E. Zane Wood Bio
* Started playing guitar at age 13
* First band, Mike & the Axemen - Instrumental surf music, as rhythm at age 16
* Zane's own 1st Band - B.C . and the Cavemen (17) - Zane on Guitar and Vocals - Guitar player Bill Harkelroad and bass player Mark Boston , later became members of Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, then with Frank Zappa.
* The Naturals - (18-20) - Performed for local teen gigs and Battle of the Bands - Won several awards.
* 1st road gig 1966 (21) - With The Soul Seekers, played lead R &B guitar and soul lead vocals. On the road for 18 months. Worked with Etta James, The Drifters, etc.
* 1967 - Switched to bass guitar with The Soul Seekers, playing the Motown bass style and singing lead. (this was at The Top Hat Club in Santa Monica, Ca. - a popular "Black" night club at the time, on Santa Monica Blvd.) Lineup - Sax, Trumpet, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Drums.
* 1968 - Moved to San Fernando Valley and performed (bass/vocal) in local bars and at private functions with diverse groups. He moves to Hollywood and signs on with the McConkey Artists Booking Agency.
* From there , Zane met Kim Fowley, a renowned and bizarre underground producer and artist; recorded a couple of single records (on Proctor Records) for him as E. Zane Wood & the Dominion (the engineer was a young, now well known, Michael Lloyd): sang for an album project of his, "Extremely Heavy", which Warner Brothers picked up and distributed. See image of the Proctor record here.
* 1968- mid 1970 - Joined a great 4 piece vocal/instrumental group, Holy Smoke,
(Jay Anderson Guitar/Vocal), (Jim Kelly Guitar/Vocal), (Rick Lassos drums) working in the local bars, doing (now classic) Rock. - This is where the unusual story becomes strange - almost mythical.
1970 - Even though the group, Holy Smoke, was working on some originals to record with Kim Fowley (see above link) , they hit hard times with the paying gigs, so the drummer (Rick Lassos -who, for a period, later became the music coordinator for the Hollywood Bowl) and Zane, poured through the Local 57 Musicians Union paper for other booking agents. They found one they thankfully recognized , phoned, and were given another number by the operator. They called that number, and the operator came on again saying, "the number has been changed", after which she provided them the new number.
When they called the new number, a man answered who asked indignantly,"Where did you obtain this number, this is a private number and a private residence!!" They told him the tale of what they were doing, and how they obtained his number, and that, they were a band looking for work. He was astonished and said," Well, I just happen to be looking for a band!! Come to my home for an audition. They went, auditioned for 8 executive producers in the room of a huge estate in Hollywood Hills (WOW!).
The show producers signed the entire band as musical/vocal backup for a live show, and to be permanent members of the newly formed, MIKE CURB CONGREGATION, who at the time (1970), had top 10 record ; the theme song to the motion picture starring Clint Eastwood, Kelly's Hero's, "Burning Bridges". They received a salary plus bonus', air/sea/land transportation, hotel rooms, costumes, and celebrity treatment.
Performances :
Las Vegas:
* Caesars Palace Showroom w/ Steve & Eydie,
* Landmark w/Hank Williams Jr.
* The Sands w/ Burt Baccarat, Dion Warwick, Eddie Arnold
* Liberace Show for three months
* Harrah's Casino, Lake Tahoe with Sammy Davis Jr.
Other
* The Forum in LA - Show of the World -1970, 1971, 1972
* Latin Casino -New Jersy
* Schubert Theater w/ George Burns
* International Music Festival in Japan twice
* Jose Fileciano TV Special
* Michael LeGrand TV Special
* Grammy Awards in Nashville 1972
* Academy Awards
* Glenn Campbell Goodtime Hour TV show as regulars working with Johnny Cash, Liza Minnelli, Dom Delouis, John Wayne, to name a few.
* Republican National Convention, with Frank Sinatra, The Monkeys and Bob Hope
* Hawaii TV Special- Johnathan Livingstone Seagull Specials
* Performances with World Famous Illusionist Harry Blackstone Jr
* so many more, I can't recall them all...
Records
* Eddie Arnold
* Lou Rawls - "Natural Man"
* Hank Williams Jr.
* Steve and Eydie Gorme
* Sammy Davis Jr. -"Candy Man"
* Vocal Backup for various MGM Artists
* MGM single as E. Zane Wood - original songs
* More than I can remember
1975 -1990- Mike Curb was elected Lieutenant General of California and the MMC became less active. Zane worked on several musical projects shorty after he left the MMC Congregation which included The Mead Project , as a singer, and with Dick Halligan (of Blood, Sweat, and Tears) who was putting a new group together. Neither of these projects ever got off the ground - too bad.
Zane started a country group, moved to San Diego, and worked as a front man for 13 years. Ken Munds and Zane put out a record on their own label, Inka Records, and took it to Nashville's Fan Fair. We did get some promises to play the record from dozens of radio stations.
Zane won many local awards, including Entertainer of the Year 1981. He worked 4 years with Country Casanova in San Diego performing 6 days + a week. Opened or backed up such acts as: Keith Whitley, Waylon Jennings, Randy Travis, Barbara Mandrell, worked with Alabama's guitar player - Jeff Cook, and many more country stars. Played bass and vocal backup with Spencer Davis Group (2 Concerts)
1990 - 2003 - Zane left the music scene to clear his head, get some education, and pursue other interests like: a paralegal business, tax preparation, mail store owner, radio station engineer/talk show host, and 3 years in a Colorado Seminary, volunteer prison Chaplain; all of which prove interesting, but not lasting.
2003- Present - Zane now performs with his own band, Crystal Ridge, other local groups, and teaching bass, guitar and vocals.
Zane is available for performance, sub work, recording. etc. He plays/sings Country, Rock, Standards, Blues, Soul, and show tunes.
Call Me - 661 - 874-4383