Wally_Dow

Description:

Screen Name:

Wally_Dow

Sex:

M

Age:

65

Studio Musician:

Yes

Level Of Commitment:

Touring

Years Playing Music:

50

Gigs Played:

Over 100

Tend to Practice:

More than 3 times per week

Available to Gig:

6-7 time(s) per week

Most available:

Days

I at at 863-248-2128 or by email at wildguitar43@

I have been playing professionally since I was 13 years old.

I started my career while living in Clearwater, Florida, then I started moving around, first to the St Petersburg area where I was a member in many bands, including "Ronnie Lowe and the Dominoes", "Dee Rogers and the Nighthawks", "The Train Robbers Band", "Magic Mirror", "The Wintergreen Rock and Roll Band", "The G. H. Franklin Band", and many others.

I lived in the Naples, Florida area for about a year in the early sixties and jammed quite a bit with Dicky Betts, Jimmy Paramour, and others, and was a member of the band named "The Imperials" which played at the Anchor Lounge. I did my first recording in Naples with "The Imperials". Other members of that band included E.J. Stewart, Sammy Blinn, Hank Maus, and Joe Towry. I was a regular at jams at other clubs like "The Port Hole". I am not sure if any of those clubs are still there.

I then moved to Bay City, Michigan, where I played at the Empire Show Bar and also where I met my first wife, Nancy Goulet. During my time in Michigan, I met and played gigs with Dick Wagner and his band, "The Bossman". Dick went on to be the guitarist for Alice Cooper, and his keyboard player, Warren Keith, went on to join Hank Williams Jr.

I lived for a time in Indio, California and worked with variety of bands in that area including a short stay in the LA area.

While in Indio, besides playing at local night spots all over Coachella Valley, and appearing as the co-host on a local radio breakfast show, I did sound for the Indio International Date Festival simultaneously on both stages, and together with a friend Gene Wilson, filled in for the Ink Spots, who could not make the show, and we performed for 50,000 people and astounded the audience and the local media with our performance.
It was at this festival that I met Red Skelton, who later requested me as his live performance sound engineer. I also worked as a sound engineer for live shows by a few bands in that area, including "The Hues Corporation", and had the honor of doing the sound for the "Red Skelton Show" live in Coachella Valley. I performed as the guitarist in the orchestra for the "Palm Springs Players and Dance Company". We did musical productions such as "God Spell" live around the Palm Springs area.

After returning to the Tampa Bay area in Florida for a short time, I moved to Tennessee, first to Knoxville where I was in several bands including "The New Hope Band" which did a Canadian tour in 1978 and got rave reviews from all media, and then I moved to Nashville and lived there for 29 years, performing locally and on the road with many many big name artists. I also had my own bands which performed in the famous honky tonk district on lower Broadway, a few of which were "The Hit Squad", "The Blaze", and was music director for the "Johnny Lawson Show". I had the honor of playing for audiences which included Johnny Rodriguez, Bucky Barrett (#5 Jazz Guitarist in the world according to Downbeat Magazine), Chrissy Hines and The Pretenders, Molly Hatchet, The Eurythmics, Andy Kaufman, Razzy Bailey, Johnny Paycheck, and many others. Johnny Paycheck and I became friends after he first heard me play at "Farmers" in Nashville, and used to sit in with the band I was playing with, "High Gear".
I also have had the honor of sharing the stage with Reba McCyntire (we had a ball and hit it off) during a show we did in Milwaukee for the heir to the Joseph Schlitz Brewery Company. I performed on stage with many of the Opry stars, and Hee Haw greats, including Paul Overstreet, Kenny Price, Buck Trent, Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass, Molly Hatchet, Black Oak Arkansas, Johnny Paycheck, Kenny Chesney (who used to open for my band), Ray Flack (Guitarist for Ricky Scaggs), and many many others.

I have recently moved back to Florida in 2006 and am making the rounds getting my name back in circulation. I am seeking good jam nights to visit and play at, so contact me with any info on this, too.

