The Walkens are....
Tod MillerVocalist/acoustic guitarist Tod Miller, a Phoenix native, began singing and playing in his mid-20s. He formed the Walkens in spring 2006 after stints in several popular Valley cover bands, ostensibly for artistic expression but really for money and female attention. A former high-school math teacher, Miller holds an engineering degree and a Master's Degree in business administration from Arizona State University. He has traveled the world extensively, is an avid reader and is an experienced scuba diver and instructor. During a summer 2008 diving expedition to the Galapagos Islands, he won a staring contest with a 12-foot Galapagos shark while bleeding in the water. That's right, a freakin shark. His interests include fly-fishing, whitewater kayaking, triathlons and doing his best to stay out of trouble. He cites musical influences including the Beatles, James Taylor and, inexplicably, Tonic. He is widely regarded in the Phoenix-area music community as a great singer and a booking machine who gets things done. |
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Tony KingDrummer/vocalist Tony King, also a Phoenix native, started playing early in high school- relatively late as drummers go - and played in marching and jazz combos in college, culminating in four years on the Arizona State University drum line. With stints in several acclaimed cover bands, he is now widely recognized as one of the Phoenix area's best and busiest drummers. King cites formidable drumming influences such as Steve Gadd (whom he has met several times), Dave Weckl and Vinnie Colaiuta, and he cites favorite groups and performers including Sting, Sade, Van Halen and, seriously, Extreme and Kiss. Stop snickering. While a full-time member of the Walkens, Tony performs occasionally with other Phoenix-area acts and also plays regularly with original Walkens guitarist Jay Poole in side band Delcoa. With his dazzling smile, friendly personality and smooth Latin charm, he is the Walkens' resident chick magnet and, as he is fond of pointing out to Tod, Jeff and Al as often as possible, he typically has no more than $14 or $15 in his checking account at any given time. |
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Al AbbassiGuitarist Allen Abbassi was born in Buffalo, N.Y. and grew up in Virginia, moving to Arizona in 1994, where he currently is a senior product manager for electric guitars at the Fender Musical Instrument Corp. At Fender, Abbassi met Owens and was subsequently invited to sub on occasion for original Walkens guitarist Jay Poole. Abbassi joined the Walkens full-time on Poole's departure in fall 2007, energizing the group with his formidable guitar chops, hysterical voices, rubbery dance moves and Jim Carrey-esque facial contortions; indeed, Abbassi is incredibly funny and it's nearly impossible to keep a straight face around him. Seriously. Al's versatile guitar work is the main instrumental voice of the Walkens, and he effortlessly shifts gears between artists as varied as the Beatles, Rage Against the machine, Johnny Cash, Marvin Gaye and many others with masterful musical aplomb. |
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Jeff OwensBassist/vocalist Jeff Owens, a Phoenix native, became a rock musician in his early teens at the insistence of his parents. He has played throughout the United States, the U.K. and Western Europe. He is a published songwriter whose original music has been heard on Fox Television, the Disney Channel, NBC, ABC, ESPN, A&E, PBS, the Discovery Channel, Showtime and many other networks in the United States and abroad. |
