Ron Sackman:  

I was born in the San Joaquin Valley, country music capitol of the wild west, There was always music in our household. When I was twelve, I got an electric guitar and took a left turn into the emerging rock n roll scene launched by the great Buddy Holly and the Crickets ,Chubby checker, Fats Domino, and others who came from traditions of gospel, jazz and soul , blues and folk music. High school parties were venues for a handful of emerging bands like the Donnybrooks,the Amoebas, the Avengers , which were hired to play at school dances and parties. After awhile, a few nightclubs opened up in town along highway 99, which attracted an "older" and rowdier crowd from all over the county. Bigger bands like the Beach Boys and Ike and Tina Turner performed at the county fairgrounds. In the 1960's, the music took on the flavor of San Francisco's "flower children" and the revolutionary music of the British bands.There were also outdoor concerts at the Marina in Hart Park. Our band opened for well known bands who were touring the west coast, like Steppenwolf and Quicksi...Expand for more