Jul 2, 2019
Lisa
Rae Black remembers her first experience with the desert as a visit
to Grandpa's house - he lived in Morongo Valley. As a five-year
old, she recalls jumping out of the back of her dad's 280Z, feeling
like she'd landed on Mars. Fast forward about 50 years, Lisa
inherited the property from her now deceased brother, Jim, who’d
lived there for many years with his three thoroughbred
horses.
Her grandfather
purchased the property in1931 and built the 300 foot homestead in
1951. In this
episode, Lisa talks about the little bits of history that
have come her way from her grandfather during the permitting and
renovations process of the homestead.
Lisa's
interest in the guitar began early. At five, she commandeered her
brother's Christmas gift, a Snoopy guitar. She began taking lessons
at age 12 and credits her instructor, himself an accomplished
classic flamenco guitarist, with instilling the importance proper
posture, timing/beats and scales. After discovering she could play
some Chuck Berry guitar licks, she was ‘off to the
races’.
Her
neighbor, a drummer for their high school marching band and a local
surf band, was her ride to school each day. Eventually, he joined
forces with the lead singer of the stoner band in the same school –
if you’re familiar with hair metal bands from the 80’s you’ll want
to hear this story, which leads to another story of how
Lisa got into her first band, The
Pandoras, who got their first record deal after their first gig.
Lisa says it all happened ‘too fast, too soon’ and admits she was
too young to appreciate the opportunities. She says that while
she’s worked with some successful names you’ll recognize, that
level of notoriety never really manifested for her.
After
having recorded a five-song EP with The Pandoras, Lisa stayed on at
the studio for awhile, recording with Berlin, Social Distortion and
was in many other LA bands including Helle's Belles, Hardly
Dangerous, Feline and Bellylove, whose music was featured on the
third season of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'.
Thinking her move to the desert had put her band
days behind her, one Sunday, she and Paul were looking for
something to do and headed up to this place they'd heard some local
folks talk about called Pappy & Harriet’s. There was a band
playing some mellow tunes and when the band called the Security guy
up on stage to sing, Lisa and Paul didn't know what to think. The
band launched into Led Zeppelin's 'Immigrant Song'.
Afterward, Lisa immediately approached him about singing Sabbath
covers and ‘Hammer of the Ozz’ was born
with Security guy 'Big Dave Johnson' on vocals and local Landers
resident and another accomplished musician, Greg
Gordon, on drums. The band is looking
forward to recording at Rancho de la Luna in Joshua Tree in August
2019. Lisa and Paul have also formed a soul, funk band called ‘The
LP’s’.
Photo: Sandra Goodin
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