Gary has been playing music since he saw that the guys in his Jr. High class that were in a band had the attention of all the hot chicks. By the time he realized that it took more than a guitar to get that reaction, he was having too much fun playing to give it up. He switched to bass after realizing that everybody wanted to be the hot-shot guitar slinger, but there were never enough bass players. Since he wanted to work, he got a bass. He spent the seventies playing in a variety of bands up and down the Central Coast of California, sometimes working in three or four at a time, as well as doing numerous recording sessions as a sideman. Some of the most popular were
Thunderstrut, Country Pie, Monte Mills and the Lucky Horseshoe Band, and Wild Eyed Notion. At one time he played with a Led Zep/Bowie/ZZ Top cover band, a bluegrass band and the local Big Band all at the same time. He enjoyed showing up to the hard rock gigs in a three piece suit, the bluegrass gig in platform shoes and poofed up hair, and the Big Band gigs in overalls. Along the way his bands opened shows for artists as varied as Thin Lizzy, David Grisman, Leo Kottke, Foreigner, and Los Lobos. He even had the opportunity to back Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald once. He had the most fun playing country-rock and accompanying singer/songwriters, and there are many talented writers and performers around the Central Coast.
In 1980 he teamed up with a rocker named Al Millan, forming a band called Al Millan & the Robots, that still performs occasionally today as the Mystic Seamen and The Al Millan Band. They wrote and played songs influenced by Springsteen, Costello and the Stones, releasing two albums on a small California label and gigging constantly. The band had to stop touring by the mid-eighties. Life and careers put an end to the band's full-time existence but the members never completely called it quits. Al is still writing and the band still records and performs whenever they can.
Music eventually took a back seat to making a living, and Gary just didn't play much for many years. Then early in 2004, he was contacted by a long lost love. Sharon and Gary spent a lot of time together in the mid-seventies, but hadn't seen each other in over twenty-five years. Back then,
Sharon used to come and see Gary's bands, but he didn't know that she had a wonderful voice of her own. Over the years Sharon had been discouraged from pursuing her love of singing, long story, but once they had resumed their relationship, Gary re-discovered his love of playing, picked up his guitar again, and the two of them started singing together. Now they perform wherever they get the chance and Gary is also getting calls to play bass with a variety of groups. Life is sweet.
Garon @ SLO Down Pub 5/6/09 "Circles"
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