Donny Grubb has been in the Music business since he was 11 years old when he picked up his Grandpa’s 1951 Fender (Nocaster) Telecaster and started whaling away. Grandpa’s Fender was the 3rd instrument Donny learned to play. He started on the mandolin and then the banjo. Donny grew to love his Grandpa’s Telecaster the most and still plays it regularly to this day.
Donny was born in Rainelle, West Virginia, the son and grandson of Union coalminers. Like the Bon Jovi song, “Livin’ on a prayer” the Union went on strike and Donny’s family was forced to move to Arizona where he would graduate from Apache Junction high school in 1997. After high school he followed up with a degree in audio engineering and worked sports radio with professional athletes like Jason Kidd and Charles Barkley. Through these times Donny was balancing his radio career, Music career, and most important, his family and new father duties. Donny always remembers where his Music background came from, the roots of his Music , family Music .
Donny tells me that he is a guitar player first, (one of the best in my opinion) before a singer. His two most influential guitarists are Danny Gatton and Roy Buchanan. These two influential guitarists are two of the best “never heard of” musicians and have influenced many guitarists that play Telecasters. When it comes to favorite vocalists, Donny is mostly influenced by Vince Gill and Keith Whitley.
As a performer The Donny Grubb Band has opened for artists like Eric Church, Jason Aldean, Lee Brice, and one of the all-time legends, Willie Nelson. Donny has 3 original songs that are on the Canada Country Music Billboard. The band covers hundreds of songs, but Donny’s favorite is Oklahoma Borderline by Vince Gill. The Donny Grubb Band has been the house band at the Hitching Post Bar for over 8 years, he has been nominated multiple times for the Arizona Country Music hall of fame. Even though he is a house band, he was raised in the Honky-Tonks , has played in many of them locally with other artists, a billboard charting songwriter, and a very popular session player, recording tracks for fellow musicians all over the country.
Donny Grubb has been around the Arizona Music scene for over 20-years. His favorite local band in Mogollon. Donny told me a story about when he was 14 and at that time lead guitarists George Brunson, (Donny’s all-time local hero) pulled him up on stage, slung his Telecaster around his neck, and let Donny shred to Garth Brooks “Ain’t going down till the sun comes up”. Since then the two have stayed close friends and still jam together from time to time. I asked Donny, “what was one of your most memorable or crazy performances”? He told me about a time the band played a small gig out west and a Gila monster crawled across the stage, “fastest version of Oklahoma Borderline we ever played.”
Donny has some very interesting hobbies. He enjoys rebuilding vintage amplifiers and radios, anything with a tube. I asked him what his infatuation is with the old relics, he told me, “I love what I grew up with, recreating what Music used to be, I love sounding as close to my hero’s as possible”. Donny believes that his success with his band is that they are all like family, “these are guys I hang out with, go fishing with”. Donny has multiple guitar’s including his Grandpa’s 51 Tele, his second favorite is his acoustic Martin D-28. I asked Donny what his favorite effect is as a guitarist? Donny told me that he really likes his Echo Plex. I asked him what his favorite movie, to my surprise it is Top Gun, so you know what my next question was, “Maverick, Iceman, or Goose”? Donny said, “I’m more like Tom Skerritt, The Viper”. The man in charge.
This first interview I’ve done was very important to me. I got to interview a fellow musician, friend, and my mentor. Donny has always been a highly respected musician across the state, he has also played across the upper Midwest and Canada and has made quite a name for himself. He told me that he feels so blessed to have been a full-time musician for the past 14 years. When it comes to his family he always puts his family first. I’d like to leave you with an important quote from Donny Grubb , “Depend on yourself not technology, it’s ok to play your instrument”
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