Coronado residents and visitors who frequent Leroy’s Kitchen or Babcock & Story at the Del have surely experienced the tunes of Gonzo. From classical to classic rock, Gonzo’s fans can’t get enough of the great music. eCoronado met with the local artist to share his story with his Nado following.
He got into music at a young age, when he visited the Philippines in 1970 and his grandfather gave him his first guitar. Playing hits of the age, particularly James Taylor, Gonzo found his true passion in music.
During the 80s, he decided to take his hobby to the next level, teaming up with a musical partner, playing in restaurants and bars around the San Diego area (including what are now Costa Azul and McPees).
Gonzo plays a cover of Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo`ole’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
He graduated from SDSU in 1990 and has been teaching music at the Frances Parker School ever since.
He regularly performs in venues throughout San Diego and Coronado, and has been a part of the music scene at the Hotel del Coronado on and off for nearly 20 years.
His favorite music to cover is classic rock; Santana, Led Zeppelin, and of course, James Taylor. Gonzo’s audience is sure to hear these artists’ hits at one of his gigs. However, fans have also come to expect the unexpected at his performances — acoustic versions of Katy Perry’s California Girls or OutKast’s 2003 hit Hey Ya! are sandwiched between Paul Simon and Crosby, Stills, and Nash covers.
Gonzo with Claudio at Babcock and Story covering Steely Dan’s “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide”
If u could give any advice to young aspiring-musicians, what would it be?
Play with everybody that you can, don’t just sit alone and practice, you feed off of each other and it only makes you better.
For anyone looking to experience the grooves of Gonzo, his website features his full schedule, as well as setlists, photos, and recordings.
This piece is part of a series on local music, more coming soon!
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Dani Fernandez
Staff Writer Intern
eCoronado.com
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