Stephen Desmond

This is the video I created to accompany my original musical tribute to JOHN LENNON and GEORGE HARRISON entitled "Dr. Winston O'Boogie and the Mysterious Angel"... My daughter OLIVIA, who is an EXTREMELY talented artist, singer, songwriter and film maker inspired me to put together this video clip. Be sure to visit her MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/xlivriotx or click onto her photo in my friends list.My birth name is Stephen G. Ledesma and I was raised in sunny Southern California, the oldest son of Angel and Elizabeth (Betty) Ledesma.I've lived in many different towns and cities, but Norwalk is where I lived the longest. I currently make my home in Long Beach. I call myself Stephen Desmond in honor of my beloved BEATLES and their song "Ob-la-di Ob-la-da" (DESMOND has a barrow in the marketplace...). I've been playing music professionally since I was 15 years old. My first professional gig was playing at the US Naval base in San Diego, California. I've gone through a lot of musical directions in my life, playing with many bands and musicians. Here is a brief listing of some of the most influential people I've worked with in my lifetime... I started out playing acoustic guitar and writing songs with a very talented young man named ROBERT LANDEROS. (pictured here) This was back when I was elementary school. We used to sit in his living room and write and record songs on the home stereo. We were both major Beatles fans and we played together in a number of different bands. Robert also led me to the music of Cat Stevens, Yes, James Taylor and Elton John. The two of us played in a number of bands together, including CRYSTAL SHIP, CATCH and LANDERS & LEDERMA. Robert still writes and records and is now living Down Under with his lovely, sweet wife Tina.Robert also introduced me to a fabulous guitar player and an all around great friend. His name was RICH DERLETH (pictured below). He was mostly a rhythm guitar player when I first met him, but he eventually became one of the finest lead guitarists I have ever had the pleasure of performing with. He was an absolute MASTER of the Hipshot!! We were in a duo called DEREK and DESMOND for a couple years or so...just me, Rich and a Yamaha drum machine...playing smoke filled rooms like the Red Carpet in Whittier and Bobo's in Norwalk...good times! I also have to mention a long, lost friend of mine named JEFF ESPINOZA (in the spotlight here)who was my first roommate and who introduced me to the music of Crosby, Stills and Nash, Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot and John Prine. We would sit with our acoustic guitars and a pot of coffee and just open up his music books and play all through the day and night. This was back in my college years. I understand that he's now living in Spain and he performs in a blues duo called RED HOUSE. Another influential friend that I met at this time was a pianist/songwriter named TOM VENAGLIA (picture here)who I still hang out with, perform and record with to this very day. He is an outstanding songwriter and piano player who also plays a number of other instruments. He played in CRYSTAL SHIP with me as well as a Christian band I called GENESSARET. Tom has become one of my dearest friends and I love him like a brother. He introduced me to the music of Billy Joel and Randy Newman, as well as Donald Fagen and Steely Dan. He always has the BEST audio equipment to listen to and the music always sounded incredible! Back then he'd put on LPs like Fagen's "The Nightfly" or Paul Simon's "Graceland" and the sound would just blow your mind...it was so crisp, clean and clear...almost like they were right there in the room performing! At one point during the late 70s and early 80s I was exclusively writing, recording and performing Christian music but I found that I was being too hypocritical to be doing that. I felt that it was best left to those who were more honest and sincere about it than I was. Although I stopped performing Christian music, I continue to support it, especially an outstanding artist and friend I've met named BOB BENNETT. (picture here) I'm also a fan of a gentleman named KENNY METCALF (pictured playing keyboard) and TOM TAYLOR, both of whom I've worked with in different bands.In the late 80s I met an outstanding singer-songwriter & guitarist named ERIC KLEIN (pictured here) He introduced me to a very talented young woman named DIANA PERKINS (pictured here) who is an incredible vocalist and songwriter as well...I've worked with both of them and I can honsetly say that they were both very influential in both my personal and musical life. Eric and I performed together in a duo called LONG DRIVE HOME and I also worked with Diana in many different projects and musical endeavors. I love them both dearly and I am so deeply indebted to both of them... Robert Landeros introduced me to a really great drummer and friend, MIKE FLYNN.(pictured here) Mike introduced me to a great guitarist and blues player named MIKE PALOMBO (pictured here) who has a band called THE BELAIRS. They are a hard working, good rockin' band who are a mainstay of the clubs in Orange County in California and many other places. They've been performing for over 20 years! I played bass and keyboards with them in two separate lineups of the Belairs. Eventually the two Mikes, myself and a great bass player named BRIAN ARMSTRONG (pictured here) put together a successful Creedence tribute band called TOMBSTONE SHADOW. That band played together for about 2 years or so. At one point in my crazy career I was a "bluesman" and Mike Flynn and I started a band called the BACKPAGE BLUES BAND. (L-R, Mike Flynn, Albert Garcia, Phil Garcia, "Hurricane" Ron Caro, Me)We wrote some songs together and played a few local clubs. That band evolved eventually into a cover band called The TONE SMUGGLERS which I was the leader of for about 5 years or so. Thru the TONE SMUGGLERS I met RHYS HENSON who has a band put together called GROOVE THERAPY. They are an outstanding horn band of which I've had the pleasure of singing lead vocals with a number of times. From the TONE SMUGGLERS and GROOVE THERAPY I met the finest musician I have ever had the pleasure of performing with. His name is BOBBY BANCALARI and we had a duo called The KOMBIs for 5 years or so. This gentleman is multi-talented. Sadly, The KOMBIs are no longer performing together, but if you click on Bobby's avatar in my friends list you can read more about him... I am currently performing all over Southern California as a solo artist and as a member of 2 different musical projects: FOUR DOWN with Henry Rodriguez on drums, Johnny G on lead guitar and Devin Vasquez on lead vocals as well as NOW & ZEN featuring Diana Perkins on Zen Drum and lead vocals.