 “Randall Salow”
Songwriter/singer/drummer
BIO
To take a line from one of my own songs, “I was born south of the motor city, by the shores of Great Lake Erie” (Just a Country Boy in My Heart © 1995) in Monroe Michigan. My parents were both musicians and/or singers. My Dad played the trumpet and had a dance band while still in high school, and my Mother was a vocalist who later joined the band and the rest as they say is history.
My Grandparents, on my mother's side, played professionally, and were my first contact with Country/Pop Music. Of course back in the late thirties and early forties, in their hey day, it was strictly known as “Country and Western”. They played for several years on a radio station in Plymouth Michigan, and then for many more years semi-professionally. My Grandfather, who played both the stand up bass and was also a drummer, loaned me his kit one summer and it was love at first sound.
My first semi-professional performance (vocally) came in my parent’s living room at the age of nine. My mother was a big Andy Williams fan so she taught me “Moon River” which I performed in front of a very attentive audience. Later, I also performed in the local community players, having earned an under study part in a production of Music Man. As time went by I also took up the trumpet and of course my instrument of choice the drums. Over the years I gave up on the brass instruments and concentrated solely on vocals, drumming and percussion.
In the late Sixties, with my good friend Bill Greening (Keyboards and Vocals, Bill also arranged and plays the keys on my song “I Want To Be Your American Idol © 2007”), we started up our first real band known as the “Checkmates”. We won several local battles of the bands contests and it was at that time that I knew that music was going to be a main stay in my life.
Over the following years I performed in many bands both electrically and acoustically (percussion and vocals). The most successful of which, “Ramm” (with Bill Greening keyboards and vocals, Don Powers lead guitar and Tim Kundrat bass guitar and vocals) was a local and regional favorite in the late Seventies and early Eighties.
Ramm went on to release a two song recording on an independent label, and was the “first” rock band to headline a “Concert at the Monroe County Fair, Monroe MI” (which has since turned into an annual event with many national country and rock acts). During these years, we were on the same bill as Bob Seger and fronted other hot national/regional bands up to and including a performance at one of the local sports arenas in Toledo Ohio.
It was later while playing semi-professionally in a local band “Flight” (with Phil Miglorie Guitars and vocals and Tim Merman Bass guitar and vocals) that I really started leaning towards the country/pop sound and writing my own material.
After taking a hiatus from live performing for the last several years, and helping to raise my family, I’ve decided it’s time to get my music “out there”. As I have more of my material arranged and recorded I will place them here for all to listen to, and hopefully enjoy.
Sincerely,
Randall Salow
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