Jon McAuliffe
Warren Talks with Jon McAuliffe -His career as a Songwriter 10/03 by UpPhront Radio | Blog Talk Radio
Although first attracted to Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue and various classical composers (Rimsky-Korsakov; Ravel; Debussy) while still a toddler, country and pop music would also appeal to him in his formative years. Then in the middle 1950s, after hearing Chuck Berry's "Wee Wee Hours," and "No Money Down," Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog," "Anyplace Is Paradise" and "So Glad You're Mine," Jon came to more clearly identify the sound he found most appealing: Rhythm & Blues.
By his late teens, Jon had begun to investigate ethnic folk musics, urban and rural blues and various forms of jazz. These all played into his own desire to create as he picked up a guitar for the first time and began writing his own songs, rudimentary though they were.
Major influences on Jon's songwriting and vocal style began in the 1950s and peaked in the 1960s and '70s. They include Hank Williams, the early Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Gordon Lightfoot, Marty Robbins, the entire Jim Kweskin Jug Band, Tom Rush, Bob Dylan, Stephen Stills, Van Morrison, Tampa Red, Leroy Carr, Howlin' Wolf and a host of folk, blues and R&B musicians too numerous to note.
One of Jon's earliest attempts at songwriting was overheard in a Detroit folk music club called The Chessmate by a Canadian performer named Joan Anderson. She encouraged Jon by telling him, "You stick with that, young man. You've got something there." Ms. Anderson later changed her name to Joni Mitchell and her encouragement has inspired Jon to this day.
Jon began performing professionally in 1965 at various coffee houses in the Norfolk and Virginia Beach areas while still in the U.S. Navy. During his two years in Virginia, Jon performed and associated with Doug MacLeod, Emmylou Harris, John Pilla, Bryan Bowers, Jim Dawson and many other performers who helped form his tastes and influences.
Moving to New York in 1968, Jon formed the band Thirty Days Out with lead guitarist Jack Malken and bassist Monte Melnick in 1969. Drummer Phil Lowe later joined the band after Jon stole him away from Charlotte, North Carolina rockers The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. After leaving the band, Monte went on to become the tour manager for the Ramones. Jack has been a well-known and respected recording engineer in New York City for decades. Phil lives and works in Florida today with his wife and family. Thirty Days Out recorded 2 albums with Warner Bros. Reprise (recently reissued by Wounded Bird Records in conjunction with Warner Bros. Reprise and available at Wounded Bird, Amazon.com and other sites) and opened for such acts as The Beach Boys, The J. Geils Band, George Carlin, Patti Labelle, Tom Rush, Captain Beefheart, Barbara Keith, Charlie Daniels & Jerry Corbett, among others.
Thirty Days Out disbanded in 1973 and by 1974 Jon was living and working in the Boston area. With the help of artists like Robin Batteau, Ric Ocasek & Ben Orr (of The Cars) Jon began recording demos in the hopes of landing a solo recording contract. Instead, his songwriting abilities caught the ear of United Artists who signed him as a staff songwriter in 1977 where he achieved limited success.
Tired of being chained to the commercial disciplines of a major publishing company, Jon formed a band called the Doubles with lead guitarist George Pratt in 1979. By 1982 the band had run its course and McAuliffe and Pratt locked themselves up in various Boston area recording studios for the next four years where they recorded whatever suited their fancy. Jon & George issued a CD of this work in 2007.
By 1986 this creative explosion had reached its peak. Exhausted and relatively uninspired, Jon hung up his guitar for 6 years before slowly coming out of a self-imposed shell, but only to write and perform Gospel music. This lasted until 2007 when Jon once again began performing on local stages in the Northeast. During the next 3 years Jon began performing publically to greater response than he'd ever received previously. He would also begin writing the best songs he'd ever penned.
In 2009, with the help of producer Seth Connelly, Jon embarked upon a life long dream, recording a solo album. His new songs echo the sum total of his musical influences and personal beliefs. Audience response has been profoundly positive and Jon has enjoyed wide support and encouragement from a growing number of fellow musicians, performers and writers who he continues to share the journey and joy of creativity with.
On May 22nd Jon will release his new CD, "In This Present Form."
Warren Talks with Jon McAuliffe -His career as a Songwriter 10/03 by UpPhront Radio | Blog Talk Radio
"Growing Up Poor" (1964)
