Bobby and his best friend Rickenbacker
I'm Old But Good
I was born under the sign of Elvis, cut my teeth on the Beatles, drank a beer to ZZTop; but now it's TOOL, SOAD, and the HIVES. Of course, Bach NEVER goes out of style!
When I was about eleven, I wandered into a bar on Pensacola Beach, (Florida) and saw a jazz trio jamming out. The double bass player was slapping away like a high monkey, and he would spin the whole bass around with the beat. I was hooked forever on the bass after that. A trip to the music store a few years later watered down my enthusiam when I saw how much a double bass cost. Dad said 'no' to an electric bass guitar after he mistook Jimi Hendrix finest playing for "that damn noise". Nevertheless, I was committed to music, so I pulled out the old family heirloom violin, cleaned it up and hired a (hack) teacher. Twenty years later, I was on stage in front of 5,000 playing Handel's 'Messiah'. But the bass! But the bass!
The age of MTV was upon us by 1980. I saw the WHO in a video, and Entwhistle was amazing. The old fire in the belly to play bass was back. I wandered into a pawn shop (I wander a lot -- a very interesting way to discover new things) and saw "the" bass guitar on the wall: a Rickenbacker 4001. I bought it immediately.
Today I play everything from Hendrix to Bach on the bass.
When I die, cremate me, and put the ashes in a bass.
LATEST NEWS: In the summer of 2003, I was severely afflicted with Trigger Finger in my left hand. I can no longer play bass for more than an hour without dredging up the pain. After 35 years of playing stringed instruments, an now 'semi-retired', and very unhappy about it.
My Gear for Guts and Glory
My bass is a 1980 year Rickenbacker model 4001. My step-child bass is a Carlo Robelli acoustic.
Musical Influences
- Beatles, Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin
- Bach, Mozart, Haydn
- ... anything NEW
Favorite Recordings
- "Hey Joe" Jimi Hendrix
- Bach Cello Suites (Yo Yo Ma)
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