Al Ierardi - Music - Former guitarist with Spoils of War, singer-songwriter from Champaign-Urbana, IL (www.ierardi.com)

Music has been an important part of my life

I have enjoyed so many friends and experiences through music that I'd like to share

It all started with Elvis... really!

Although not really aware of the fact, I must have listened to a fair amount of music when young. I say that because when I grew interested in the guitar, I progressed rather rapidly with a head full of ideas and pent up expression. Heartbreak Hotel was the first song I remember. I grabbed me like no other. Then I guess it was Hound Dog and Blue Suede Shoes. I was blown away. I wanted nothing more to do with baseball, model airplanes or marbles. I wanted a guitar. You notice I didn't say I wanted to play, just to have a guitar. After all, I was just twelve years old. What did I know about how to play the thing?

My Guitars

The early influences were almost exclusively instrumental groups. The most influential ones were Link Wray (Rumble), the Ventures (Walk Don't Run), Jorgen Ingerman (Apache) and Duane Eddy (Rebel Rouser). My heart pauses even today when I remember how I felt. Guitar was the answer... to what, I'm not sure, but it was the answer.

Later, after I was playing out came the Memphis sound from STAX Records, Booker T. and the MGs with Green Onions. The Lonnie Mack with Memphis. Boy way I hooked. I played them all. I think I played lead guitar for cash gigs two years before I knew a barr chord. A recording that with stop me in my tracks to this very day is Sleepwalk bt Santo and Johnny. There is a rich fullness of sound that comes from that recording that hard to describe.

My First Garage Band (circa 1960)

My blog entry of Sept. 29th was about sorting out stuff accumulated over the decades. There comes a point when you know something must be done to organize it or when you die, no one will know what to do and it will probably end up in Monday's trash.

One of the benefits is finding what I thought was lost. I found a very old picture that connect with the present. I got an email from an 8th grade friend who played drums in our first garage band, actually, a carport. We couldn't play much, but we wanted to, and that's what really mattered. Read More

Eddie Price & the Esquires (circa 1962)

Now we are going back in time. 1962. Can you believe this? The group is Eddie & the Esquires, headed by singer and the most cool Eddie Price. He was the Fonz of my day. This promo photo was taken at the old Elmwood Skating Rink at Five Points in Urbana about where the Arby's and McDonalds now stand.

Bands at this time dressed alike. Notices the special shirts, cufflinks and thin ties? I lived in Rantoul, 15 miles north, home of Chanute AFB. My dad was a career man and was an electronics instructor. I got a phone call to get to Urbana ASAP for the photo. I grabbed the essentials and made a mad dash in my '54 Chevy to pose. A close look reveals I overlooked the black pants. That's me.

The band, from left to right, are: Gary Wright (bass), Tommy McCormick (Drums), Al Ierardi (lead guitar), 'Bo' Phillips (rhythm guitar) and vocalist, Eddie Price in the center. The group was short-lived but we did land a spot on one of the traveling rock shows when it appeared here. That's what the photo was for. The show was headlined by Brian Hyland the same week that 'Sealed With A Kiss' was #1 in the nation. Also appearing were Johnny & the Hurricanes, the Marketts, the Isley Bros and a few others I can't remember. In the words of Frankie Valli, Oh What A Night!

1968 - 69 Spoils Of War

1968 group masterminded by Jim Cuomo credited as a pioneers of electronic music. More