In an interview after their concert performance at the Tempe Center for the Arts Tuesday Night, Paul McDermand and Terry Anderson reiterated their love of Rocky Point, not just to this writer, but to the crowd of attendees who grouped around them after their show. Paul had mentioned the beauty of the beach and the people while telling the story of the winds that had cancelled the St. Patrick’s Day concert in Rocky Point over the past weekend.
Shortly after the Mariachi band began playing, young Eliana Ramirez, just 7 years old, strolled over in front of the Mariachi group, raised a wireless mic to her lips, and with the confidence of a consummate professional, welcomed the small crowd of 50 or so early arrivals and announced the first song she was going to sing for us, ending it with “…and I hope you will like it!”
Beginning, as all the headlining musicians on the stage tonight have, with an early exposure to a musical instrument, since toddlerhood in Steve McCarty’s case, followed up with proper and timely formal training to enhance his natural aptitude, and his own early passion to become a part of the overall creative process through which the music industry was passing, Steve was able to reach the highest level attainable in the industry—and at a comparatively young age.
Before he was 20 years old, Curly had played with local bands throughout Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma until he was discovered by an Asylum Records-signed rock band newly forming by the name of Jo Jo Gunne. Two of the members had just come over from the recently dissolved rock band Spirit. From their eponymous debut album, a #10 hit in England, “Run, Run, Run” was spawned. That record peaked #27 in the U.S. Jo Jo Gunne toured the U.S. and Europe several times and released three more albums before breaking up in 1974.
Tequila Peñasco, one of the major sponsors of our Sonoran Resorts “Why I Love Rocky Point” Photo Contest, and the major sponsor of this year’s Sta. Patricia’s Day Peñasco Palooza 2012 concert this coming weekend. Their generous donation of tickets to this historic concert will be enjoyed by the contest winners from 1st through 3rd Place and the winner of the Special Voters Drawing. The Palooza will feature legendary multi-platinum recording artists formerly with such famous bands as The Steve Miller Band (Steve McCarty); Boston (Curly Smith); Aerosmith (Jimmy Crespo); Three Dog Night (Gary Moon); Eddie Money and Sammy Hagar (David Lewark); Billy Preston (Terry Anderson); Moody Blues (Paul McDermand); and Anita Baker (Leon Bisquera).
Greg has visited Rocky Point before but did not have a picture entered in the contest. He just wanted vote! He’s sure glad he did now, and will be claiming his weekend at a Sonoran Resorts Beach Front Condominium and $100 in cash in the near future!
It wasn’t until he was 14 that Jimmy Crespo began to develop his heretofore hidden musical talents. He had loved the Beatles and all kinds of rock and roll music. Once after hearing a moving riff by the Rolling Stones, he said to himself, “I can do that.” And the rest is rock and roll history.
What one gets early on in an interview with Jimmy Crespo is that when he makes up his mind to do something, it gets done—no matter what. When he decided he wanted to play rock and roll music, he had no money and knew nothing about playing the guitar other than he loved the music it produced. He was soon to learn about his natural aptitude for playing the guitar.
If you haven’t voted yet, you still have about six hours, until midnight tonight, to cast your vote and enjoy some true photographic expressions of love for Rocky Point by hundreds of loyal visitors to our seaside paradise!
Your vote could decide the winner; plus you’ll automatically be entered into the special Voters’ Drawing for a chance to win $100 dollars in cash, a weekend for two in a luxury Sonoran Beach Front Resort Condominium and two tickets to the Peñasco Palooza 2012 on March 17th and voting is FREE!
His parents started Gary Moon on the piano at the age of 8, and he became quite skilled and creative on that instrument by the time he started playing the guitar at 13 years of age. Gary still values the solid musical foundation he learned from the piano, but it was the guitar that told him he was destined to make his mark in the entertainment industry.
Paul McDermand began his fascination with exotic percussion instruments when his Father presented him with a Vibraphone at the age of 14. This sparked his interest in pursuing the more exotic side of melodic percussion, like the Marimba, Steel Drums, and Xylophone—just about anything that keeps a beat.