Biography
Raised on Easter Island in the Southern Pacific, his destiny as the
next tribal chief was derailed when he was struck on his ample head by
an eleven-pound coconut. His three weeks of recovery were characterized
by feverish rantings about Santo & Johnny and Speedy & Jimmy
and cross-dressing. When fully recovered, Jon was uncontrollably lured
to the rusty pedal steel guitar that laid for years in the hold of a
World War II cargo plane that had crashed on the wrong side of the
island many decades before. His playing was flawless; technically
proficient, yet totally swashbuckling and swoony. The rest of the
islanders quickly grew tired of his noodling and persistent good nature
and threw him and his instrument into a hastily constructed out rigger
canoe, and cast him from the island. Eventually, Jon found his way to
the brown air that shrouds Phoenix and started his career as a stand in
for Alice Cooper's snake.The 70's saw Jon being nominated for
the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975. It was his soothing and tropical guitar
wizardry that helped set an amicable tone during the negotiations
between Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho to end the Vietnam War. Henry,
being the 20th Century's biggest jackass refused, however, to share the
award three ways. (Just one more reason to hate the man). His ego
bruised, Jon spent the remainder of the decade defending his enthusiasm
for the trend of "streaking."The keepers at the Bloodshot asylum first noticed him playing with the Grievous Angels.
A steel guitar player in a rock band?? Hell YES!!!! His hunched over
demeanor and the madman gleam in his eye told us that we had found a
kindred spirit.Since then, Jon has lent his considerable talents to tours and recordings by Neko Case, Sally Timms, Kelly Hogan, Calexico, the Waco Brothers, and Giant Sand. Let’s not forget that the steel guitar and Hawaiian guitar are HARD to play, and he makes it look so easy.He is also revered in Nottingham, England. Seriously.(From Bloodshot Records, 5/27/09)
next tribal chief was derailed when he was struck on his ample head by
an eleven-pound coconut. His three weeks of recovery were characterized
by feverish rantings about Santo & Johnny and Speedy & Jimmy
and cross-dressing. When fully recovered, Jon was uncontrollably lured
to the rusty pedal steel guitar that laid for years in the hold of a
World War II cargo plane that had crashed on the wrong side of the
island many decades before. His playing was flawless; technically
proficient, yet totally swashbuckling and swoony. The rest of the
islanders quickly grew tired of his noodling and persistent good nature
and threw him and his instrument into a hastily constructed out rigger
canoe, and cast him from the island. Eventually, Jon found his way to
the brown air that shrouds Phoenix and started his career as a stand in
for Alice Cooper's snake.The 70's saw Jon being nominated for
the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975. It was his soothing and tropical guitar
wizardry that helped set an amicable tone during the negotiations
between Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho to end the Vietnam War. Henry,
being the 20th Century's biggest jackass refused, however, to share the
award three ways. (Just one more reason to hate the man). His ego
bruised, Jon spent the remainder of the decade defending his enthusiasm
for the trend of "streaking."The keepers at the Bloodshot asylum first noticed him playing with the Grievous Angels.
A steel guitar player in a rock band?? Hell YES!!!! His hunched over
demeanor and the madman gleam in his eye told us that we had found a
kindred spirit.Since then, Jon has lent his considerable talents to tours and recordings by Neko Case, Sally Timms, Kelly Hogan, Calexico, the Waco Brothers, and Giant Sand. Let’s not forget that the steel guitar and Hawaiian guitar are HARD to play, and he makes it look so easy.He is also revered in Nottingham, England. Seriously.(From Bloodshot Records, 5/27/09)
