J.R. finally decided to grant our request for an interview so we pulled no punches...

Hey J.R., can we ask you a few questions?
Sure...blast away.

Your style of playing is very unique. Did you have a lot of musical influences growing up?
Is unique a complement? I'll take it as such. Yeah, I listened to just about every rock band growing up and tried to steal every lick I could. But I never had the patience to copy things note for note, so I guess that prevented me from sounding exactly like someone else. So, I just play what I hear...and if it doesn't work, I just repeat it 2 or 3 times so it sounds like I meant to do it.

Which bands did you listen to the most?
Well, let's see I pretty much grew up as a Jimmy Page freak, so I suppose I listened to Zeppelin the most. I was also into Hendrix (what a shocker), Cream, The Who, Aerosmith, Queen, Van Halen, AC/DC, etc. You know, just about anything that had a lot of loud guitar and I could by a t-shirt with the band name on it. And then 1979 came around.1

So you were part of that whole "New Wave" scene, huh?
Uh, yes...now then, next question.

Who were your favorite guitarists as a kid?
Here are just a few, in no particular order: Jimmy Page, Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halen, Brian May, Gary Moore, Scotty Moore, Joe Perry, Alex Lifeson, Pete Townsend, Buck Dharma, Robin Trower, The Edge, Neil Schon, Tom Scholz, Joe Pass, Robben Ford, Pat Metheney, Mike Stern, Howard Roberts, Larry Carlton. There's more since I was a kid.

What if you had to pick only one, could you do it?
Yeah, that's easy. C.C. Deville with Neil Young a close second. Oh, you said pick one, not shoot one...ok, no I can't...take that back...Page always stood out for me (except for the late 70's heroine thing)

When did you start playing?
Well, it all started when I found my dad's Playboys and...oh, playing music...about the same time I guess, about 11 or 12.

Do you remember your first guitar?
Yeah I do, it was a Les Paul Black Beauty copy...probably a Japanese knock off in the Ibanez lawsuit model days. I didn't know anything about guitars then, except that I knew I couldn't play it.

Which guitars do you prefer today?
I was a strat guy for a long time, but I keep going back to a Les Paul. There's nothing like that sustain.

What about Amps?
What about them? They make the guitar go louder. Geez! Marshall all the way.

What was the first record you ever bought?
Led Zeppelin I.

Beatles or Stones?
Elvis.

What's your favorite kind of groupie?
The female ones

Who do you listen to today?
I still listen to my mom. She knows I'm full of crap and still loves me. Musically, I think Dann Huff is the best guitar player out there right now. I still listen to all of the old stuff. As far as new bands...I don't know, nothing right now really kills me, although Staind and Incubus probably do the best rendition of Bush and STP.

Can we get personal?
What did you have in mind?

Single or attached?
Single.

Any kids?
Yup.

What do you think of the problem in the middle east?
Oh, I don't really follow politics. But, if you are an Israeli and consider Jerusalem to be the heart of Zionism and an important part of Jewish identity, you would clearly understand that they want to maintain access to sites they consider sacred, and they are not willing to negotiate on this point. From the Palestinian point of view, besides Palestinians' historic territorial claims on Jerusalem's Old City, the presence there of the Islamic holy sites makes the issue a red line not only for Palestinians but for the entire Arab and Muslim world. They both have a point, now, don't they?

Elvis or The Beatles?
The Stones

Favorite Beatle.
1966 Oval Window, with dual Delorto carbs.

What about Country Music?
I dig the rootsy stuff, and chickin' pickin' guitar players like Albert Lee. The pop stuff I can do without.

Who's your favorite "Female" singer of all time?
The greatest female rock singer of all time would have to be Ann Wilson of Heart

What's your favorite "ROCKBOTTOM" song?
I think "You Can Cry" is really burning. "It's Gonna Be Alright" is a great song...and "Brother" would also be on the list.

Who would you most like to jam with, dead or alive?
Keith Moon and John Entwhistle.

Why?
Cause that would be amazing, wouldn't it? Playing Pete Townsend for a day. Hell, I'll take it.

Anything else we should know?
Yes!