Rocky Zharp, born in Indiana, was given his first musical instrument, a harmonica, by his great grandmother when he was a toddler.
By age 15, Rocky was working as a bass player in a three-piece rock band. Rocky won a local talent contest, before joining the army, playing guitar, harmonica and singing original songs.
After moving to California, Rocky began playing harmonica with Bodie Mountain Express, a blue grass/country band, which had recorded on RCA Records and worked with Col. Tom Parker (Elvis' manager). They performed at county fairs and festivals throughout southern California.
This is when Rocky started his recording career. Before recording his own songs, Rocky did harmonica work for other recording artist. Rocky now has 7 cds out.
Rocky won the Inland Theater League Award for his part in the theater production of "The World of Carl Sandberg" and had rave reviews while performing in "Hard Travelin' a Tribute to Woody Guthrie". Rocky has done some stand up comedy and has been a comedy traffic violator school instructor for thirteen years. Rocky has hosted a weekly blues radio show, "The Great Blues Mix" on KHPY radio out of Moreno Valley, Ca. (the station has now gone Spanish)
Rocky has played harmonica with such jazz/blues greats as; Eric Burdon, The Mighty Flyers, The Toller Brothers, Jerry Van Blair, Bill Shields, and Big "J" McNelly. Rocky has played with other well-known artist such as: Don Ho, Freddy Fender, Rosie & the Originals, Randy Fuller, and Buddy Merrill.
Rocky has recorded with Junior Watson, Larry Taylor, Honey Piazza, Jody Reynolds, and Johnny Neal.
The following is some of the artist Rocky has opened for: Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers, Canned Heat, Corey Stevens, Molly Hatchet, the Crests, Utah Phillips, and Highway 101.
Rocky released a live cd as well as a studio cd, "Crackin' the Blues" with his band The Blues Crackers, (Official promoters of mandatory fun and audience participation). In 2002 Rocky released two CD's: "The Best Of Rocky Zharp" (which has been getting air play in the United States and throughout Europe) and "The Blair Zharp Project," a children's cd with Irish folk singer Andrea Blair (which had two number one songs on mp3.com.)
The Blues Crackers Performed for the fifth year at "Jazz In The Pines" in Idyllwild, Ca. in 2002 and are booked for August 2003. The band played at the 18th annual Monterey Bay Blues Festival the 29th of June 2003 and was ask to come back in 2004.
Rocky's original song, "Scars" from "Crackin' the Blues" and "The Best Of" CD's was featured on the Dec/Jan 2003 Blues Revue Magazine compilation CD distributed throughout the world. Rocky's song "Merry Merry Christmas" from his Christmas cd was featured on a Hospice compilation CD "Ho Ho Hospice" distributed throughout the United States to help raise money and awareness for Hospice. Rocky's country song "Too Drunk To Stagger" was featured on an anti-drug/pro-family compilation CD, "Songs of Recovery" by Sun Ray Addictions.
Rocky now has an endorsement from Shaker Harmonica Microphones. www.shakermicrophone.com
For Booking Information, Contact Rocky via
Email kinghuddrecorde@aol.com
Or call: (951) 927-4247
Home Page www.rockyzharp.com
myspace.com/rockyzharp
Snail mail Box 2274, Hemet, Ca. 92546 U. S. A.
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