Local performers have followed their fathers' footsteps
Jay Kirschenmann
jkirsch@argusleader.com
The Hegg brothers are used to it by now.
People approach them at gigs and say, "You're Denny Hegg's boys, aren't you? I had him as my favorite teacher, and I love that man to this day."
That makes musicians Jeremy, Jonathan and Jason Hegg feel proud, being sons of a revered music teacher. They say a lifetime of seeing their dad involved in music, and all of them playing around the house, has rubbed off.
Like the Heggs, the sons of Rich Show - known for Violet, The Body Electric and other bands - say having music around during their growing-up years made them more musically inclined.
"There always were instruments in the basement," Isaac Show, 21, says to his dad during a recent get-together in Rich Show's downtown Sioux Falls apartment.
"I remember one day you just, unannounced, bought a set of drums, a guitar and bass at the same time, and two amps," says Eli Show, 24.
"Yeah, they were cheap," says a smiling Rich Show, 51. "I think you guys were in junior high or something. We needed more instruments."
Today, the boys play in the band We All Have Hooks For Hands, and do some recording with their dad.
The Heggs have bands, too: Jeremy and Jonathan perform as a duo and in many other configurations with other musicians. Jason plays with Wumpus.
The Heggs and Show boys grew up with the musical influences of their fathers. But for Joel Burckhard, 34, of Aberdeen, it may have worked the other way around.
"Joel is a unique individual, and my influence on my son is almost nil," says singer and harmonica player Pete Burckhard, 58. "I didn't start playing until well after he was already good on guitar. I raised my kids before I joined bands."
The father and son are bandmates now, in Pops Blue Rhythm Band, playing northeastern South Dakota. Their name and logo are a take-off on Pabst Blue Ribbon beer name and logo.
"I didn't start playing in a band till about 1994," Pete Burckhard says. "By then he already had a couple of bands under his belt."
Still, music is in their family: Joel plays in bands, another son, Justin, 27, lives and plays music in Austin, Texas. Jeremy Burckhard, 21, spends hours working on recording original music and sometimes joins his dad and brother performing in the band.
No pressure for Heggs
A key to keeping the Hegg boys playing was the support, not pressure, from their dad.
"Maybe we were expected to take lessons and be in groups, but it wasn't like we were forced by a task master," says Jeremy Hegg, 36. "He assumed that we would because we would see how much fun it was, and how many opportunities there were to perform. He fooled us into immersing ourselves in it willingly."
Jonathan Hegg, 32, says that's why he's still involved in music today.
"Never once did he make me practice," Jonathan says. "One time he made a sly reference, saying 'If you want to be in All State Orchestra you might want to consider practicing.' "
"I did that with all three of them," their dad, Denny, 63, says with a smile.
"I would tell them that they don't have to do it, but if they want to they should give it a shot," he says. "I didn't yell at them about it. Of course, over the years, I had hundreds of other kids in music too: My students."
Their dad hasn't joined them yet in a band - he plays wind instruments and acoustic guitar. But when the boys were living at home the Hegg brothers often were recruited to help their musical dad with projects.
"Yeah, with dad it would be 'Let's go paint the field for the marching band!' " Jonathan says.
"I had to do it because nobody else would," their dad says.
"Or other times it would be us setting up chairs for a concert - he'd be like 'Come on guys, it's only 120 chairs, let's get it done,' " Jeremy says. "And we often painted fake football field lines for band practice, because you can never practice on the real football field."
Their dad was band director in Baltic from 1968-'71, Beresford from 1971-'79, Dell Rapids from 1979-'89, in Madison from 1989-'2002, and recently retired from teaching at Dakota State University, from 2001 to this year.
There were lots of instruments around the house, and the Heggs tried them all. But because guitar strings often were broken, Jeremy and Jonathan say they spent a lot of time on keyboards, their specialty today. Their dad's music collection also was an influence on them.
"Our living room didn't have a TV, but had a record player," says Jason Hegg, 34. "There was a TV in the other room, but we listened to a lot of music. Dad had all the Beatles albums, and put them on tape for us so we wouldn't ruin his vinyl."
Musical Shows
Rich Show, playing in bands since his mid-20s, says he would not have guessed that a couple of his four kids would be playing in a band today.
"But I do think it's fantastic," he says. "I don't believe I pushed anybody into it. They were exposed to a lot of music growing up, and now I notice things that they play are very creative. It's fun to see."
His older daughter, Ari, 26, was musical in school bands, but didn't continue. And Ian, 25, owns a couple of guitars but doesn't play them much.
Eli and Isaac started their band We All Have Hooks for Hands in their dad's apartment a few years ago. Rich Show says he doesn't mind the band name, selected because it was an example of a bad band name.
"I thought it was perfect," their dad says with a big smile.
"Did you?" Isaac asks, laughing.
"Seriously?" Eli asks.
"Yeah, I thought it was brilliant," Rich Show says.
Eli plays guitar and keyboards, and Isaac plays drums. But they don't play in bands together. Maybe some day, they say.
"Maybe I should act more fatherly here - OK guys, don't stand on the furniture!" he calls out in a artificially deep voice, strapping on a guitar and stepping up onto the table, strumming. The boys laugh and pick up instruments to play along.
Burckhard proud
Pete Burckhard says it's fun to be in a band with his son Joel.
"He had the idea that I should play with them, so I joined," says Pete, who sings most of the songs and plays blue harmonica. "I hardly feel that I had any influence on him at all because he's a great musician, learned on his own, before I started playing."
He calls their musical style "Maximum R&B."
"I look over and see him playing, and think of him first as just a great guitar player," Burckhard says.
"But now that I'm saying it out loud, the reality kind of strikes me: He IS my son. I'm proud of him."
Reach reporter Jay Kirschenmann at 331-2312.
Additional Facts
Posted at: 05:52 PM | Add Comment
| 
| 
del.icio.us