FUN FACT:
In addition to Craig's smooth Jazz album, Craig also perform
with Surf n' Turf.
Surf n' Turf is a tribute band playing the great Surf & Hot Rod Music
of the 60's.
To learn more about Surf n' Turf click here!
For more music by Craig visit his "Blue Jay DJ" site.
I was born on September 25, 1950 in Los Angeles California. Growing up in Southern California was great but my parents moved an awful lot. My dad was always trying to improve our lives, however, I did go to about 10 or 11 different schools growing up. At age 12 I wanted to learn the guitar so the next day my dad took me down to Harris music store in Pomona, California to buy my first guitar a Danelectro, I think, for $60, and a $15 amp and $3.50 per half hour lessons. I learned quickly. Playing all those great surf instrumentals and of course the Beatles, the Yardbirds, and Jimi Hendrix, my dad (Bill) got me into jazz. Dave Brubeck and Wes Montgomery. I think because of my interest in instrumental music at 12 I always have gravitated towards it. It seems much easier to write, you don't have to make words rhyme and tell a story. Music can transport you all over the world.
At age 13 I formed my first band The Rivals. My mother (Geri) came up with that name. We played at K-mart and The Vox Battle of the Bands and got to go to the Hollywood Palladium. Of course, we didn't play on the main stage but under a tent out in the parking lot somewhere. We played for A Dodge dealership on Whittier Blvd and met the real "Little Old Lady from Pasadena." She was there signing autographs. She advised me not to let my hair grow long like Bobby Sherman.
At 16 I worked part-time assembling small light fixtures for about 15 or 20 cents a piece and saved up enough to buy an old upright piano for $100 delivered. My neighbor told me to play the 1,3,5, and make a chord. He also said I would never make any money in music.
At 18 I left home and joined a rock and roll band named the Sky Brothers. We traveled all over the Pacific Northwest and recorded a single called "Your Wastin' Precious Time," sort of my motto.
Over the years I've picked up bunch of different instruments but I've settled on the guitar, keyboards and flutes. Later, I got married and had 3 children. I just played in a bunch of restaurants in Southern California but I finished raising my children and at age 48 started recording this album. There is certainly more to my life but that's enough for now. I have plenty of music to record and share and hope you will enjoy listening as much as I have creating it.
Surf N' Turf was formed quite by accident, August of 2003' while performing as hired guns at a local show, I,Craig Dooley was asked to lead the group with a song of my own choosing, I chose a surf song. Paul Weiss playing bass guitar jumped right in knowing the song. The music leader of this particular show just put his guitar down and walked away not knowing any of that genre of music. I called off a few more tunes and Paul just kept getting more excited. I had never met another musician that knew so much about surf music including the history. as it would happen in a Hollywood movie, a local manager of a concert series was there listening and asked if we could do a show for his concert series Of course we said yes! and I suggested the name Surf N' Turf (like the seafood and steak entree) and the following year on July 10, 2004 we performed for the Lake Arrowhead village concert series. It went over real well and we were asked back for the following year, august 12 2005 Of course we've played at allot of different places too. we'll be back in 2006. Our band is allot of fun we don't do the typical Beach Boys stuff all though there great, but we do those wonderful instrumentals with lots of reverb, that you haven't heard in year played on the radio.Surf N' Turf is a fun band we also play allot of 50's and other music from the 60's
