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banjones98 |
www.williejones.de
Playing Since: 1977
Experience Level: Purty Good
Interests:
[Teaching] [Jamming] [Socializing] [Helping]
Occupation: Singer/Songwriter
Gender: Male
Age: 66
My Instruments:
1985 Gibson Mastertone, No Name Japanese Banjo that weighs a ton and is perfect for E tunings
Favorite Bands/Musicians:
The late great John Hartford, Earl Scruggs, Ralf Stanley, Jens Krueger, Bob Wills, Django Reinhardt, Jerry Douglas, Nat "King" Cole, Tom Petty, Beatles, Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Nelson Riddle with Sinatra, Keb Mo, Tony Rice, Junior Brown, Pat Metheny, New Grass Revival, Roy Husky Jr., Perter Rowan, Vince Gill, Eagles, Bill Monroe, Elvis
Classified Rating: not rated
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Profile Info:
Visible to: Public
Created 11/5/2008
Last Visit 12/25/2011
My first time on stage I was 5 singing "Popeye the Sailor Man" at a community variety show. From a musical family, singing and music was just a way of life. My first guitar was an Alverez Regent that was a Christmas present in 1975. It was loved and cherished until baggage handlers at Kennedy Airport destroyed it in 1982. (I've never checked an instrument since) Anyway, I sang in bands through High School and in college until I roomed with a great picker who turned me on to bluegrass. The roomate introduced me to a local Bluegrass band and after singing some harmoney at an audition a bass was bought and a career began. The following two years touring with Buckskin the group disbanded and I joined the Army. While stationed in Germany in the early eighties I sang, playing bass and banjo in a few different bands. Following my discharge in 1984 I stayed in Germany, playing and working odd jobs until meeting Mark Stoffel and Wil Maring in 1991 where a friendship began that was destined to change my musical direction. In 1992 I was asked to join Mark and Wil's hot New Acoustic Band, Shady Mix and for the following 8 years I toured with this professional 5 piece as Upright bassist and occasional banjo picker. During this period I recorded 2 CD's with Shady Mix, 3 solo CD's, and many studio jobs with local German acts, much of this recorded work were my original songs. In 2000 Shady Mix disbanded when Mark and Wil returned to Illinois to reform an American version of Shady Mix, where the band originated. I went on to work with several top German acts including Helt Oncale, a Cajun fiddler, singer song writer and Ingo Sandhofen, a brilliant guitarrist, songwriter and studio owner. I also had several formations of my own band and many solo gigs. There was also my Karaoke buisness that did well but not very fulfilling. My primary interest at this time was working as a soloist. In 2002 I took a job at Pullman City, a German Western Theme park as their official "Singing Cowboy". I played solo sets in their saloon, did comedy skits and worked as an MC for large events for 2 years until the Park's founder past away and I had a falling out with the park's new management. . From here my path led to northern Germany in 2004 to open a new Western Theme Park, Silver lake City. There I performed with former Shady Mix guitarrist, Wolfgang Goeringer and 2 time Grammy winner and former Asleep at the Wheel Lap steeler, John Ely. The trio enjoyed a fantastic season including headlineing the "Dobrofest" in Trnava Slovakia and the Mr. Banjo Fest in Barcalona Spain. The trio was geared up for another season at Silverlake City until the management ran into legal problems and the Park was shut down. After months of teaching English at a local school I packed up the family and we moved to Texas in July 2005. Here in Killeen we are busy as property managers and in May of this year I got my license to sell Real Estate. My new band, Pond Scum is still in the rehearsal stage. All the members have day jobs and nobody is in a big hurry to gig but it's great to pick up the instruments and work up some new originals as well as quirky versions of old songs.
Newest Posts
'Blue Christmas' 19 min
'CLAREEN OYSTER' 3 hrs
'Jingle Bell Rock (2F)' 3 hrs
'Janet Davis Publishing' 4 hrs
