CONNECTION

Jon Shillito

Lead & Rhythm Guitar

	Equipment Fender Stratocaster;  Gibson Les Paul Special, Fender twin reverb; Digital guitar modeller; volume pedal.

Contacts

Email :

info@connection-band.com

Jon’s musical career began at the tender age of eight, singing solos in the school choir. He took after his dad who was a singer of some local repute, with the odd TV appearance to his name.

There were no musicians in the family though, so when Jon was given a classical guitar for his ninth birthday, it was surprising that things took a different turn, and there began a lifelong affinity with the instrument.

He worked hard at it, encouraged by much-loved local primary school music teacher (and now successful children’s author) Veronica Clark. A growing interest in rock music in his early teenage years led to a progression to the electric guitar. After a while learning riffs with friends in a bedroom as kids do,  it was a defining moment for him when he was invited to join local band Purple Eye (as by far the youngest member) who toured the local teenage discos for a couple of years in the mid ‘70’s. It was then that Jon was really bitten by the stage bug, and the thrill of performing that’s still there today.

Early musical influences were the Stones, the Who, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Free, Status Quo, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits and Elvis Costello to judge from but a few of the covers of his (now very battered) vinyl collection.

The 80’s brought university and despite a couple of recordings that exist from around this time, the task of forging a successful professional career had begun to take over. The guitar didn’t get handled very much over the next 20 years, though Jon’s reputation as a useful accompanist had him in demand a couple of times a year for local shows and pantomimes. Things have a funny way of coming round again though, and eventually the day job gave the impetus. As a manager in an international electronics company, Jon spent a lot of time in the Far East. Relaxing after work with business friends inevitably meant Karaoke, and to his (great) surprise Jon could be heard belting out Tom Jones hits with the worst of them (and to massive adulation) in the bars of downtown Seoul. But it woke the performing bug, and his fate was sealed by listening to some of the fabulous live (mostly Filipino) bands that play round the Pacific Rim circuit.

But it was a chance encounter as an accompanist in a pantomime at the local Public Hall that finally provided the opportunity however. Bizarrely, Jon teamed up with a king and an ugly sister who had already formed the backbone of what became Connection. The rest as they say is history. Jon still enjoys watching live music as well as playing, and loves nothing better than to share the experience with friends. So from time to time Ian now receives over his mobile phone, at strange times of day and night, renditions of  “Hoter Carifolnia” from Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and other major oriental cities. “Ian, just listen to this…….”