Ken grew up in the Friendship Gardens section of Baltimore Highlands. During the late sixties “every revolution known to man was going on at the time, and in Baltimore Highlands there was a music revolution going on. There must have been a hundred teenage musicians in a development of two hundred row homes. I remember rolling my Plush bass rig down the street to jam at a friend’s house in the afternoon and roll it back up the street for a rehearsal at Evelyn ‘Evie’ Kight’s house in the evening.”
“You would be in a band for a few days, get kicked out or quit and be in another band that afternoon. Some of the (neighborhood players include) Tommy Mathis, Gil Bateman, Dave Joran, John Miller, Glen Biddison, Bob Hunt, and many others…”
As a teenager Ken played bass guitar with the Grabbers (see bio) during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. By the early ‘70s Ken decided he wanted to play guitar. After some formal training at The Peabody Conservatory, he eventually switched to guitar, continuing with the Grabbers and jamming with various other groups. Ken also began playing guitar with his friend Gil Bateman, who at the time was a member of an early incarnation of Hare Trigger.
Along with former Grabbers Al Crisp (bass), and Clyde Allen (vocals) in 1973 they formed Walrus Bay (see bio) and performed a few gigs.
Ken joined the Navy in 1974. After an honorable discharge in 1978 he took up residence with his father in San Bruno, California.
A call from Gil Bateman prompted Ken to move back to Baltimore in 1979 and join Hare Trigger. The group gigged around and did some recordings at Sheffield Studios. The music was never released and is joking referred to by Ken as “the lost Sheffield recordings.”
Ken met drummer Russell Kulp and the two of them joined Legacy in 1980. Eventually Kulp and Massey formed the classic rock band Hurricane. Around 1986 Hurricane became (Biker) Joe Warren’s backing band. The group gigged around and released studio recordings.
After parting ways with Warren, Ken and Russell formed the group Backslider. Around this time Ken met and started taking lessons from guitarist Carl Filipiak.
In 1994 Benny Sudano persuaded Ken to help re-form Hare Trigger so that they could record his catalog of original songs. The group re-formed and they released the CD “Just Believe” in 1996.
Shortly after the CD release Benny had a heart attack and died. “We tried to keep it going but it just wasn’t the same and quite frankly, I was heartbroken.”
“Having my early training on classical guitar was a blessing in disguise, because after Benny died I turned inward and began playing solo classical.” Ken played at church, sang in the choir for several years, and also studied jazz guitar.
The early ‘00s were a time of reawakening for Ken. He did a concert with the summer string orchestra (“Vivaldi’s Guitar Concerto in D”), started performing again with a variety of local musicians and began working on his jazz compositions. In 2006 Ken released the CD “Autumn in Baltimore.” The production caught the attention of several small record labels and Ken was recruited to produce and perform on a record with North Carolina based blues legend Dicky Williams.
Ken continued with his varied projects. Music continues to run in the family as his daughter Alyssa contributes backing vocals to his current recordings.
Ken Massey discography:
With Biker Joe Warren:
1987(CD) Your Mother Warned You
With Hare Trigger:
1995(CD) Just Believe
1996(CD) Penguin Dilemma Music Christmas Sampler
With Summer String Orchestra:
2004(CD) Vivaldi Guitar Concerto in D Major
Ken Massey:
2006(CD) Autumn in Baltimore
Dicky Williams & The Ken Massey Group:
2007(CD) CDS 1001 I’m Back again
