Bobby Kimmel
Encyclopedia
Bobby Kimmel lives in Tucson, Arizona
and is a musician and songwriter who currently performs with the acoustic folk group, BK Special. He has been recording and performing in concert for over 40 years and was a founding member of the Stone Poneys
, along with Linda Ronstadt
and Kenny Edwards
.
Bobby Kimmel moved to Tucson as a child for his asthmatic condition. His father was a studio musician in New York City, and become the principal double bass player in the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. He also owned and operated a retail music shop near the University.
Bobby's early musical influence was jazz, especially "West Coast" jazz. He also listened to the "harder" East Coast Jazz. His passion for jazz continued all throughout his high school years, and it was not until he discovered the guitar (at age 17) that his musical direction changed.
He became aware of the folk music greats such as Doc Watson
, Lightnin Hopkins, Merle Travis
, Mississippi John Hurt
, as well as contemporaries like Dick Rosmini
, Steve Mann
and Ry Cooder
. Records provided by his father's music store at this time was invaluable to his musical education.
At that point, Bobby fully turned his attention toward folk music. He began playing both bass and guitar in the folk music clubs around Tucson in the early 60s. He started performing with his friend, Linda Ronstadt
. During this period Bobby played bass in a folk group with Linda and her older brother and sister Peter and Suzie.
Linda agreed, together they formed The Stone Poneys
with LA guitarist Kenny Edwards
. After a few months of rehearsal (including in the local laundromat which had great acoustics), the trio played an open mike gig at The Troubador in West Los Angeles. That one performance resulted in a multi—album contract with Capitol Records
.
, written by soon-to-be Monkees member Michael Nesmith. Different Drum peaked at #12 on the Cashbox Top 100 chart on February 12, 1968. The first two Stone Poney albums mostly featured Bobby's original songs.
The band toured nationally and played the popular music TV shows of the day. They appeared on the Johnny Carson show in New York. They even toured briefly as the opening act for The Doors
when Light My Fire
was a huge hit and Jim Morrison
was quickly becoming a pop music phenom.
Just about the time Different Drum became a nationwide hit, Kenny Edwards quit The Stone Poneys. That was the beginning of the end. Linda and Bobby played one more tour under The Stone Poneys name with pick-up musicians, and the group disbanded at the end of the tour.
in Santa Monica, California. It became one of the premier acoustic music venues in the country. By the time he left 7 years later, McCabe's was a notable concert venue attracting artists such as Jackson Browne
, Odetta
, Emmylou Harris
, Bill Monroe
, Jennifer Warnes
, Doc & Merle Watson, The New Grass Revival, David Grisman
, Tom Waits
and Chet Atkins
had all headlined there - and many others.
In the mid-70s, Bobby also teamed up with Shep Cooke (also from Tucson and who was on the final Stone Poneys tour) and LA musician Kit Alderson. They formed The Floating House Band, an acoustic singing trio. They recorded an album for Takoma Records
, which was owned by folk guitarist John Fahey
.
.
, LA session guitarist Larry Carlton
, The New Grass Revival and a bluegrass all-star band featuring David Grisman
, Tony Rice
, Richard Greene
, Bill Keith
, Peter Rowan and Todd Phillips. Kimmel went on several of these tours as road manager.
4 Corners sang together for 3 1/2 years and released two CDs before Jo left the group in the summer of 2006.
Bobby had written a group of new songs full of possibilities for rich harmonies, and lots of room for Stefan to play. (Bobby and Stefan had figured out how 2 finger-style guitarists could play together). So along with a crop of Stefan's latest songs to work with, the band quickly developed a new repertoire and a new harmony sound. The acoustic music community in Tucson was quick to embrace them.
Somewhere toward the end of the mixing process, and before Stefan's return, Bobby got a call from Linda Ronstadt who was in Tucson and wanted to visit. They went out to dinner, and during the evening Bobby was raving about how excited he was with the way the CD was turning out. Linda said, "I'd love to hear some of it." Since they were near Bobby's house, Linda stopped by and Bobby played her a few of the ruff mixes.
Linda was immediately impressed with the sound Duncan had achieved on the all-acoustic CD, and really liked the trio's 3-part vocals. One of the songs Bobby played was his own Into The Arms Of Love, and Linda started singing a pretty harmony part under her breath. Bobby asked if she would sing that part on the CD and Linda said, "Sure." That was it.
By the time Stefan came back from Germany, the CD was nearly mixed - and Linda had agreed to sing on it. The band quickly cleaned up whatever remained to be done, Linda came in to Duncan's studio and added her vocal part, Stefan mastered it with Craig Schumacher at Wave Lab, and off it went to be manufactured.
