At age 10, my first guitar was an old classical that my parents had in the closet. I quickly destroyed that by putting steel strings on it and painting the white tuning pegs silver with Estes Model paint. I took lessons at the local “Y” and remember it like it was yesterday. I thought the teacher was way cool because he could play “Black Dog”. He left a deep impression on me when he bluntly said I would never amount to much of a guitar player and I should probably concentrate on playing enough guitar to accompany myself singing. Funny how your future can be cast in stone at age 10.
By age 12 I got my first electric guitar, a Les Paul copy. Wish I still had that thing. Black with two humbuckers that would pick up low altitude air to tower communications. I played through a 20 watt Peavey “Backstage” amp. My first band was “Stonehenge” comprised of Michael Cummings and David Martin who, incidentally, now runs enterprise West Coast Sales at Borland. I know this because I happened to run into him in Vegas last year. I asked him how he recognized me and he said that “I looked the same…” I guess I was a pretty sorry looking 15 year old. By the way, I want to thank my mother for putting up with the “formative years” of my musical career, mothers of budding musicians everywhere for that matter.
Growing up in Livermore, you were either a 1) stoner, 2) jock, or 3) cowboy. I was none of those, so I guess I lined up with the guys that sat in the quad and played guitars and worshiped Jimmy Page.
Off to college, at Cal Poly SLO, where I needed to make money and lots of it. After a quick stint as a roofer, I bought an 81 G&L B-2000 and an Ibanez “Iceman.” Both sweet instruments - wish I had ‘em today. (See a trend here?) I started a band that would carry me though college called “911.” It started out as the “Rico Cruz Band” which I thought was the coolest name. But when we kicked Rico out, well, “911” was born.
Post college, I hung out in Santa Barbara with my good bud Steven Iler playing in the “Croutons,” “Burning Couches” and assorted other successful and not so successful musical endeavors.
My live set up is as follows:
I’m a huge food nut, namely BBQ. Whether it’s California grilling, Carolina slow smoke or Texas Dry Rub.
I once sang on a local commercial for Domino’s Pizza. Should have bought the franchise instead.
Music I’d have on a deserted island: