Tom LaRocque

Banjo

Like many banjo players of his generation, Tom LaRocque was inspired by the music of Earl Scruggs. It might have been the Beverly Hillbillies theme song or “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” from Bonnie and Clyde. His reaction was, “I’ve gotta do that!”

Bluegrass wasn’t easy to find in Chicago in the 70s. He took lessons at Chicago’s famed Old Town School of Folk Music and has never stopped playing in the ensuing 49 years, whether performing with bands or at informal jams in Wisconsin, Chicago, Idaho and Colorado. Currently his melodic playing and tenor harmony singing are helping to shape the sound of Robert Davis and the Duck Hunters here in Golden CO.

Says Tom: “The opportunity to play music may be one of the greatest gifts of your life. It's an ideal outlet for your creative and collaborative urges. It's mental and physical. It’s the one thing you can do to look cool whether you’re eight or eighty years old. Come and play the banjo with me and we can both pass along this gift that I received from Earl Scruggs a half century ago.”

Location(s): Golden