Don Hutchko

The HomePage of TEXAS Musician and Educator

DON HUTCHKO

Don Hutchko
           Don started playing guitar in 1965 with a bunch of friends in Columbus Ga .. By the time they reached high school , they were starting to get a few jobs . His family moved to Texas where he and his new friends formed the Rock Band - ALBATROSS . They started playing around the Killeen Tx area until Don started college where they got into the 'dance hall' circuit . The band stayed together and continued to grow through the 70's playing larger venues and opening shows .

          During the same time period Don had a full Music scholarship . One of his instuctors was Jerry Vanderbrunhaus , a Houston musician and officer in the musicians union . Jerry got Don union jobs with people like Nancy Wilson , Trini Lopez and playing with Houston big band Ed Gerlach .After getting his music degree he made a brief journey back to Ga. to finish his BBA [ in Finance ] where he played some shows at the school with jazz players such as Phil Woods and Maynard Ferguson .

  

                Back in Texas he took a job with singer H McMilian who was on tour. One of the jobs they played in Florida was on the CMT show - CHURCH STREET STATION . When he returned to Houston ,  'ALBATROSS' vocalist WARREN ARCHER had set up a 2nd MTV Video shoot with producer Huey Meaux at Rice Auditorium . Huey gave Houston singer Roy Head [who needed a guitar player] Don's number .
Don then found himself in the unusual position of shooting a rock video for MTV in the daytime , watching the H.McMilian CMT show at dinner , and playing with Roy Head at night .

             Playing also with Roy was Houston guitar player Jimmy Don Smith . During the 80's Don played with Roy at the St. Louis Blues Festival, Opryland [Nashville] , Aquafest [Austin] , Houston Rodeo , etc . as well as mutiple recording sessions in Austin and Houston through the years . In Houston Don played with many local artist over the next several years including Clint Black [ and both of his brothers - Brian and Kevin ] , Mike Black ,Larry Calous , Donnie Vondra & Tejas , Kenny Young , Marie English , and C Lynn Garcia who shot a music video in Houston for CMT . Don was still playing shows with Roy through this period . There always great players there such as Johnny Gimble , Johnny Bush , B.J.Thomas , Lee Greenwood etc. and on the blues / rock side Rare Earth , the Guess Who , Bobby Blue Bland , Percy Sledge -- one show in St. Louis had ZZ Top , Jimmy Smith , and Jerry Lee Lewis .       

           While playing shows with Roy , Don met Dick Allen . His band Dick Allen and the River Road Boys were a great Country Swing band . Don started filling in for Dick's guitar player and soon ended up playing with him full time . During a 5 Year House Job at the turn of the century Dick showed Don how to play country , swing , and blues . Dick stopped playing for health reasons in the summer of 2005 .

         Don started playing with Dean Scott [ a world class entertainer ] at the end of the summer . Dean opened a show 3 weeks ago for Herman's Hermits. Click on Dean's link to check his page and calender .

         You can hear or keep the two original classical pieces that play during the intro and main page of the flash site below . Double Click to listen - right click save target as to keep.

                                CLASSICAL SONG #1

                       CLASSICAL SONG #2

 

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