed an instrumental rock band inspired by George Tomsco called The 3 Balls of Fire (the name taken from the first song they learned to play "Great Balls of Fire"). During his career, Mike played with several legendary instrumentalists such as Tomsco and Link Wray, as well as Davie... more
George Tomsco formed the influential rock band The Fireballs with several of his high school friends. The band became known for its instrumental recordings, which were very popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Many of the band’s best known songs were written by George, including “Torquay”... more
David Woo purchased La Jolla Music with a goal to focus on the lesson programs. His children took music lessons in the store and he wanted to capture the key element of the store by providing its community with music lessons. David expanded the number of lesson rooms, teachers, and instrument... more
James Owen has been teaching at La Jolla Music nearly since the beginning. The store was established in 1962 and James started working there just a few years later. As a teenager, he was the first guitarist to win the Redlands Bowl Youth Artists Auditions, which fueled his passion for music. He... more
Janine Ryder and her husband, Bob, owned La Jolla Music on Girard Avenue for several years beginning in the 1990s. At the time, the store needed new product brands, which Janine expanded by replacing the store's instruments offerings from Asian made to those manufactured by Selmer, Yamaha, Taylor... more
Bob Ryder grew up surrounded by music and began playing saxophone at an early age. When he and his wife, Janine, had the opportunity to purchase La Jolla Music in the 1990s, Bob was thrilled. The couple expanded the store’s product line while building new brands of products from overseas. The... more
Walton Smith has toured and recorded with the Christian artist Jeremy Camp since the early 2000s. While he grew up in the church, his musical style has been a balanced blend of contemporary Christian music along with rock, making his contributions to Jeremy Camp a perfect fit. Walton has also... more