The 80s

From Hollywood to Backwoods, CA: You could find my 40-acre and A-frame cabin down an unmarked Star Route—an hour and two locked gates away from the nearest paved road in Redway, the closest town. High above the Mattole River on Elk Ridge, we had gravity-fed water and no electricity. My band’s amplifiers were powered by wind generators. We hosted some great community parties.

From my front porch – Elk Ridge, CA

Joady and the Nighthawks in Noe Valley

One winter, I started playing with my pal Joady and we formed Joady and the Nighthawks (it was a duo, I was the Nighthawks). Joady is Woody Guthrie’s second son, Arlo’s brother. We played around the Bay Area, SF, Berkeley and Walnut Creek. Most nights, I got to play Woody’s big arch-top Gibson, always a thrill. Eventually, Joady got a record deal at Fantasy Records, Country Joe McDonald was the producer. While I was in Santa Barbara, Joady asked me to get my guitar checked out for the studio sessions, so I visited local guitar guru Seymour Duncan at his factory. I ended up staying 7 years.

Music Legends

I worked my way up at Seymour Duncan and eventually ran the Artist Relations and International Sales divisions. While there, I met or worked with music legends like Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, ZZ Top, Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chuck Rainey (Steely Dan), James Burton (Elvis Presley), Los Lobos, John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival), and many others.

Photoshoot for Guitar Player Magazine — with Jeff Beck in the Mojave Desert.

Studio 19

During this time, I produced Studio 19, a local TV show about the Santa Barbara music scene. It featured live band performances, studio sessions, and artists at home.

The show won Best Entertainment Show of the Year.

Producing these shows helped me realize how much I wanted to get back into film.