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
and is a musician and songwriter who currently performs with the acoustic folk group, BK Special. He has been recording and performing in concert for over 40 years and was a founding member of the Stone Poneys
Stone Poneys
The Stone Poneys were a folk-rock trio formed in Los Angeles, consisting of Bobby Kimmel , Kenny Edwards , and Linda Ronstadt . Their recordings include Linda Ronstadt's first hit song, a cover of Mike Nesmith's "Different Drum"...
, along with Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
and Kenny Edwards
Kenny Edwards
Kenny Edwards was an American singer/songwriter. He was a founding member of The Stone Poneys and a long-time collaborator with both Linda Ronstadt and Karla Bonoff.-Biography:...
.
Bobby Kimmel moved to Tucson as a child for his asthmatic condition. His father was a studio musician in New York City, and become the principal double bass player in the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. He also owned and operated a retail music shop near the University.
Bobby's early musical influence was jazz, especially "West Coast" jazz. He also listened to the "harder" East Coast Jazz. His passion for jazz continued all throughout his high school years, and it was not until he discovered the guitar (at age 17) that his musical direction changed.
He became aware of the folk music greats such as Doc Watson
Doc Watson
Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson is an American guitar player, songwriter and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues and gospel music. He has won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Watson's flatpicking skills and knowledge of traditional American music are highly regarded...
, Lightnin Hopkins, Merle Travis
Merle Travis
Merle Robert Travis was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often discussed the life and exploitation of coal miners. Among his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons", "Re-Enlistment Blues" and "Dark as a Dungeon"...
, Mississippi John Hurt
Mississippi John Hurt
John Smith Hurt, better known as Mississippi John Hurt was an American country blues singer and guitarist.Raised in Avalon, Mississippi, Hurt taught himself how to play the guitar around age nine...
, as well as contemporaries like Dick Rosmini
Dick Rosmini
Dick Rosmini was an American guitarist, at one time considered the best 12-string guitarist in the world. He was best known for his role in the American "folk revival" of the 1960s...
, Steve Mann
Steve Mann
Steven Mann , is a tenured professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto.-Education:...
and Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder
Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing...
. Records provided by his father's music store at this time was invaluable to his musical education.
At that point, Bobby fully turned his attention toward folk music. He began playing both bass and guitar in the folk music clubs around Tucson in the early 60s. He started performing with his friend, Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
. During this period Bobby played bass in a folk group with Linda and her older brother and sister Peter and Suzie.
The LA Years
In 1963, Bobby left Tucson for Los Angeles to further his music career. Quickly he called Linda to join him in LA.Linda agreed, together they formed The Stone Poneys
Stone Poneys
The Stone Poneys were a folk-rock trio formed in Los Angeles, consisting of Bobby Kimmel , Kenny Edwards , and Linda Ronstadt . Their recordings include Linda Ronstadt's first hit song, a cover of Mike Nesmith's "Different Drum"...
with LA guitarist Kenny Edwards
Kenny Edwards
Kenny Edwards was an American singer/songwriter. He was a founding member of The Stone Poneys and a long-time collaborator with both Linda Ronstadt and Karla Bonoff.-Biography:...
. After a few months of rehearsal (including in the local laundromat which had great acoustics), the trio played an open mike gig at The Troubador in West Los Angeles. That one performance resulted in a multi—album contract with Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
.
The Stone Poneys
The Stone Poneys recorded 3 albums for Capitol in the mid-60s and had a major hit in 1967 with Different DrumDifferent Drum
"Different Drum" is a 1966 song written by Mike Nesmith and originally recorded by the northern bluegrass band the Greenbriar Boys and included on their 1966 album, Better Late than Never!. The song tells of a pair of lovers, one of whom wants to settle down, while the other wants to retain a sense...
, written by soon-to-be Monkees member Michael Nesmith. Different Drum peaked at #12 on the Cashbox Top 100 chart on February 12, 1968. The first two Stone Poney albums mostly featured Bobby's original songs.
The band toured nationally and played the popular music TV shows of the day. They appeared on the Johnny Carson show in New York. They even toured briefly as the opening act for The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
when Light My Fire
Light My Fire
"Light My Fire" is a song by The Doors which was recorded in August 1966 and released the first week of January 1967 on the Doors' debut album. Released as a single in April, it spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and one week on the Cash Box Top 100, nearly a year after...
was a huge hit and Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
was quickly becoming a pop music phenom.
Just about the time Different Drum became a nationwide hit, Kenny Edwards quit The Stone Poneys. That was the beginning of the end. Linda and Bobby played one more tour under The Stone Poneys name with pick-up musicians, and the group disbanded at the end of the tour.
