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Tom Apathy Photography
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Tom Apathy Photography
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Tom Apathy Photography
Songwriter Alex Bevan has been honing his craft since the late 1960s, both in his home state of Ohio and throughout the country. He discovered his love of songwriting in his teens — the guitar, he knew, was his instrument. Bevan rose to prominence with his hit “Skinny” in 1976, opening for mega acts like Billy Joel and the Doobie Brothers. After more than two dozen albums, a Grammy Award nomination and an Emmy Award win for his score of “The American Promise,” Bevan is still plying his trade, having released his most recent album, “Sparrow,” in 2023.
Jim Ballard: You got your first guitar as a teenager. How did that come about?
Alex Bevan: I heard Toby Tenenbaum play a song called “Cool Tattoo.” That was it for me. I saw and heard a voice there that I wanted, a gentle persuasion and a way to get something across. There was a little coffeehouse in Cleveland called the Well … it became my place. Then I got the chance to play the Needle’s Eye in Kent which was … the apex of north Ohio listening rooms.
JB: When I first heard you back in the day, you were already adept at fingerpicking. What and who drew you to that?
AB: The playing of Bob Gibson. He could make a 12-string guitar sound like an orchestra. After that came Doc Watson and Mississippi John Hurt. Rolly Brown turned me on to Bert Jansch, John Renbourn.
JB: You’ve had the chance to work with many well-known artists. A favorite?
AB: I was up in Cordova, Alaska, and got a call to get back home as soon as possible to open for the Beach Boys at Blossom [Music Center]. So, overnight, I went from a town of 1,400 people to an audience of 14,000.
JB: Everyone has a “that gig” story. You too?
AB: I was playing on Pelee Island, and this guy says, Play that “Skinny” song. I said, Yeah, I’ll get to that. But he keeps repeating it until he approaches the stage with two shots. He hands me one and says it again, so I start playing. He comes running up onto the stage, trips and hits his head on a floor monitor. For a second, I thought he was dead. Then, lying on his back on the stage, he yells, I love that song!
JB: Do you have a favorite venue or two in The 330?
AB: I love Sarah’s Vineyard because it’s so genuine. I’m looking forward to playing at E.J. Thomas Hall with the Akron Symphony Orchestra as my backup band May 18.
JB: Man, I love that band!
