Jon Ernshaw: I Want To Do That! By Sweetness Sass
Jon Ernshaw, a great musician in both RL and SL, got his first guitar at six years old, but it took a very special moment for him to come to the realization that music is his calling in life. In this interview with the intrepid guitarist and vocalist, we take a look at his past, as well as delve into his bright musical future on the SL scene. You will be engaged by his love of what he does. His enthusiasm is most infectious. Sweetness Sass: Thanks for meeting with Opulent, Jon. Can you give us a brief overview of your musical career in RL and SL? I’ll ask you more specific questions later, although I promise never to inquire, “If you were a tree, which tree would you be?” Jon Ernshaw: Okay, well, I started playing guitar at age six. In middle school, I joined my first band, Peace of Mind. I got to do my thing on guitar and sing cover songs—mostly 80s stuff— and it was heaven. That lasted from sixth to ninth grade. After that, I joined a group of talented musicians called The Pink Yank. We did both originals and REM covers. We were quite successful, touring Europe and the Southern U.S. on summer breaks and weekends. Sweetness Sass: That’s pretty impressive for a high school band. Touring can be quite expensive. How did you manage? Jon Ernshaw: The funny thing is that we were sponsored by the Georgia State University Jazz Department, even though we weren’t a jazz band. Sweetness Sass: Probably because there’s no Georgia State University Rock Department? And after high school, did you get a haircut and get a real job? Jon Ernshaw: Not a chance. Music is my life. I joined up and played in bands such as Pats Sister Alice, where I was the lead singer,
|5
then later became a lead guitarist and back-up singer in Soul House and Bay County Poets. As a member of Over October, I also shared the lead vocals. Sweetness Sass: Okay, so what brought you to SL? As far as I know, you’ve always been a soloist here. Jon Ernshaw: Yes, after the fall of the so-called “hair bands”, I began doing mainly solo acoustic stuff, which lent itself perfectly to SL. Sweetness Sass: But you can’t just waltz into SL, sit down on a street corner and start a career. Mind you, it’s a pretty good way to get ejected from a sim. But please tell us how you managed to break into the biz here. Jon Ernshaw: I got my start playing an open mic at a place called Whiskey Go Round, egged on my by good friend Rheena Blessed. She practically forced to get up there and do what I do best. After the gig, I was approached by a lady named Catz Mora, who was about to open a live venue with Bosco Constantine, called The Boondock Saint. So she asked me to play the opening night, and I did. It led to several other gigs, including a normal Thursday night headline spot. I stayed at The Boondock Saint for about a year. That was back in 2008. I also played several other venues, such as Sicily, Red Rocks, and a “little” club called Liaisons, my first strip club performance. Sweetness Sass: Your favourite gig, no doubt? Jon Ernshaw: Yeah, that too. So I did the SL touring thing also for about a year, then RL got in the way, and unfortunately, I had to forget about playing in SL for a while. I was lucky enough to find the time to continue playing small acoustic gigs in RL. Giving up music entirely was out of the question. Sweetness Sass: Let’s go way back in the Sass Time Machine to when Jon was little Jonny. What was the first musical experience that truly marked you? Were you just a tiny tyke watching a monkey play the cymbals, did you bang away on a toy piano, or did you make you parents nuts by drumming on pots?
6| OPULENT Magazine : June/July 2010
Jon Ernshaw: As I said, getting a guitar early in life was definitely a factor. However, the first time I ever stood up and said, “I want to do that!” was while watching The Prince’s Trust Rock Concert on HBO. There was this dude with a bob haircut, a beard, and a black and white tweed suit. He had a Fender Strat guitar, he came out and played this song called Wonderful Tonight, and I was hooked. I found out later that his name... was Clapton, Eric Clapton. Sweetness Sass: Clapton is a legendary musician, to be sure. Who else influenced you? Jon Ernshaw: Early on, it was Elvis, The Beatles, Van Halen, and those guys. Most recently, I have turned to two main influences: a guy named Butch Walker, and another named Ed Kowalczyk, who used to be the singer for the band Live. I was a huge fan, but when I ran into my old buddy Butch, I realized that he was the greatest musician to ever set foot on this or any other planet. Sweetness Sass: That’s quite the compliment. And what about the highly talented Jon Ernshaw? Any plans to return to the stage in SL now that RL has settled into a nice routine? Jon Ernshaw: For sure! I have lots of irons in the fire right now, and will be playing again soon. The best way to find out where I go from here is to join my group, Ernshaw Redemption. Enrolment is open and free, and members will hear all the latest news about my SL music career. Sweetness Sass: Awesome. Last question: if you were a tree, which tree would you be? Just kidding. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us today. Jon Ernshaw: It was my pleasure. Sweetness Sass: Rock on, Jon!
|7