McCabe's Guitar Shop
After the Stone Poneys broke-up, Bobby created and developed the concert series at McCabe's Guitar ShopMcCabe's Guitar Shop
McCabe's Guitar Shop is a musical instrument store and live music venue on Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica, California. Opened in 1958, McCabe's specializes in acoustic and folk instruments, including guitars, banjos, mandolins, dulcimers, fiddles, psaltries, bouzoukis, sitars, ouds, and ethnic...
in Santa Monica, California. It became one of the premier acoustic music venues in the country. By the time he left 7 years later, McCabe's was a notable concert venue attracting artists such as Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
, Odetta
Odetta
Odetta Holmes, known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, songwriter, and a human rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire consisted largely of American folk music, blues, jazz, and spirituals...
, Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
, Bill Monroe
Bill Monroe
William Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
, Jennifer Warnes
Jennifer Warnes
Jennifer Jean Warnes is an American singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. She is known for her interpretations of compositions written by herself and many others, as well as an extensive playlist as a vocalist on movie soundtracks.Between 1979 and 1987 Warnes surpassed Frank Sinatra as...
, Doc & Merle Watson, The New Grass Revival, David Grisman
David Grisman
David Grisman is an American bluegrass/newgrass mandolinist and composer of acoustic music. In the early 1990s, he started the Acoustic Disc record label in an effort to preserve and spread acoustic or instrumental music.-Biography:Grisman grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey...
, Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
and Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
had all headlined there - and many others.
In the mid-70s, Bobby also teamed up with Shep Cooke (also from Tucson and who was on the final Stone Poneys tour) and LA musician Kit Alderson. They formed The Floating House Band, an acoustic singing trio. They recorded an album for Takoma Records
Takoma Records
Takoma Records was a small but influential record label founded by John Fahey in the late 1950s.. It was named after Fahey's hometown, the Washington, D.C. suburb of Takoma Park, Maryland.-History:...
, which was owned by folk guitarist John Fahey
John Fahey
John Fahey may refer to:* John Fahey , American guitarist and composer* John Fahey , former state premier of New South Wales, Australia, and later Australian federal Finance Minister, current President of WADA...
.
With Doc & Merle Watson
In the late 70s, Bobby went out on the road playing upright bass with Doc & Merle Watson. They played the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage FestivalNew Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, often known as Jazz Fest, is an annual celebration of the music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana...
.
Japan
Bobby's last music business endeavor in Los Angeles was arranging tours in Japan by American folk artists. Working in tandem with his Japanese partner Hiroshi Asada, they booked tours for 3 years, including tours by Jesse Colin YoungJesse Colin Young
Jesse Colin Young is an American singer / songwriter / folksinger and a founding member of the group The Youngbloods.-Early life:...
, LA session guitarist Larry Carlton
Larry Carlton
Larry Carlton is an American jazz, smooth jazz, jazz fusion, pop, and rock guitarist and singer. He has divided his recording time between solo recordings and session appearances with various well-known bands...
, The New Grass Revival and a bluegrass all-star band featuring David Grisman
David Grisman
David Grisman is an American bluegrass/newgrass mandolinist and composer of acoustic music. In the early 1990s, he started the Acoustic Disc record label in an effort to preserve and spread acoustic or instrumental music.-Biography:Grisman grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey...
, Tony Rice
Tony Rice
Tony Rice is an American acoustic guitarist and bluegrass musician. He is considered one of the most influential acoustic guitar players in bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass and acoustic jazz.Rice spans the range of acoustic music, from traditional bluegrass to jazz-influenced New...
, Richard Greene
Richard Greene
Richard Marius Joseph Greene was a noted English film and television actor. A matinee idol who appeared in more than 40 films, he was perhaps best known for the lead role in the long-running British TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood, which ran for 143 episodes from 1955 to 1960.It has been...
, Bill Keith
Bill Keith
Bill Keith may refer to:* Bill Keith , painter, photographer and visual poet* Bill Keith , banjo player and innovator of the "melodic style" of banjo playing...
, Peter Rowan and Todd Phillips. Kimmel went on several of these tours as road manager.
Back In Tucson - 4 Corners
Bobby moved back to Tucson in 2001 and connected with his friend Jo Wilkinson, a powerful lead singer and songwriter from LA who also moved there. Since Jo and Bobby had played together at parties in LA, they got the idea of forming an acoustic singing band here. They went to the 2002 Tucson Folk Festival together, and on the 2nd day they heard Stefan George and Lavinia White. Bobby immediately approached Stefan and Lavinia and proposed that the 4 of them get together to play music. Stefan and Lavinia were cautious at first, but after a while and a number of casual living room sessions at Bobby's house, they warmed to the idea and finally 4 Corners was formed. At the beginning of 2003, the quartet began rehearsing seriously.4 Corners sang together for 3 1/2 years and released two CDs before Jo left the group in the summer of 2006.
