The Misfits

BACKSTAGE---BALBOA BOWL—SAN DIEGO—Cir. 1965

My very first year of playing Rock n Roll was overwhelming. I ended up, by default, playing in this exciting new band featuring the very talented Bob Mosley. In our first year we found ourselves opening for The Rolling Stones.

(L-R Standing)
Ron Armstrong, Bill Wyman, Keith Richards, Earl Steely, Mick
Jagger, Joey Paige, Charlie Watts, and Bob Mosley.

(L-R Kneeling)
Joel Scott Hill, (unknown), Harold Kirby,
and Eddie Dunn.

Later Joel Scott Hill joined Canned Heat and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Bob Mosley called me and asked if Id like to play drums for a band that he and some new friends from Seattle were forming. I passed because I couldnt afford to lose my job. They later become Moby Grape. Ouch! Lesson learned: When you get a great opportunity---go for it with everything you have.

Jamul 1970

Check out song number 74 Click Here

This group was led by a very unique guitarist, singer, arranger, Bob Desnoyers. Bob inspired me into writing songs. Sunrise Over Jamul and Movin to the Country got some airplay, but Bobs killer version of John Loudermilk's Tobacco Road got the most. The album was produced by Richard Podolor, and Gabriel Mekler as executive producer. It reached #93 nationally, as listed in Billboard magazine. In the cities where Jamul received airplay, it hit well ... such as the Washington DC area.

The Jamul album included a funky version of Little Richard's `Long Tall Sally'. He heard it and asked for us to back him on his first music video. Here we are setting up a video shoot at the city dump in Washington DC. Thats me on drums and Little Richard back and to the right.

Little Rock

It was 1975 and I was playing piano in this honky tonk near San Diego. In walked Cajun singer and player Joel Sonnier. He approached me with the idea of putting a group together with him. So with Joel on accordian and guitar, Michael T Lawson on bass, and Stan Welsh on lead guitar, we organized `Little Rock’. I was so impressed with Joel's unique style, I did all I could to make it happen. It was a most fun and interesting time.

Ron Armstrong Band

I put this group together with a skilled and dedicated guitar player, Chuck Jones, around 1984. It was great playing in clubs around Los Angeles. But I just wasn't ready yet for anything more.

Recording

I quit playing in clubs, worked a day job, kicked back with my adopted stray cat, and became a recording junkie hermit. When high quality equipment became affordable I was in heaven. But it would take many years of learning and lots of help from friends to get those fat tracks I was striving for.