Jack Shepherd

Bio

A Renegade History or a not so brief bio…

Born and raised up early in New Jersey’s fine hub city, New Brunswick (that’s Exit Number Nine off the pike if your thinking of visiting). A cultural melting pot of sounds, smells and sights. 

I gravitated toward the R&B sounds of the seventies, being the only white kid at the YMCA summer camp. So I picked up the trumpet – Sly and the Family Stone watch out!

As a young teen, my family moved to the mean streets of East Brunswick. It was down at the Jersey shore on the boardwalk at a carnival game that I got my first record, Rolling Stone’s “Brown Sugar”. I remember on the car ride home, just holding it sent electric pulses through my inner core. I pleaded, I cried, and said I would be the best kid in the world if Grandpa would buy me that electric guitar at Korvettes department store, so he did.

Name Dropping Section…

In junior high I formed my first band with the now legendary Matt Pinfield (MTV 120 minutes host). His sister lo and behold worked in the record department, again at Korvettes, we would spend hours upon days getting a Rock-n-Roll education.

In the high school years I hooked up with the ever-so-lovely Janice Mullema, and went on to win a jersey talent show in the folk category, for our rendition of Neil Young’s “Don’t Let It Bring You Down“. Then we played in a jam band (before they called it that) of Grateful Dead and the like.

After high school I had an unquenchable sense for adventure and made my way down to Denton, Texas. There I learned about the music of the south – Blues, Roots-Rock.

Coming back to NJ, I was engulfed in the New Brunswick scene, playing every Wednesday night at the long gone Melody bar and grill, playing with the Slaves of New Brunswick (w/ Glen Burtnik, Tony Shannahan, Lenny Kaye, Arthur Scammacca and Bernie “BB” Brausewetter).

At the Court Tavern, along with the other New Brunswick clubs, I played with many other now forgotten acts.  I played with Ivan Kral (Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, David Bowie), and worked at his video store on Church St, well more like hung out and listened to him tell me stories.

I played in a band with Andy York (John Mellencamp) and toured the states and opened up mostly for Ziggy Marley.

Then in Philadelphia with Chris Day (Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers) played up and down the town and met up with Kenny Cummings (Elvis Costello, Patti Labelle) and moved to New York City to play some clubs (CBGB’s) with him.

After living the NYC life for some time I found my way back to NJ to play classic rock with the Horvath brothers, aka Sportin’ Wood. With a run on Sunday afternoons at Hailey’s Pub and Harp with an Irish folk band. And at a benefit at the State Theatre which we billed with Glen Burtnik and the Slaves of New Brunswick, along with the Smithereens and Patti Smith.

*Disclaimer: My apologies to all the other famous people who I have left out.

And Now…

I’m currently playing acoustic guitar and singing (sometimes with a duo or trio) my blend of American folk, blues, country and rock, with some Irish songs mixed in. And of course my first record, the Stones.