Russ Kilcoyne
Guitar player
Mayfield, Ky 42066
(270) 376-5492
(270) 210-2737
https://www.angelfire.com/ky2/IIFace
rkilcoyne@wk.net
I guess it all started with the Sears Christmas catalog. Which was a treat itself, with all the toys that would draw my brothers and younger sister in. But something else drew my attention: Musical instruments, I wanted a banjo (never did get it). This all changed when I was over a friends house, his brother Jim O'Guinn showed me my first guitar trick (the whistle). WLS was the King of Radio out of the Windy city of Chicago. A.M.'s Best, a format of Kenny Rogers (Ruby) to my favorite (Come together) the Beatles. My oldest brother David could sing RUBY I was amazed I was King of AIR Guitar (haha). My mother worked at the Gopher Hole, in Fancy Farm when I was young the owners used to paint quarters red and the jukebox man would know the quarters were theirs. Everyday I used to go down there and she would hand me one of those quarters and she would say play "Green Onions" by Booker T & the M.G.'s, the biggest songs I remember are from this time was Johnny Cash's "Boy named Sue" and "Come and Get it" by Bad Finger. I used ride my bike down the hill and play pinball and the challenge was to make it through one of these songs and then another one and another one and you were really doing it. "My very first guitar was a Silvertone two twenties and I took her home, by that night I learned three chords by the next morning I'd learned 2 more. "Dad loaned me $40.00 to get that Silvertone (which I still have),the best thing they could have ever done." " Him and my mother never could understand why I had to have so many records and tapes. I think they do now, but to this day they do not understand why a young man has to have seven guitars, it was time to seek out Fancy Farm's best guitar slingers, first stop DEZ Brumloe, "Hey Joe"-Randy Lee, "Horse with no name"- Johnny "Race Horse" Dublin Blues-Johnny Hammonds "The Beatles various rock"-John Tharp (Put on the album let him tune it he could play it, 14 year old prodigy). Martin Painter: Blues Walks,Mike Lee "Stormy Monday Blues" Howard Kaler "Born to be Wild" CCR and Boston, Everybody else: Dennise Byers, Jery Purcell, Steve Elliott, Little Jack, Wayne Hayden, SPIKE Elliot, Lee Redden, Benny Redden, DIP, BONES, Frank Burgess, Pat Walsh, Jesse Hammonds, Troy Kesterson, Wayne Ross, Shadow, Steve Emerey,Gilbert, Charlie Evans, Dean Angel, Veach, Chuck Carter, Brian Ballard, Kenny Wayde, Cassie, Kenny Campbell, Brandon Hill "Bon Jovi", Paul Elder, Bruce Steiret, Paul Hobbs, Stanley Hobbs, Boyce Allen Music, Al Wise, Jerry Higgins, Berry Higgins, Richard Dowdy, Jeff Lanis, Lew Jetton, Kevin Synan, Tyre Neftgner, Dave Phillips. Paul Walsh, Candice Walsh, Evan Tharp, Fred Carrico, Mike Mills, Bryan Earley, Tim Eweres "Lake Taho Pete", Mike Ellis, Larry Hamilton, James Barnes, Greg Newton, Steve Childers, R.I.P David Neal, R.I.P Johnny Mathis, R.I.P Phil Perkins, R.I.P Mike Enoch, R.I.P Johnny "Racehorse" Dublin. Mike my other brother got a six string and local Milburn Nicholls (a band vetran) began tutoring him I'd beg Mike to show me these licks along with the ones Danny Mills was showing him. By then late 60's Bobby Higgins (next door neighbor) and Mike (same age) had all the best LP's and 8 track artists such as: James Gang, Led Zeppelin, Stealy Dan, The Who, Santana, The Moody Blues, America,Yes, Bread, Jethro Tull. My very first concert was SLY & the Family Stone at Murray State University.Leading into numerous concerts including REO, STYX, JOURNEY, RUSH, KISS,JETHRO TULL, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, SRV ect..........INcluding my all time favorite and MENTOR....NEIL YOUNG My father was a barber he use to take me to work with him in Mayfield on saturdays next to his shop Danny Mills (Grunhs Guitars) had a guitar shop he'd work on my guitars and show me how to work on them. By 86, it was time to start my first band "Horizon": Bill Toon: Drums Jesse Work: Lead vocals/guitar Lee Redden: Bass we never made it out of the garage. Jesse was awesome we were green. Jesse quit and we picked up John Tharp and held together for 7 months, we played isome local clubs and St. Charles, and St. Denis Picnics. Horizon helped me get back my investment a KUSTOM P.A. which Lee now has. I was a student at West Ky Tech (civil hwy) I took a job in Louisville, I began to travel my Guitars were my best friends Battle Scar (Yamaha) And I've played along the Mississippi, Under the Arch in St.Louis, Ohio State University, Purdue University, etc. I took the time to concentrate on Originals writing my best in St. Louis "Sweet Seasons" which stood out at a party that my cousin Paul Elder from Louisville, Kentucky had, this helped me meet alot of great local musicians, I started "Shadow" from this meeting which never made it out of the garage either. Which lead me back home to join "The Farm" we played 2 years, biggest show was the Fancy Farm Picnic (The largest picnic in the world).
