Here is a presentation of some of the very important people who in one way or another have had an active part in Jay's work over the years. Color photographs taken by Webmaster © KEO 1996 - 2021. Photo of Jay's Dad published courtesy of Joe Graydon. All rights reserved.

 

 

Joe Graydon - Jay's Dad has probably had the greatest influence on Jay's musical growth being a role model to look up to and an enthusiastic supporter. Joe Graydon was very active through the years as a singer, performer and arranger of Big Band events. We are all saddened by his passing on May 19, 2001.

Joe had his own section on Jay's web site, on which we had planned for many stories from Joe's exciting career. You can read a letter from 1999 in which he is telling us about his life and career, giving us some insight in the wonderful music world of Big Bands.

He is also sharing stories with us from Jay's childhood and adolescence on the extensive biography section Jay Story.

Born in Washington D.C., on the site of the U.S. Supreme Court, he began conducting and singing with bands when he was in high school and continued doing so throughout his college years, which provided him with enough money to pay for his tuition and earn a law degree from the Catholic University of America.

His very first recording with the great Gordon Jenkin's Orchestra was a mega hit entitled AGAIN which was #1 on the charts for many weeks and went platinum. He had his own show, in Hollywood, for five years. It was, in fact, the first musical talk show and Joe had a group of five great studio musicians who worked the show with him for two hours each day, five days a week. Las Vegas beckoned and he was soon doing radio and television there and singing in hotels on the famous Las Vegas strip.

In the last 20+ years Joe Graydon's corporation, JOMAR Productions, Inc., became THE largest producer of Big Band events in the entire entertainment industry. Many of his concert attractions were coast to coast tours ranging up to three months duration. He not only produced these shows but also wrote and directed them. Additionally, he often incorporated star attractions in his productions, such as Tony Bennett, Mel Tormé, Frankie Laine, Kay Starr, etc. On occasion, especially on Big Band ocean cruises, he conducted and, of course, did a vocal chorus now and then. His tours were for instance totally sold out during 1998 and 1999.

 

 

Ian Eales - apart from being a close friend he has worked together with Jay for many years as an engineer. He was born in Victoria BC Canada. Married to David Foster's sister Marylou for 25 years. Ian moved to LA 1981, where he has worked as an engineer on several albums and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1983 for the "Jarreau" album. Invented the Vocal Splicer for compiling vocal takes. The Vocal Splicer allows a compilation of various tracks of vocals (or anything else) to be combined into a single "take" which can give the artist an easier job, since he/she doesn't have to "strain" to make the singing perfect, because it can be corrected. The Vocal Splicer allows you to patch up to 8 takes into it and compile them by cross fading between them with a fader and two rows of selector buttons. You can also add an external device, like a Harmonizer (pitch shifter) to correct pitch. It is configured so you can pitch correct the middle of a line or word by cross fading between the original or the corrected signal. So this nifty box is a real time saver and time is money as you all know. Interested in purchasing it or just know more? E-mail us for more info.

Over the years Ian Eales has worked with all kinds of people from Kenny Rogers to Brian Ferry and Patti Austin to Madonna. He started and is the President of Studio City Sound Corporation. Designed and built film scoring panels for Neve Analog and Digital Consoles. When he is not working Ian also likes to ride his bicycle and used to feel at home on the water but hasn't been out for some years now. He hates hassling computers, loves for instance "Fawlty Towers" and is like Webmaster a true Monty Pythonist.

 

 

Bogart "The Studio Dog" Graydon - Last but certainly not least is the guy who "owned" Jay. The guy who supported him with unconditional love and constant inspiration. The apple of Dad's eye. Didn't play any instrument, was not much of a singer (no Vocal Splicer could ever help him with the pitch), hasn't written any hit songs, didn't even get up to say hello when friends visited - still, to his Dad, he was the BEST! He will be sadly missed!

 

All written material, all images and photos in all sections of this website copyright © Jay Graydon/KEO 1996 - 2024. All rights reserved. Comments, suggestions, appreciation, corrections... whatever... talk to us.

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