User:Rjsampsonjr

R.J. Sampson Jr.
R.J. Sampson Jr. was born in Westfield, Massachusetts on July 13, 1972. His musical influences include his mother, Patricia Sampson, and grandmother, Mary Ann Steirer, who would play their accordions together. His grandmother also played the organ. At age six he took accordion lessons but soon quit. He preferred to play his Casio keyboard. At age 14 he obtained an Ibanez electric guitar from his younger brother Michael Sampson. Using effect pedals and his mother accordion amplifier he practiced daily. He enjoyed playing along with his favorite rock band Judas Priest. At 15, his parents moved the family to Tarpon Springs, FL. This is when he got his first real recording device. A simple four-track recorder. His father Ronald Sampson got him a drum machine and he produced his first recorded songs (see Childhood Songs below).

At age 17, he met a friend, Shelley Redden, who loved to write song lyrics. He spent some time writing and recording with her. Together they produced a number of songs (see Co-written with Shelley Redden below).

Around the age of 19, he joined a band named Dogtooth Violet. He became their lead guitarist and sang background vocals. Other members of the band included John Panagiotis, Nicholas Mahinis, and Emmanuel Pentzakis. They played many shows in the Tampa bay area. To help get more shows the band recorded it's first four song self titled demo cassette (see Dogtooth Violet Songs below).

Childhood Songs

 * Love Me Once - Download MP3 [7.4 MB ]
 * Time - Download MP3 [9.7 MB ]
 * Come Back - Download MP3 [7.3 MB ]
 * Bubba - Download MP3 [3.9 MB ]
 * Stay With Me Forever - Download MP3 [6.3 MB ]

Co-written with Shelley Redden

 * Never Meant To Hurt You - Download MP3 [8.7 MB ]
 * Dreams of the Heart - Download MP3 [5.4 MB ]

Dogtooth Violet Songs

 * Get Lost - Download MP3 [3.3 MB ]
 * Empty - Download MP3 [4.8 MB ]
 * Get a Load of Me - Download MP3 [2.6 MB ]
 * Save Me - Download MP3 [4.4 MB ]