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My son
Ry was born backstage, not literally of course,
but he grew up around the band, at gigs and
in the studio. When he got his first guitar
for Christmas when he was around twelve or
so, he was not thrilled. He wanted an electric
car racing set that could climb walls. Instead
he got a three-quarter size Fender Mustang
electric six-string, red as a new corvette.
He didn’t take to it right away. But,
within six months he was wanging away at it,
having already mastered the three chords I
knew.
He was a natural, with a hundred times more
talent than his old man. He took lessons from
Joe Satriani. He went to guitar school. He
absorbed everything. He auditioned to become
a student at the prestigious Berklee School
of Music in Boston and was accepted. Ry switched
to California Institute of the Arts in Southern
California and graduated three years later
with a degree in Jazz Guitar.
Damn, was I proud.
He played in a succession of bands, then took
over for Jimmy Lyon in the Greg Kihn Band.
Ry had some pretty big shoes to fill. But
the kid had big feet and before you know it,
he’d become a force within the group.
Ry has many fans now, and rightly so. He’s
extremely good at what he does.
A professionally trained guitar teacher, Ry
gives guitar lessons when the time allows.
I wish he’d give me one; I’m still
playing the same three chords from when Ry
was twelve. That’s OK, though. There
can only be one Eric Clapton in the family.
BIG FUN was formed out of the need for musicians
to play on a regular basis. They’ve
been working constantly |
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and have become one of
the top bay area cover bands. Ry shares front
man duties with the dynamic Cynthia Acevedo,
who also has her own solo project going, with
Ry on lead guitar there too. I tell ya, if
there’s a solo to played or a riff to
be scratched, Ry’s the man. Here’s
the amazing thing: he never breaks a sweat.
He makes it look easy, which it isn’t,
and just has fun. Like his dad, Ry is a pretty
laid back guy.
Lately I’ve been writing songs with
Ry. It started as an experiment, but quickly
became a project. The first two songs we wrote
together were KISS IT and SCIENCE FICTION.
I realized right away that we were onto something
good. Ry’s got a special sense of riffage.
He comes up with great guitar riffs. I furnish
the lyrics and he bangs out the music. It’s
as easy as drinking guava nectar. Ry’s
solo project is called K2. K2 represents the
second generation of Kihn’s to make
it in the music business. We are currently
in the studio cutting songs with no idea when
it will be finished or what to do with it
then. That’s rock and roll.
I expect Ry’s career to surpass my own
on the Billboard charts. The future is wide
open. Then he can support me. |