I am definitely interested in finding either a working band to perform with regularly and/or putting my own show together. Key word in that sentence is "SHOW" ... BUT my priority would be to find a band who needs what I can do that is working steady enough for me to actually make a living. I have a lot of energy, a really good stage presence, and am serious about exhibiting and maintaining a professional sound and attitude.

I do not like the word "can't" and repel those who have a "will not play that" attitude. I like ALL types of music. I do not consider RAP as music. I have a good ear and do not like a "cluttered sound". Most of the time, all I need to know is what key you are in and maybe a briefing on the chord structure if the song is complex.

There is a place on this site where it asks how many gigs I have played. The highest choice answer is 100, BUT I have played in excess of several thousand gigs. The profile limits me to 3 types of music that I play, but I play way more than that ... and I DO like variety.

The gear in my pictures section is the equipment I am currently using. The amp pics are from file photos.

The picture of me with the Harmony guitar was taken at a place on US19 that has not been there for years called The Rice Paddy Inn. It was an Oriental Restaurant that Butch Debusk, Pat Patterson, Donny Cremeans, and I played at back in 1960 or 61 on Friday and Saturday nights. I was 17. I have not had that guitar since sometime in 1961.

The other recent photos are just me sitting around doing nothing ... LOL.

The following is a list of the jam sessions I visit weekly in the Tampa Bay area. You may see and hear me live and meet me in person at these jam sessions.

Sunday Afternoons:
Rivers Edge Lounge & Marina
6226 Ohio Ave
Gibsonton, FL 33534
Phone: (813) 671-9196
Open jam starts at 1PM

Sunday Nights:
The Ringside Cafe
2742 Fourth St N
St Petersburg, FL 33704
Phone: (727) 894-8465
Check in with band leader to jam. Starts at 8 PM

Monday Nights:
The Green Iguana
4029 S West Shore Blvd
Tampa, FL 33611
Phone: (813) 837-1234
Open jam. Check in with band leader. Starts at 10 PM

Tuesday Nights:
Ybor City Cigars and Spirits
5263 S. Florida Avenue
Lakeland, FL
(863) 619-6799
Open jam. Check in with band leader. Starts at 9 PM

Wednesday Nights:
Starkeys Lounge
4907 S 50th St (US41)
Tampa, FL 33619
Open jam. Starts at 9 PM

I will add more when I start to visit them

Influences:

Ray Charles
BB King
Eric Clapton
Mark Knopfler
Albert King
Robert Cray
Robert Johnson
Kenny Burrell
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
The Beatles
Jimi Hendrix
Pink Floyd
Led Zeppelin
Jimmy Page
Chuck Berry
The Rolling Stones
Bobby Blu Bland
James Brown
Jimmy Burton
Roy Nichols
Ray Flack
Carl Perkins
Elvis Presley
Duane Eddy
The Ventures
Scotty Moore
Johnny Mathis
Mickey Baker
Phil Baugh
Terry Wedding
Joe Pass
David Gilmour
Duane Allman
Dickey Betts
Nat King Cole

and quite a few other great artists.

Equipment List:

Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster guitar (Her name is "Honey" and she is oh so sweet)

Marshall JCM601 amplifier (60 watt all tube amp)

Line 6 POD X3 Live

32 channel PA

On board digital recording using Studio One or Cubase

I am always adding on and/or selling off what I don't use, but am approaching the point where I have all keepers.

Audio/Video Downloads

1. Born To Be Wild.mp3
2. Tell Me Why.mp3
3. Main Street.mp3
4. Trying To Live My Life Without You.mp3
5. Amarillo By Morning.mp3
6. Gimme Three Steps.mp3
7. In The Middle.mp3
8. I\'d Like To Own A Cadillac.mp3
9. Living in the USA.mp3
10. Lonely Hearts.mp3
11. Eighteen Wheels And A Dozen Roses.mp3