Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, Jon came to Canada in 1972 to avoid the Military Draft and being shipped off to Vietnam. He originally intended to head to British Columbia, but heard about a commune of hippies who were living in a rural area of New Brunswick called Cross Creek. After deciding to head up to the province for further inspection, he discovered land was quite cheap, so Jon ended up settling here and has called the area home ever since.
Jon is a very intelligent, down to earth person. For a man who has spent many years building guitars, he remains humble in the face of the instrument and of the process of being a writer and performer. Jon initially began building guitars during the first winter he spent in Canada and is totally self taught. "I knew I was coming to Canada and knew I was going to go back to the land," he says. "I wanted to have some sort of craft that I could work at and possibly make a living at. I was already playing the guitar so I just picked up a book in the Whole Earth catalogue on guitar making and went, Wow.
The band has also performed at The Cellar Pub on the UNB campus and Rye's Deli amoung many other places. As for song writing, Jon says his inspirations come from different sources. "It's usually people oriented. Different things going on around you. Sometimes I'm involved and sometimes I'm not". At 53 years of age, Jon shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon and has no problem keeping up with his band members who are often less than half his age. "It's difficult to find people your own age that don't have obstacles and family commitments that can interfere with the group," says Jon. He recruits younger musicians who can meet the demands required, which often means performing late into the night in various clubs. To his younger fans, Jon is regarded as somewhat of an icon and perhaps even a folk hero. He also has no problem being called a hippie. "Ya I'm a hippie and proud of it", laughs Jon. Since he has been in Canada, Jon has enjoyed a simple way of life, living in the remote rural area of the province with his various animals, all the while enjoying a lifestyle where it appears time has pretty much stood still.
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