Bob McGraw at The Pink Feather
Artist reflects back on 47 years of music
Singer/guitar player Bob McGraw performed recently at the Pink Feather, 14154 S.E. Division.
The Pink Feather is famous for its broasted chicken dinners, with the chicken coming from a private, local, long-standing, free-range chicken farm and nowhere else. The dining area is plush and quiet; the lounge is also comfortable with a full service bar, many TVs and Oregon Lottery video machines.
Bob McGraw
(Photo by KT)
Bartender Maggie Taylor creates a friendly and welcoming atmosphere as well as an encyclopedic memory for local history.
McGraw features a nice selection of tunes including songs like Margaritaville, New York, New York, In The Mood, Don't Be Cruel and a sweet country ballad declaring "no shoes, no shirt, no problem."
For over 47 years, McGraw has offered songs to enthusiastic audiences in bands, duos, a solo act and as an electronic musician. At the age of 15, McGraw began his foray into music; 47 years later, reflecting back to countless numbers of stages, one-night gigs and too many roads, he realizes that he still loves what he's doing.
While living in California during his early high school years, McGraw picked up a cheap, hollow-bodied electric guitar, learned a few chords and formed his first band known back in those days as a "combo." This garage band was a trio called The Bishop. Armed with two guitars and a drumset, they played at school dances and weddings and even appeared on television on Ted Mack's Amateur Hour. It didn't take long before McGraw learned that he was more at home on a stage than anywhere else.
Following a move to Longview, Wash., he formed a number of garage rock bands like the three-piece Children's World that featured the songs of Jimi Hendrix. He then joined The Panics, who played rock music of the time, followed by a number of other bands.
"In Longview, there was always the battle of the bands at Captain Yogi's Restaurant, a cruise spot where everyone (who played music) went to show off their skills," says McGraw. "It was a musician's showcase."
The highlight of McGraw's teenage rock 'n' roll career was the formation of the band Smack. Presenting strictly cover tunes, the band's popularity soared with the release of a freshly re-worked version of Suzy-Q on a 45 rpm. In the late '60s, this band took first place in the battle of the bands at KISN Radio's Annual Teen-Age Fair. The victory crowned them as the best in all the Northwest. This writer remembers attending a couple of the Teen Fair events, with high-school buddy and budding guitarist Anne Martin. (We grabbed the chance to test-drive some equipment on display and with this writer on drumset and Ms. Martin on guitar, we demonstrated to the public the concept of an all-girl rock band.)
McGraw's band Smack's win at the Teen Fair took McGraw and his bandmates on tour throughout the Northwest. In addition, they opened for top leading acts like Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Wailers, Don and the Goodtimes and a host of other top-notch acts of that era.
After graduating from high school, McGraw's musical career took a three-year detour. With the Vietnam War raging, he entered the military. He never got close to Southeast Asia, but found himself at Fort Bennings, Georgia, teaching music to other military personnel for the next few years. He also counseled drug addicts who were returning home to the states from the war zone.
From the band Twister emerged another Top 40 group that McGraw and company called Pilot. With the same drummer and another female vocalist, they burned up the stages in the Seattle clubs until their equipment was claimed by a nightclub fire. With no insurance, they walked away with little or nothing.
After the club fire in the early '80s, McGraw and the former keyboardist with Twister (Charlie Williams, The Drifters) formed the Deuces Wild. Utilizing a drum machine, left-hand keyboard bass, keyboards and guitar, they hit the road. This duo did Top 40s tunes in the Red Lion Circuit, various casinos in Nevada and more.
"I'm an electronic musician, not a one-person band who has cymbals between my knees, a pedal to beat a drum and a harmonica around the neck while strumming a guitar," explains McGraw. "I utilize a sequencer and a lot of technical computer equipment to back me up while I'm up on stage playing my guitar and singing." McGraw also stresses that he does not do Karaoke. He says that whenever someone identifies his music as that, he just laughs.
"I seem to be educating people about this electronic age of music that we're living," says McGraw. "They are surprised to learn that sequenced music is like having to go into a studio and record by laying down tracks." It generally takes him about a week to program one tune, since he plays all the parts himself.
"I have to be able to play at all of the venues," explains McGraw. "As a musician...I don't do just one style. Music encompasses a lot of things to a lot of people and I give my audiences a real variety."
Music represents McGraw's life then, now and in the future. He says he's not seeking "stardom" but wants to perform regularly. Check Bandstand and Music on Tap for future dates at various venues both public and private.
(Editor's Note: Some information was obtained from a May 20, 1998 issue of this publication. Credit: Michael Jones.)