Eddie Studebaker
Eddie Studebaker started playing when he was 8 years old. He received a snare and cymbal for Christmas and started a band when he was 9; it was called The Crystal Web. A year later its solid membership included guitar, bass, drums and a front man vocalist. We changed the name to Crystal Water. We played regularly for two years. We played fairs, talent shows, and pool parties. If there was a party when I was younger, chances are Crystal Water would be playing. It was about 1/3 originals and 2/3 cover tunes.
My family moved to Oregon when I was 12, so that ended that band. I met a few musicians in the little town in Oregon, but for the most part I couldn’t find enough to form a true band. But I was always jamming!
I moved back to the Bay Area after high school to pursue a music career. I auditioned for a band called “Kicks.” We played around Marin and San Francisco for about 3 years. After Kicks broke up I was playing with a newly formed band who’s bass player was a regular member of Marty Balin’s band; the former lead singer of the Jefferson Airplane and the Jefferson Starship. The bassist said that Marty was reforming his solo band and that I should audition. I did. We played a couple of songs. He asked the band what they thought. I got thumbs up! Marty said “You’re in, show up tomorrow!” So, I quit my day job with absolutely no notice. “That rules, although they understood.”
I played with Marty for two years. We were able to travel around and play to packed houses everywhere we went. I was always looking for a band that had the sound that I could hear in my head. I heard that sound come from a band that opened up one night for Marty Balin. That band was Elan. I heard the power with great arrangements and great harmonies. I knew the bass player and told him that if they ever needed a drummer to let me know.
Sure enough I ran into Elan’s bassist a couple of months later. I auditioned and was in. Their manager at the time said, “I had the sound that fit!” We played and recorded demos that were getting a lot of label interest. We did several showcases for labels that always seemed to be on the edge of a recording contract, but the timing was always a little off.
As time moved along, and the band began moving in separate directions, I got married. We moved to Oregon to be near my family. All of my family lives in the Northwest. I temporarily put my music career on hold for my son’s first five formative years but when he was six we moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area. I got a call from a former member of Elan to come audition with a guitarist and songwriter Drew Browne. After getting the gig and recording Drew’s material, Drew mentioned that he would be interested in reforming his David Lee Roth era Van Halen Tribute Band, “Panama”. I jumped at the challenge, but, “how was I going to play what Alex played?” His playing was so good it seemed almost from another world. I approached it such that, “Alex has only two hands and two feet and Hot For Teacher will be the most difficult song to learn, because I had never really played double kick!” Now it is a cake walk to play, but still challenging keeping with the same ferocity of Alex Van Halen. Panama was musically a killer act. Although we were packing clubs in Marin, where we all lived, we kept running into road blocks; member changes and it finally lost momentum.
Drew was invited to sit in with the San Francisco Bay Area’s Premier Van Halen Tribute Band, HOT FOR TEACHER and perform at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz, while Terry Lauderdale fulfilled a previous commitment with the metal band Heathen. Drew found out that HOT FOR TEACHER would need a temporary fill in at the drums and Drew suggested I be the guy. So, everything I had learned I was able to apply to the HFT sound. Temporary has become permanent and I am thrilled to be in such a great band with great vocals and musicianship. I am again challenged to go forward and work hard for the guys in the band who have welcomed me with open arms.
