Jeff Wilson – Musical History
Wilson Goes East
13. Wilson goes East: I now have teamed up with the talented Paul Eastwood to write and record our debut album. This album has been incredibly rewarding to make. My hope is you enjoy Wilson goes East.
Keep Rocking, Jeff
Down Brothers
12. The Down Brothers is a band that plays music with family and friends. We’ve played around Florida for most of the last 15 years. Dreams continue to come true when our kids get up and join in the musical fun.
Jeff Wilson Band
11. Jeff Wilson Band: The band featured Troy Lush on guitar, Dave Uosikkinen on drums, Chelsea on bass and Gene Black on guitar. In 1997 I released my debut solo album on Far Canal Records which was produced and mixed by Gary Lyons.
63 Miles to Fredonia
Polygram International Music
10. Polygram International Music: In 1995 Polygram Music acquired my song catalog and I signed on as a staff writer. Fortunately I have had quite a few songs used in movies and television.
Rosarita
Soul Kitchen
9. Soul Kitchen: Roadhouse became Soul Kitchen. In 1991 I left Warner/Chappell Music and signed with Irving Azoff’s new Giant/Warner Brothers Records. In 1992 Soul Kitchen released their debut album. Soul Kitchen toured America and enjoyed 2 radio top 40 songs. “I Need it Bad” & “Rosie Jones”
Blue Eyes
Rosie Jones
Roadhouse
8. Roadhouse: In 1990 I joined up with Troy Lush to form Roadhouse.
Down to the River
Feeling Alright
Penny Black
7. Penny Black: While working at Warner/Chappell I started a band with Jeff Shunk, a great drummer from St. Louis. That band “Penny Black” played the Whiskey, Coconut Teaser, the Roxy and all the clubs up and down Sunset Boulevard. We wrote and recorded one album on Blacksmith Records.
Time Can't Take Me Away from You
Warner/Chappell Music
6. Warner Chappell Music: While still living in “Hazel”, my Tradesman 200, I got a job through Kelly Temp Agency doing office work. The second day with Kelly Temp I received an offer to work one day in the file room of Warner Brothers Music located on the 16th floor at the 9000 Sunset Blvd Building across from the Roxie and the Rainbow Bar & Grill. One day led to one week, that led to one month, that led to four years. The file room at Warner Brothers Music led me to the famous Warner Brothers Music tape room and then to a promotion to Creative Manager. The Creative manager’s job (or what I called a song plugger) at Warner Music was to place Warner Brothers publishing copyright materials in commercial settings, on upcoming records from recording artists, movies, theatre, and other distribution sources for royalties. Working at Warner/Chappell Music was a great thrill. On a daily basis I had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest musicians and songwriters on the planet. In 1988 Warner Brothers Music bought Chappell Music which doubled the size of our copyrights owned to over a million songs.
Moxie and The Key
5. Moxie: After returning from England the next year I found myself in San Francisco where I met a music attorney that referred me to a band on Geffen Records working with John Kalodner in Los Angeles that needed a singer. I traveled down to LA, auditioned, and accepted the gig in November 1985. I still had the church in Pittsburgh, was still doing solo shows, was still affiliated with Easy Access and was continuing to learn at Graffiti Showcase. After many going away gigs around Pittsburgh, I had one last party the night before I was to move to LA. That party was at the Youngwood Elementary School in Youngwood PA. (To this day I don’t know how they got 10 kegs of beer in that elementary school.) In the early morning after the party, I was handed $1,300 for my endeavor. The wording on the tickets that night for the party read, “You’d pay a lot more than $5 to get rid of Wilson.” On the early morning of February 5th, 1986, I left for Los Angeles in my trusty 1977 Dodge Tradesmen 200, affectionately known to many as “Hazel”.
On January 25th, 1985, I called the band Moxie in Los Angeles that I accepted the gig with on Geffen Records to see when we would be going to the studio and where I would be staying. The leader of the band John told me they had found another singer from Tennessee but to give him a call if I ever got to Los Angeles. I kept this information about losing the gig to myself except for two friends. I arrived in Hollywood February 14th, 1986. Several months later and still living in my Trusty Dodge Tradesman 200 “Hazel”, I had just finished performing at the famous Lighthouse Cafe on Hermosa Beach when I called from a boardwalk phone to check in with the folks in San Francisco that referred me to Moxie. Seems the band Moxie was looking for me because Geffen Records was not happy with their new singer. I reconnected with that band and we played around the LA clubs as the Band “The Key”
Easy Access
4. Easy Access: In November of 1983 I told Jimmy Wilson & Jeff Bower that I was moving to London for music. The two of them owned and operated Micro-Mix Recording Studio that was located in Munhall out of Jimmy’s parents’ basement in PA. Jimmy and Jeff moved their recording studio into my church located in Harrison City. The three of us wrote and recorded a six song EP to shop in England as the band Easy Access. In November 1984 we bought one-way plane tickets on People’s Express and moved to England.
Graffiti Showcase
3. Graffiti Showcase: In 1983 I had a job selling restaurant equipment. I went to sell a Manitowoc ice machine to Tony the owner of Graffiti. He was building a wonderful showcase theater for acts that could draw 700 people a show, or 1400 a show when we could turn two shows in a day, on Baum Boulevard in Pittsburgh. I really cut my teeth in the music business at Graffiti. Soon after meeting Tony I quit my job and worked for Tony while playing solo acoustic gigs around Pittsburgh. At Graffiti Showcase I hauled lumber (up 3 floors), varnished the wood, did carpentry, swept floors, became a bartender, MC’d national acts, worked the door, sold merchandise, started and hosted the Open Stage on Tuesday nights that ran for 15 years. The biggest thrill was opening for acts such as Gregg Allman, John Hartford, Leo Kottke, John Sebastian, Rick Danko, Richard Emanual and many other acts. It was after a great show opening for John Hartford (writer of “Gentle on my MInd” and a great performer) that I sat alone with John in the dressing room and asked Mr. Hartford, “What do I need to do for my music career?” He said 2 things. “You cannot separate the song from the face, and you need to move to New York, LA, or London.”
Streetplayer
2. Streetplayer: in 1982 I moved on to a 6-piece band that covered Allman Brothers, Santana, Traffic and others. Streetplayer was a kick-ass band that played clubs, American Legions, and outside venues around Pittsburgh. I have great memories of Streetplayer except for carrying Rick Liming’s Hammond B3 up and down the stairs and through the snow.
Early Days – Madison
- Madison: Madison was my first band in 1980. I met Dave Crossman when I was sitting on a branch up in a tree playing acoustic guitar in Indiana Pennsylvania. I can’t remember why I was in a tree playing guitar, but I do remember the sound of somebody playing spoons below me. That turned out to be Dave Crossman who immediately and enthusiastically said we should start a band. I had met Dave Earnhardt when we were both dishwashers at the Holiday Inn in Irwin, PA. Dave is a prodigy violin player from Houston, Texas with perfect pitch. The three of us started jamming and performing our original material around Pittsburgh. We debuted at the Down Under on Rt. 30 on May 24th, 1980, in Greensburg Pennsylvania. In this picture we are standing in front of the Harrison City Bible Church. I had bought and remodeled this church that was built in 1840 the previous year to have a place to live and rehearse with my band.