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J
Artist
Johnny j Rivera
6+ albums
jazzguitarbluespopChakaKhan
about
Born In French Camp, Ca. Oct 5,1966. Raised in San Pedro, Ca . Started singing at an early age.Took up the guitar at age 13, on a classical guitar his dad bought at a garage sale to teach himself. Mother and father were both vocal hobbyist and there was always music around the home. Self-Taught with occasional lessons from an uncle who played, Johnny learned to play Beatle songs out of easy guitar books. In Junior high school he played alto sax, and became a drummer when the school sax was sent in for repair and never came back. He formed his first band in junior high school and played the music of the time as well as old 50's Rock n Roll. In 1985 he enrolled at Musicians Institute after seeing a flyer his best friend had in his bass case.. They, decided to attend together. The two and half hour bus ride from San Pedro to Hollywood was a life experience with a variety of characters entering, and exiting the bus ride every day. At Musicians Institute, he realised he was in way over his head as most of the students from all over the world were experienced players. He found his savior in an instructor named Frank Gambale who tolerated his daily visits. His outlook on the guitar was changed. He claims he actually went to Frank Gambale Institute of Technology. Life and guitar lessons were learned in that small room he taught in.......While at MI he met another instructor (Norman Brown) who was looking for a keyboard player, he heard Johnny playing a Stevie Wonder song on a pi
