With Bluesy Pop Rock riffs infused with jazz and harmonica sounds, Bob Jeter has got a little of that Don Henley and Tom Petty vibe. In an age where too much music sounds exactly the same, this is something refreshing — not the same usual lick and loop one is exposed to. Bob Jeter’s music reassures us that Pop music that respects its roots in the Blues will endure through fad genres. Hailing from Richmond, VA Bob’s musical journey is quite unique. Read More of his story best put by Bob himself right below.
But FIRST Take a listen for yourself on your favourite streaming platform or the link below. #NeverPigeonHoleYourMusic
Best in his own words Bob explains his music journey …”I first performed in public at my High School Talent Show in Richmond, VA (my hometown) with my best friend Sonny who played the guitar. At that time, I was just singing and didn’t pick up the guitar until several years later. We performed Hello Mary Lou made famous by Ricky Nelson — so we are talking about ancient history. Anyway, we went over big and everyone liked the performance so after that I got a little serious about the music. We formed a band called The Futuras because our drummer Bennie Owens had a Ford Falcon Futura car and thought the name sounded groovy. LOL So it was Sonny, Bennie. another dude Bill Davidson (lead guitar) and yours truly on vocals who formed the group. We started playing around and got pretty popular even outplaying some of the top local bands during those Battle of the Bands shows. Even got on a local TV show — Teen Tempo. We were playing covers of Mo-Town hits mostly (more ancient history) and other stuff the kids could dance to. After High School, I got a regular job and stopped performing for a while but did pick up the guitar. I had played the trumpet in Junior High but the instrument didn’t suit me. You have to have the lips and the wind to make it happen like it should. But I had always wanted to play the guitar but it wasn’t until my late teens I actually got a decent guitar to practise on. Anyway, after college and a few jobs, I decided to go to Europe. My friends told me, once they heard me play guitar and sing, to go to California but I had studied History in college and wanted to see the Old World. It was an education! If I had gone to California back then I would not be here now to write this down. LOL
So, I travelled aboard and liked it so much I stayed in Europe — on and off for 8 or more years in fact. After visiting Russia with my Russian professor who had formed a tour for his students in Russian History (my initial reason for crossing the pond) I decided to get off the Aeroflot plane in London after some minor hassle with the Russian flight crew (who had not accepted anyone to get off on the London stopover before flying the plane back to New York.) In London, I got a job working in a Pub. Nice gig for an American kid with a dream of knowing Europe. There I met a lot of interesting characters I would never have met if I had stayed in Richmond, Va. I started busking in the London Tube and played a few clubs but was just beginning to write songs and find my groove. A friend when he heard me said I was the real Virginian. Sure — whatever I said. He had met the actor who had played the leading role in the TV Western, The Virginian, and didn’t like his attitude I guess. I enjoyed living in Europe — because “England swings like the pendulum do….” (Funny Rodger Miller’s son hit me up the other day to do a secession in Nashville but as usual, I was skint.) LOL
Not being able to stay in London forever (the Home Office kicked me out after a year) I wasn’t ready to go back to the States, so Paris seemed like a nice place to hang out. I remember my first beer in Paris. Typical trick the French waiters play on the dumb tourists: they ask if you want a small or large beer and of course you say large but you had no idea how large that beer would be. It took me all afternoon to drink that tub of brew. Once in Paris I went looking for some action and ran into some dudes at the American Center — sort of a Community Center for American expatriates. The café hang-out for these fellow buskers, would-be artists, and others of that ilk living the Bohemian lifestyle, was the Mazet in the Latin Quarter. This was our office, drinking spot and home away from home, though we did find rooms in the Marais area of Paris for dirt cheap — on Rue Des Ecouffes (The Street of Choking?) Yea I guess we did on those joints LOL.
We played a lot on the Streets and the Paris Metro mostly. Our friends, who were not musicians but maybe artists of some other medium usually passed the hat around. The adventures during my time in Paris are too numerous to write out here. But Paris is where I learned my art but musically and otherwise. I played a lot of Dylan, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Neil Young, Beatles, Stones, etc. which was different from my Mo-Town days. I was learning my craft of songwriting and playing the g
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