This is extraordinary." Loading comments. Baxter expanded on his solos from Steely Dan hits at the event. But also I think theres a respect for your roots. With heart. Jeff "Skunk" Baxter is perhaps best known as a founding member of Steely Dan, featuring on the band's first three albums - Can't Buy a Thrill, Countdown to Ecstasy and Pretzel Logic, released in 1972, '73 and '74, respectively. On a practical note, which of the vibrato systems that youve played over the years has been your favorite? First Name Jeff. Trajectoryis the official publication of the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) the nonprofit, educational organization supporting the geospatial intelligence tradecraft. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. All rights reserved. While preparing to tour in support of Stampede, Doobie Brothers founder Tom Johnston was hospitalized with a stomach ailment. about Skunk SKUNK BAXTER Music Career Early Years Baxter joined his first band at age 11. So it started out as an instrumental album. He was a good friend.. Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine. Baxter has said he "fell into his second profession almost by accident.". Guitarist. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, While finishing work on Pretzel Logic, Baxter became aware of Becker and Fagen's intentions to retire Steely Dan from touring and work almost exclusively with session players. In early 1979, Baxter and co-founding drummer John Hartman left the band. So, how much is Jeff Baxter worth at the age of 62 years old? The other thing, its so smooth and accurate. The Stratocaster. Leo did that for a reason. The CD, co-produced with CJ Vanston, features his incredible guitar work with songs of many different genres and features performances with Michael McDonald, Jonny Lang, Rick Livingstone and Clint Black. Not long after, I was introduced to John Lauder over at the NRO through B.M. His birth sign is Sagittarius and his life path number is 11. I just grabbed it, plugged it in and said, Yeah, all right. Adjusted the neck real quick, strung it up, grabbed a six pack of Bud, a Fender Deluxe Reverb, went in and cut Hot Stuff. Skunk first reached a wide rock audience in 1968 as a member of the psychedelic rock band Ultimate Spinach. Took it to the studio and cut the track. Robert Greene Walter Becker described Larry's role as a kind of musical director who could translate their ideas for the other musicians on Steely Dan recording sessions. More recently, he has worked as a defense consultant and chaired a Congressional Advisory Board on missile defense. Then there was my Telecaster: youve probably seen a picture of it, with the Skunk-o-sonic pickups, for want of a better word. It was amazing.". 1:31 Sean Hannity 1 day ago RAND SLAMS 'IDIOTIC' CDC: 'They Have Destroyed Trust in Vaccines by Lying to Americans' 18.6K 33 LIVE American Center for How did your interest in defense technology progress after writing the paper? How would you describe your different approach to problem solving? For his part, Baxter has pointed to his creativity as his biggest asset. in sept of that same year an "associate's" wife set me up on a date with a girl she was working with. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. Jeff Baxter. I still live in L.A., and commute back and forth a minimum of 10 days a month to Washington or other locations that are related to my work. It just seemed like I came to a point in my life where a number of these interests converged, and I found a way to leverage it. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, The words Fender, Telecaster, Stratocaster and the associated headstock designs are registered trademarks of the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Born December 13, 1948, in Washington, D.C., USA. Youve always had non-traditional tastes I suppose I have some favored guitars that are not your typical guitars. At Jimmy's, Baxter met guitarist Jimi James (later to become Jimi Hendrix), who was just beginning his career as a frontman, and provided him with his first custom left-handed Fender Stratocaster. After leaving Jimmys, Baxter moved on to Dan Armstrongs guitar repair and custom shop, the mecca for guitar players in New York and around the United States. I have no plans to ever give up that part of my life. You guys went from being kind of a rough-and . He's played on some gigantic hits with popular bands for close to 50 years. The new CD will be released in June 2022. He contributed an acoustic interlude ("Precis") and significant turns on slide and pedal steel guitar. What are you waiting for. For over 50 years, the famously creative, tasteful, biker-mustachioed . In its original conception, the group was a relatively conventional rock band that . Rikki Don't Lose That Number. I definitely still make music. The Jeff Skunk Baxter era of Steely Dan sounds noticeably different than the later albums, in my opinion. So it was just a natural progression.". Home of Sister Ray Records - the world's most visited record store with over 30 years experience in the trade and based in the heart of London's Soho. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Those guys Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton and even Hank Marvin, who I have tremendous respect for were students. Formality is probably not one of my best attributes.. Ive traveled around the world and seen what the alternatives are, most of which are not very pretty. American musician Jeffrey Allen "Skunk" Baxter was born on December 13, 1948, and his estimated net worth is $4 million. Like the session guys who turned up, played a brilliant solo and never even got a credit Well, Ive been in that game yknow, Thank you very much, just give us your W4 form. But thats okay. I love my country. At 62 years old, Jeff Baxter height not available right now. And the Brits turned around and said, Hold on, have you ever heard of Lightnin Hopkins and Muddy Waters? The Rolling Stones and Yardbirds and all these bands said, Hey, let us reintroduce you to your roots. I think they did American musicians a huge favor.. I think Buckaroo is the quintessential Telecaster instrumental. BrutandCharisma, aorecords . "Afterward, he invited me into his study and I saw all these pictures of airplanes and missiles on the wall it turned out he was one of the guys who had invented the Sidewinder missile," Baxter said in, "One day, I don't know what happened. 74 Year Olds. So I started working with teams that were designing simple digital two- and four-track recorders for a company called Akai, and guitar synthesizers and other music-processing ideas for a company called Roland, both of which were exploring this new technology. Youre not ready for these Teles: meet the rarest Fender Telecasters ever built, Over 150 guitars owned and played by Peter Green set to go up for auction, Marty Stuart: I appreciate the Stratocaster, but I really cant do it justice. I think another unsung hero is the lead guitarist for Buck Owens and The Buckaroos, [Don Rich]. I appreciate why I was able to have the success that Ive had because of being born in the U.S. Hopefully Im going to finish my solo record and go out and do a little touring again. Orianthi, Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter, Slash and Richie Sambora attend the NAMM Tec Awards at the Anaheim Hilton on on January 24, 2015 in Anaheim, California. They believed what we were doing was real and spent lots of money trying to counter it. That gives the U.S. a tremendous advantage. As a guitarist with three decades' experience, he mostly plays a Fender Telecaster and Gibson Les Paul. I found that, at least for some people, because I hadnt grown up in the IC or DoD culture, they felt I had something to offer in terms of a different point of view about approaching and solving problems in the intelligence world, and being able to come to some non-typical conclusions. He also occasionally plays in The Coalition of the Willing, a band comprising Andras Simonyi, Hungarian Ambassador to the United States; Alexander Vershbow, US Ambassador to South Korea; Daniel Poneman, formerly of the United States National Security Council and later the Obama Administration's Deputy Secretary of Energy; and Lincoln Bloomfield, former United States Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs. A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. Everything happens somewhere. Baxter (born December 13, 1948) is an American guitarist, known for his stints in the rock bands Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers during the 1970s and Spirit in the 1980s. I started thinking about it, and actually contacted Nolte. Baxter joined the band for Ultimate Spinach III, their third and final album. A good example of why this may not be the right way to go is in the experience of the band The Knack. I believe that the analyst is still the center of the IC universe, and I am excited to see and hopefully play a part in how all that shakes out. After a while, I said, Yknow, this song could really support a little turbo boost. I put together the arrangement and brought it in to CJ. More recently, he has worked as a defense consultant and chaired a Congressional Advisory Board on missile defense. I think the U.S. Marine Corps knows something about this as well. He was born on December 13, 1948 and his birthplace is Washington, DC. "But what they realized is that they're looking for people who think out of the box, who approach a problem with a very different point of view because we're talking about asymmetrical warfare here.". Stay up to date with what you want to know. But that instrument was a lab I used to try different kinds of electronics.. But recently, he played one gig at the Birchmere in Washington, D.C., that could have been . Despite being the second choice of the Republican Precinct Committee Officers to current State Representative Matt Shea, he was appointed in February 2011 to fill the vacancy following Senator Bob McCaslin, Sr.'s resignation due to health difficulties. Sagittarius Named Jeff #14. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. The two had worked together on composing and producing commercials for years and decided that it was time to turn their combined creative skills to a music project. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider They used more art and less money. I think an unsung hero is the lead guitarist for Buck Owens and The Buckaroos, [Don Rich]. Bath Jeff "Skunk" Baxter is available for corporate events, private shows, milestone celebrations (birthday, anniversary), fundraisers, festivals, and more. "We thought turntables were for playing records until rappers began to use them as instruments, and we thought airplanes were for carrying passengers until terrorists realized they could be used as missiles," he said in 2005. Its not a typical Stratocaster because its a solid birds eye maple body with no body cutaways. After the breakup of Ultimate Spinach, Baxter relocated to Los Angeles, finding work as a session guitarist. Countdown to Jeff's next birthday. Baxter and Vanston also worked with Jonny Lang and Clint Black to create new material. "Reagans plan was a bit much. "As a gift for helping him clean out his house he gave me a subscription to Aviation Week and to Janes Defense. Yknow, Im not going to make judgements on people that insist on never stopping and never shutting up. And so I just sat down to my Tandy 200 and pounded the paper out. Help us build our profile of Jeffrey Baxter! Jeff "Skunk" Baxter-This Week's Podcast . Letitia A. He left when Steely Dan became less of . Baxter gave his paper to Rohrabacher. Then Id go in the back room, bash it against the wall, come back and say, Hey, this guitars all screwed up, sell it to me for parts. pauline hanson dancing with the stars; just jerk dance members; what happens if a teacher gets a dui Jeff Baxters income source is mostly from being a successful . He has worked as a touring musician for Elton John, Linda Ronstadt, and Billy Vera and the Beaters. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. The title cut from that same album, Bad Girls, I think was the first time anybody used a guitar synthesizer on a hit record and certainly on a No 1. In the spring of 2003 at the invitation of close friend, former roommate and recording and mixing engineer Larold Rebhun, Jeff on a whim arrived at the famed North Hollywood Recording Studio "Glenwood Place" to play guitar and pedal steel on 2 songs (55 Chevy and Cowboy Boots and 501's) written and recorded by United States Navy SEAL Curt Campbell, which are on the "Nature of the Beast" album under The Eclectic Beast Band. We co-wrote this one with CJ Vanston. Is it a matter of patriotism? He has performed frequently with The Doobie . That was Jesse Ed. Orianthi, Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter, Slash and Richie Sambora attend the NAMM Tec Awards at the Anaheim Hilton on on January 24, 2015 in Anaheim, California. Guitar World is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. In the past 15 years or so being involved with the IC, a whole new set of challenges opened up to me and, as a result, I set some new goals, one of which is to support USGIF and the Intelligence Community in growing and becoming all that it can be in an increasingly complex, dangerous, and rapidly-changing world. Jeff Skunk Baxter Is A Member Of . McDonald flew out to Louisiana, joined the band, and added piano parts to the songs as he sang. The albums second single Bad Move features country superstar Clint Black on vocals. Oceans Apart, could be their best. While still a high school student, he worked at Jimmy's Music Shop in Manhattan in 1965 and 1966. Having been a musician in the U.S. means I have the freedom to make and play the music I want to. the girl was 19, and I was just shy of 38. . He is a highly active political and defense advisor. I got more and more into it because the people I was working with gave me opportunities to be involvedto help with system design, understand different ways to approach the architecture, and do some Red Teaming. In-demand session guitarist from the '70s on. It may not display this or other websites correctly. That a nation could be built on the concept that individual freedom as the most important function of a society and government is unheard of in most places on this planet and in the history of mankind. You mentioned Steely Dans 1973 song My Old School. "We did some pretty cool stuff," Baxter said in 2016 of his work on SDI, which President Ronald Reagan first proposed in 1983. Jeff Skunk Baxter is a famous Guitarist who has a net worth of $1-5 million. Jeff "Skunk" Baxter has earned eight platinum records in a music career that started in the 1960s, and he has received numerous security clearances and contracting jobs since the 1980s as a self-taught expert on missile-defense and counterterrorism. The Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers legend sits down to share gear war stories, explain what makes a good session player, and discuss his first solo album, the brilliant Speed of Heat. More recently, he has worked as a defense consultant and chairs a Congressional Advisory Board on missile defense. Discover Jeff Baxter's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Where are you right now and whats down the road for you? The opportunity for self-education in this country is enormous.". Last Name Baxter #13. And I just started using it as my guitar, even though it weighs, like, 16lb. Where would you say your journey from the music industry into the defense world first began? Thank you for signing up to The Pick. I just had another listen to Steely Dan on The Definitive Collection. Baxter has continued working as a session guitarist for a diverse group of artists, including Willy DeVille, Bryan Adams, Hoyt Axton, Eric