BK Special
After Jo left 4 Corners, Bobby, Stefan and Lavinia decided to try to go on as a trio.Bobby had written a group of new songs full of possibilities for rich harmonies, and lots of room for Stefan to play. (Bobby and Stefan had figured out how 2 finger-style guitarists could play together). So along with a crop of Stefan's latest songs to work with, the band quickly developed a new repertoire and a new harmony sound. The acoustic music community in Tucson was quick to embrace them.
The BK Special CD - with Linda Ronstadt
Although BK Special only formed in the summer of 2006, by the end of that year, they were already talking about recording their first CD. They followed through, and in March 2007 the trio went into Duncan Stitt's A Writer's Room studio to begin recording. They recorded 12 songs live in the studio over the next couple of weeks.Somewhere toward the end of the mixing process, and before Stefan's return, Bobby got a call from Linda Ronstadt who was in Tucson and wanted to visit. They went out to dinner, and during the evening Bobby was raving about how excited he was with the way the CD was turning out. Linda said, "I'd love to hear some of it." Since they were near Bobby's house, Linda stopped by and Bobby played her a few of the ruff mixes.
Linda was immediately impressed with the sound Duncan had achieved on the all-acoustic CD, and really liked the trio's 3-part vocals. One of the songs Bobby played was his own Into The Arms Of Love, and Linda started singing a pretty harmony part under her breath. Bobby asked if she would sing that part on the CD and Linda said, "Sure." That was it.
By the time Stefan came back from Germany, the CD was nearly mixed - and Linda had agreed to sing on it. The band quickly cleaned up whatever remained to be done, Linda came in to Duncan's studio and added her vocal part, Stefan mastered it with Craig Schumacher at Wave Lab, and off it went to be manufactured.
Discography
Numbers in parentheses indicate the date of release, and also the highest position on Billboard chartsSingles
- The Stone Poneys - "Sweet Summer Blue and Gold" b/w "All the Beautiful Things" (rel. 1/67) – #45-1024 Capitol RecordsCapitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
- The Stone Poneys - "One for One" b/w "Evergreen" (rel. 6/67) – #5910; Capitol Records
- The Stone Poneys - "Different Drum" b/w "I've Got to Know" (rel. 9/67) – #2004; (#13) Capitol Records
- The Stone Poneys - "Up to My Neck in High Muddy Water" b/w "Carnival Bear" (rel. 3/68) – #2110; (#93) Capitol Records
- The Stone Poneys - "Some of Shelly's Blues" b/w "Hobo" (rel. 5/68) – #2195; Capitol Records
Albums
- The Stone Poneys - The Stone Poneys (album)The Stone Poneys (album)The Stone Poneys is the debut studio album by the Stone Poneys; other than an early single of "So Fine" that was produced by Mike Curb in 1965, this album marks the first official recordings by Linda Ronstadt...
– (rel. 1/67) Capitol Records - The Stone Poneys - Evergreen, Volume 2Evergreen, Volume 2Evergreen, Volume 2 is the second album from the Stone Poneys that was released five months after The Stone Poneys. The volume number is a reference to this being the band's second album.-Release Data:...
– (rel. 6/67) (#100) Capitol Records - The Stone Poneys - Linda Ronstadt, Stone Poneys and Friends, Vol. IIILinda Ronstadt, Stone Poneys and Friends, Vol. IIILinda Ronstadt, Stone Poneys and Friends, Vol. III is the third and final album by The Stone Poneys. Linda Ronstadt would release her first solo album the following year. The volume number is a reference to this being the third album by the band, though with a Roman numeral rather than the Arabic...
– (rel. 4/68) Capitol Records - The Stone Poneys - The Stone Poneys Featuring Linda Ronstadt – (rel. 3/75, reissue of first album) (#172) Capitol Records
- The Floating House Band - The Floating House Band - (rel. 1972) Takoma RecordsTakoma RecordsTakoma Records was a small but influential record label founded by John Fahey in the late 1950s.. It was named after Fahey's hometown, the Washington, D.C. suburb of Takoma Park, Maryland.-History:...
- 4 Corners - 4 Corners
- 4 Corners - 4 Corners Live at McCabes
- BK Special - BK Special (rel. 2007)
- BK Special - Hope Springs (rel. 2010
Compilation albums
- The Stone Poneys - Stoney End (Linda Ronstadt album) – (rel. 1970) Capitol Records
- The Stone Poneys - The Stone Poneys (two-fer CD) – (rel. 2008) Capitol Records