R. Barry Knox
aka Robert Barry Knox, aka Songfather, aka Shon'Soro
I am a songwriter, producer and publisher of original songs about love, life and relationships. Love of music is and always has been my motivation. I am music. I hope you find my work original, creative, and most of all - entertaining. If you are a radio personality/disk jockey or media representative, perhaps the following information will assist you in commenting about my creative work.
I was born in Oklahoma, the home state of many well known American singer/songwriters such as, Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, Ty England, Toby Keith, Reba McIntyre, B. J. Thomas, Roger Miller, Hank Thompson, Wanda Jackson, Spade Coolie, Woody Guthrie and many, many others. During my early years I developed a love of music in singing with relatives, friends and church members. Both my mother, grandfather and many of my relatives had great voices and influenced my early interest in music.
When I first started singing I enjoyed imitating the popular singers of the times and creating various kinds of voices to amuse my family and friends. I once appeared on a television show where I did my imatations. It was during these years that I discovered I had talent for music and creativity. During my high schools years I was not interested in formal learning of music but I was influenced by all of the artist of contemporary music, especially Rock and Roll.
After graduating high school I enlisted in the Air Force for four years. While in the Air Force I pursued my music as much as possible. After my discharge from active duty I moved to California to pursue a career in music. Upon arriving in California I could not find any profitable opportunity in music to work, so I found employment in the retail business, and later, civil service to support myself, my new wife and two young sons. During these years I attended college in the evenings and worked on my music as time permitted. I graduated from the College of San Mateo, near San Francisco and the Antelope Valley College, near Los Angeles.
For the next few years I lived and worked at various jobs across the United States, and as time permitted, I continued to develop my songwriting skills and perform where ever I had an opportunity. It was about this time that I adopted the pseudonym of Shon'Soro and organized my first band, playing where ever I had an apportunity. Showcasing my original songs before audiences in small clubs proved to be an excellent learning arena.
Always looking for someway to achieve recognition for my music, I decided to followed the examples of some successful songwriter/performers with four track recordings. I decided to try it and purchased a four track recorder for my home studio. With the technical help of some great friends I self-produced my first and second LP albums featuring me, my guitars and harmonicas. I released both LP albums on my own Desert Morning Records. My songs "Big Mama", "Don't Shoot Me Woman", "Love With Me Today"and "Sweet Peace of Mind" created the most interest and got me my first magazine reviews.
I expanded my project studio with a Tascam eight track recorder, a Carvin 16 track mixing board, and several types of new audio processors for sound enhancement. With the help of some terrific musician friends I recorder many more of my songs as eight track productions. Around the same time I organized my House of Knox Publishing Company for the administration, licensing and printing of my music as an independent publisher with ASCAP.
Luckily my efforts caught the attention of a motion picture producer and director. I was hired to write all the songs for their picture, have a part in the film, and produce the sound track. Unfortunately, six months later, and shortly before the filming commenced, the movie project was canceled . It seems there was a major problem with administration and management conflicts.
After this unfortunate situation I was frustrated, burned out and near to a nervous breakdown. I then retreated into a very private mode in my life for the next couple of years and did nothing but record music and search for my musical identify and the style of music I would write and produce. For whatever reasons I still have not been able to limited my self to one genre of music.
In 1998 I released my first CD Trying To Get The Most Out of Life, that contained ten of my recordings in various genres. I put this CD on the Internet with MP3.
In 2001 I released another CD titled Rough Cuts which contained a collection of rough mixdowns, in various genres, of some songs I had been working for several years. I also put this CD on MP3.
In 2002, I expanded my project studio with a personal computer, a music program, a Fostex Digital Recorder, a 24 track Carvin Mixing Board and several music loop libraries to create some loop based productions , i.e., The Kiss, Hanging Out, Take A Chance, Hola Tijuana, Screaming Latin Things and There Comes Lucy, all of which are included on my Hanging Out CD. This CD collection of songs was available on MP3.
In 2004 and 2005 I was busy writing. recording and producing a collections of new songs for the Boomer Generation audience on a new CD called "Bayou To Broadway". The CD songs are in various genre with a little of mellow blues, country dance and easy listening. My good friend Paula Pena joined me vocally on several of the songs. This CD became available on the Internet for purchased and/or downloaded from www.cdbaby.com/rbarryknox , www.itunes.com/rbarryknox , www.payplay.fm/rbarryknox and various other Internet music stores in June, 2006.
In 2006 I completed a new CD - Music In The Pocket, full of live recordings of songs performed on and off Music Avenue and Audio Quest Studio in San Diego. All selections were written by me and produced by myself and studio owner, Douglas Stephens. This collection of songs is new music for the Baby Boomer Generation.
I and my associates are available to write, score and produce music for stage, film, commercial and multi-media projects. Directions to obtain song samples are on my Home Web Page.
As for the future, I remain in the music where I hope you find me. Any comments you care to make about my musical endeavors will be appreciated. Please send me any printed copies. If you have any questions you want to ask me, send me an email to: songfather@yahoo.com
Robert B. Knox and House of Knox Publishing are now on the ASCAP ACE Index. I will be adding a Cover Page showing which performers, directors, stage companies, commercial promoters and other media are featuring my creative works.
I want to express my best thank you to the radio stations that are beginning to play my music. Any radio station wanting promo copies of my Music In The Pocket or Bayou To Broadway CDs, just send me a email.
I Am The Music
(last updated April 30, 2008)