Clapton, Sean O'Bryan Smith, Gene Clark, Sheryl Crow, Freddie Hubbard, Tim Weisberg, Joni Mitchell, Ricky Nelson, Dolly Parton, Carly Simon, Ringo Starr, Gene Simmons, Rod Stewart, Burton Cummings, Barbra Streisand, and Donna Summer. Carlos Santana. Never. He's also worked with the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and contractors like Northrup Grumman. I have a lot of respect I have a couple of original DAngelico guitars and Im not going to start drilling a hole in them, thats for sure. Baxter dropped out of college in Boston in 1969 to join a short-lived psychedelic-rock band. I really liked that. In 2012, he appeared on keyboardist Brian Auger's Language of the Heart, and The Beach Boys' That's Why God Made the Radio. Your IP: Afterward, he invited me into his study and I saw all these pictures of airplanes and missiles on the wallit turned out he was one of the guys who had invented the Sidewinder missile. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Brian May. In 1991 Baxter also produced a documentary video, "Guitar" (Warner Brothers VHS and LaserDisc), in which he travels the world and interviews guitarists he admires. Malcolm Young more influential than EVH or Clapton? He is from . I actually routed out the body the afternoon before the session. I understand you continue to make music. Back in the late 60s and early 70s, there was no way to learn about computers other than having one and spending time with other like-minded folks. Or why not treat yourself? How do you balance these two very different areas of expertise? This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, is an accomplished American rowdy guitarist whose total net worth is over $2.5 million. His career continues with the release in June 2022 of his first solo CD. My favorite part was how he got 4F status by advising the final doctor on how to build a home stereo with a high "wife acceptance factor". A fantastic form of a great band. Listen to the legendary guitarists latest single, Bad Move. . The group released a live performance video in Japan before disbanding. I managed to track That bourgeois individualism that he's endorsing, man, Simmons, Mat Snow, Jeff Tamarkin, Ben Thompson, Kieron Tyler, down Frank Wilson, . BA1 1UA. I still work as a consultant for NGA, the NRO, and OUSD(I), among other organizations. So you approach problems from a more artistic angle? Skunk and Les were good friends and Jeff often played Gibson Les Paul guitars. I sat down at my Tandy 200 and wrote this paper about how to convert the Aegis weapon system," he said in a 2016 speech. Baxter was ultimately defeated in a special election on November 2011 to former State Representative and Spokane County District Court Judge Mike Padden by nearly 10 points. Jeff "Skunk" Baxter - ASYMMETRICAL THINKING IN A CONVENTIONAL WORLD. Fantastic player one of my favorite solos of all time - a master piece IMHO. (Image credit: David Warner Ellis/Redferns), (Image credit: Michael Putland/Getty Images), (L-R) Jim Hodder, Walter Becker, Denny Dias, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and Donald Fagen of Steely Dan in 1973, (Image credit: Michael Ochs Archives / Stringer / Getty), Watch Marty Friedman play with Megadeth again, Journey and Steve Lukather play Black Magic Woman. I had been working as a reserve officer for the Los Angeles Police Department, from which I recently retired. More recently, he has worked as a defense consultant and chaired a Congressional Advisory Board on missile defense. I used to go into that shop and I would find a guitar when I needed parts. Great band, full of greats songs and players. Skunk contributed to the article about the iconic Les Paul Number One up for auction and hopes that it sells for a record amount. Ive done so much supporting other people. What drew you to that track? Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, a man of international intrigue and a secret agent?. Ive been to some of the best places you can go. In-demand session guitarist from the '70s on. How about the more obscure players? It was stream of consciousness and I didnt know what to do with it, so thats why I gave it to the Congressman. GP Presents Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar on Thursday, March 2, in Berkeley, CA Win Tickets! Walsh was born on November 20, 1947, in Wichita, Kansas.His father, Lt. Robert Newton Fidler, was a flight instructor for the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star in the United States Air Force and died in a plane crash in Okinawa on July 22, 1949. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Baxter represented Washington's 4th Legislative District in the Washington State Senate for less than 10 months during 2011. I went to a British Embassy School for grade school, then prep school in Connecticut. It was a plan to drive the Russians nuts, and it worked. I had some input from a couple friends, one of whom mentioned a capability to track the space shuttle with a certain kind of radar, which happened to be the same kind of radar on which the U.S. Navys AEGIS system is based. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. To fill in for Johnston on vocals, Baxter suggested bringing in singer-keyboardist Michael McDonald, with whom Baxter had worked in Steely Dan.