User:Teddarmstrong

Tedd Armstrong, always knew in his mind that he was a musician. Spending hours and hours as early as two and three years old listening to his mothers record collection of Duke Ellington, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Raymond Scott, etc. Tedd began playing drums at the ripe old age of five. His Mother, Beverly Armstrong was a recording artist for Capitol Records, and was featured on the weekly television and radio programs '''"THE WORLD TOMORROW." where she sang sacred classical music for her televangelist father Herbert W. Armstrong and younger brother [[Garner Ted Armstrong]],who Ted was named after.

She noticed when Tedd was only three, that he was playing along with her Duke Ellington records with wooden spoons on pots and pans and empty Quaker Oats boxes,and actually playing many of the Louis Belson riffs on songs like "Skin Deep".So for his 5th birthday,she purchased him a small set of drums behind which he spent much of his childhood playing along with jazz records from his mothers collection.

At the age of 12, Tedd saw The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show and it altered his life forever! He formed his first rock and roll band at thirteen, and began playing junior high dances and backyard parties. His first paying gig was at age 12, the 1964 Christmas show at The Acadamy Theater in Pasadena Ca. Playing hits like, Wipe Out by the Surfaries and She Loves You By of course, The Beatles... Tedd continued to play in rock cover bands throughout Jr. high and high school, mostly with much older musicians, playing in night clubs like Gazzaris,The Whisky A Go Go, and college campuses, and at the '''Hollywood Palladium in 1970.

After High school Tedd began playing guitar / bass / keyboards / harmonica / 4 string banjo / ukelele, pretty much anything musical he could get his hands on, and taught himself to play them all by ear, having no formal training nor ever learning to read music. By the mid Seventies he had started writing songs on guitar and piano, and recorded his first self titled solo album with the help of Track Records owner and producer Bob Safir. The album was an ambitious project of 13 original songs on whichTedd played most of the instruments and sang all of the vocals himself.

One night, while driving to the studio during these sessions, Tedd came very close to losing his life when he rolled his 1970 Charger at very high rate of speed. This of course slowed production of the album for several weeks. Tedd, however managed to complete the project with the a broken back. Unfortunately, this album was never to be widely released due to a "dissagreement" with Motown Records owner Barry Gordy, who wanted one of Tedd's songs, "Stone Fox," for Michael Jackson's comeback album titled "Off The Wall." When Tedd refused to sell Gordy the publishing rights to the song, and allow Michael to claim writer's credit, it became suddenly and "mysteriously" impossible for Tedd to get anyone in the record bussiness to sign him to a deal and release the album.

At this point Tedd began singing and playing guitar on many other artists studio projects, including his good friend Bob Safir,who was an extremely talented songwriter. It was after this that Tedd formed the band "PEGASUS." With the original lineup,Tedd as front man,singing and playing rythm guitar, along side virtuoso guitarist [[Steve Caton (]]later of Tori Amos fame), Bass player James Bender,Keyboardist Matt Rydell and drummer Van Harter. "PEGASUS" recorded and performed in the L.A. area durring the 80's. But with too many personnel changes the band finally and sadly broke up. In 1988 after playing in a few more original and cover type bands,Tedd met James Paul Neil. Like Tedd, Jim was born and raised in Pasadena, and having very similar backgrounds, growing up accross town from each other, the two became fast friends. In 1997 the two musicians started writng together and seperatly, and began recording in Jim's 8' x 12' converted office space studio in Pasadena, and after two years of hard work released the widely eclectic CD titled Neil/Armstrong "Trax."

Soon after the CD's completion Jim formed "The Matchstick Men." a 60's rock tribute band with ex BEATLE tribute artists, Joe Gallo and Jim Owen. When the drummer they had formed the band with became "difficult." they called on Tedd, who had just spent five years in a very succesfull and popular 60's tribute band band called "The TRIP," to replace him on drums, and to take over an equal share of the lead vocals. The Matchstick Men also morphed into a Beatles tribute band called "The Fabs" and the two bands performed simultaneously in Las Vegas, San Francisco, Laughlin, Huntington Beach Ca., and were a regular favorite at The Rightious Brothers night club, "Music City," in Fountain Valley, Ca.

After a year of this, Tedd, Jim and Joe went into the studio to create the band "Core". Re-recording and re-mixing a few of the songs from Neil/Armstrong "Trax" as well as Tedd and Joe writing a wealth of new material, they put together a more cohesive album than "Trax" had been, and released the self titled CD. Shortly after it's completion, Jim Neil left both projects "Core" and The Matchstick Men, and was replaced with Tedd's long time friend and "Trip" band mate, the very talented bass player / singer Michael Golden. However after completing a few contractual obligations, this band, as did all the others - called it quits.

Many of Tedd's songs from these sessions and the "Trax" sessions are included on his official web site Teddarmstrong.com along with many of his solo recordings, and more will be added as time goes on. Tedd remains a very prolific and eclectic song writer, ranging from very edgy rock, techno pop, romantic ballads, and even country based songs.ItaliItalic textc text