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In high school I dreamed
about it (making it in music and going on tour.)
Tom Donahue was working for KMPX and KSPN in San Francisco and
I met him in high school. I gave him some tapes of my music when I was 19.
Stoneground happened when I was 21.
Stoneground's first gig
was opening for Albert King. We were a power trio from Concord, CA. This was
before the Girls joined the band. Tom brought in Sal Valentino and they made it
happen. Cory Lerios (later of Pablo Cruise) joined our band in 1971 with Steve
Price. Sal introduced them to us, then we went back to tour Europe again. When
Sal, Cory and Steve moved on Annie Sampson and I decided to continue on with
Stoneground. We got real lucky when Jo Baker (from Elvin Bishop Group) Sammy
Piazza (Hot Tuna) and Fred Webb (It's A Beautiful Day) joined the group with a
Bass player friend of mine Terry Davis. So you could say this new band is more
related to that configuration than to the big band early on. Stoneground did
five albums with Warner Brothers and 9 albums overall.
In 1993 I joined
Mick Martin & The Blues Rockers after a fun stint with The Blue
Flames. My first gig with Mick was at The Crest Theatre on a great show with
Buddy Guy and John Mayall. Mick and I did a lot of song writing and recording
together.
We also toured Europe a couple of times. Mick has a lot of fans over there.
Those Europeans love the American blues thing and they treated us great. I know
those promoters are still urging Mick to get back over there again. After ten
years together Mick and I are like brothers, which is why we hope to work some
more together, down the road. We just have a lot of fun playing and writing
tunes together.
This new Stoneground band got started when my former guitar roadie called me
about doing some recording with his wife, Claudia Knauer. Then Steve Price came
down to the studio and played drums. When we realized how much we all liked what
was going on in the studio, we decided it was time to reform Stoneground. I
think this new Stoneground is really going to be a crowd pleaser. I know we're
all very excited about these new songs.
I'm so lucky to be working with the people in this band. The two girls, Claudia
& Dana, are absolutely wonderful and they carry on the tradition of Stoneground,
throughout the years, of a rock & roll band with female vocalist up front. Of
course having Steve Price, Kelly Stephens and Greg King in this band has made
this project a dream come true. I still feel kind of stunned at my good luck.
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