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Scott Mason Bio:
Bluegrass and Elvis... the Bay City Rollers and the Bee Gees... Mom and Dad's music clashing with my teen-age sister's love for all the pop icons of the 70's... That's what I was met with when I entered the world back in 1973. At 4 years old, I was sipping music from a fire hose. I didn’t know it at the time, but, I had no power in choosing what would become my life’s passion… it chose me. Music. Specifically, love and adoration for the guitar – the most wonderful instrument God blessed man with… Well, of course, I’m biased… I’m a guitarist!
I purchased my first guitar in 1987 at the age 13 for $75.00. It was a tobacco burst Kay/Stratocaster. I managed to borrow a small amplifier and started working out the guitar parts of several songs from my brother’s favorite album at the time – Rush’s “Moving Pictures”. I had no idea who Rush was, but my brother played the album so much I’m surprised the turn table needle didn’t carve holes right through the vinyl! I managed to learn a few arpeggios from “Limelight”… discovered the beauty of harmonics while learning “Red Barchetta”, and was baptized in the awesome power chords of “Tom Sawyer”. For months, I was driven to re-create these beautiful sounds that I loved so much.
This, however, was only warming me up for my ultimate goal. It was a HUGE goal, but, nothing seemed more satisfying in my mind than being able to play the one great song that triggered my impulsive decision to buy that Kay guitar back in ’87… The song that, and a person, in an instant, in a few short measures, would forever change everything I thought I knew about music and guitars up to that point. Randall William Rhoads and his song, “Crazy Train”, sparked a God given musical fire in me that burns to this very day.
I'm 37, and was only 8 years old when “Crazy Train” was released in March of 1981. In 1986, while visiting my cousin in southeastern Kentucky, he casually threw his older brother's “Blizzard of Ozz” album on the record player and cued up “Crazy Train”. I knew nothing of Ozzy or Randy and wasn't even interested in rock music at all... but, when I heard that pick slide… and the riff that followed… everything just kind of stopped. Something in the sound and energy of his playing mesmerized me and it flipped a switch. Nothing was ever the same for me after that!
I bought a guitar and haven't been without one since! What an inspiration Randy was to me! I was just an Indiana boy living in a different universe, FAR from Los Angeles, but the spirit of Randy's music - his playing on a record - bridged the gap and opened up a whole new world of music to me… I am living happily in that world today.
~ Scott |
