About Me
John grew up in Alpharetta, GA, just north of Atlanta, by way of Roanoke, VA. At the age of six, he picked up the violin and learned how to play by going through old hymn books containing Appalachian music from the Southwest VA area and Episcopalian Hymns, and made his live instrumental debut at Christ Episcopal Church at age six, to which the congregation let out a huge "Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww."
His parents relocated to Georgia at the age when John was seven, and becoming a starting pitcher for the Atlanta Braves quickly became much more important than violin. Soon after, playing right wing for the Mighty Ducks became even more than that, but due to lack of ice in Georgia, he stuck to baseball. At the insistance of his mom, he continued to take violin lessons, switching to viola in 6th grade. About the same time, he picked up a guitar, and any future he had with the Braves was subsequently mucked.
John picked up the pedal steel at age 15, and recently joined the Greg Burroghs Band. His steel influences include Rusty Young, Paul Franklin, and Randle Currie, and he has studied one on one with greats such as Doug Jernigan. He is available for sessions, tours, lessons and live performances. He recently graduated from Berklee College of Music, majoring in Guitar Performance.
He also plays fiddle and mandolin with the Greg Burroughs Band, and proudly plays a Rich Barbera 5-String fiddle, and a Zum Pedal Steel Guitar made by Bruce Zumsteg in Steelville, MO. The steel has 9 pedals and 9 knee levers, giving possibilites not only for great country sounds, but a wide open range of choral and harmonic possibilities to play jazz, rock, swing, and whatever else you can think up. His current steel rig is simple; the steel goes to a Ernie Ball volume pedal, then to a Peavy Nashville Session 400 amp. The fiddle goes through an L.R. Baggs preamp, into an Ernie Ball Jr. Volume Pedal, then through a Radial Passive DI Box, then straight into the sound system.
Outside of Greg Burroughs' band, John has taken a keen interest in Old-Time Appalachain music, especially applying fiddle tunes to guitar. The guitar track up here, "Shove That Pig's Foot A Little Bit Further Into The Fire," is an example of what John is trying to do with this kind of music.
You have been marked on my profile map!
You should create your own MySpace Layouts like me by using nUCLEArcENTURy .COM's MySpace Profile Editor !
Get your own free countdown at LayoutsGallery.com
