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Born into a famous music family, Tony Saunders was destined to
become one of the most respected members of the entertainment industry.
The son of famed recording artist Merl Saunders, his mother, Betty
was also a well-known music historian. Tony has always been a natural.
With his father's guidance and his mother's encouragement he studied
piano for over 13 years and was awarded a fellowship at the prestigious
San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Tony was fortunate enough
to receive his first piano lessons from the world-renowned musician
Herbie Hancock and intensive bass guitar training with the legendary
Chuck Rainey and John Kahn. When Tony was just 17, he took the
stage with his father and Jerry Garcia.
AWARDS
Tony’s
work has won many awards, including two Emmys.
Emmy for
collaborative piece with father, Merl Saunders, entitled Soul
Is for PBS.
Emmy for Sun Microsystems Digital Journey
New York Film Festival Grand and Silver Award for educational
compositions
Tony isn't afraid to venture
into new areas. He's demonstrated his incredible versatility
by writing the music to the stage
play "Zetta" (performed in San Francisco by A.C.T.)
and also assumed the role of musical director for the show. The
success of that show led Tony to become musical director of "Rock
Justice" written by Bob Heymen and Marty Balin of Jefferson
Starship.
Tony Saunders has Performed and *Recorded with the following
well-known artists:
*Abba *Al Jarone *Anthony Whigham *August Wolf *B.C.&S
*Band of Gypsies *Bob Weir *Breno Brown *Buddy Miles *Buffie
St. Marie *Cindy Heron *Cole Tate *Daryl Coley *David Crosby
*David Grisman
*David Leibman & Pee Wee Ellis *David Stone *Doug Reid
*Dr. John *Eddie Robinson *Edwin Hawkins *Elton John *Buffie
St. Marie *Cindy Heron *Ernestine Anderson *Essence *Esther
Phillips *Frankie Miller *Gary Marks *Greg Parker *Buffie St.
Marie *Cindy Heron *Harvey Mason *Huey Lewis *James Moore *Jennifer
Youngdahl
*Jerry Garcia *Jimmy McCraklin *Joe Louis Walker *Johnny Mathis *Jonathan Cain
*Juice Newton *Lady Bianca *Les McCann *Lynette Hawkins Stephens *Marvin Holmes
*Max Gail *Mel Martin & Eddie
Marshall *Merl Saunders & Aunt Monk *Merl Saunders & Jerry Garcia *Merl
Saunders & Rainforest band *Merl Saunders *Mitch Mitchell *Neal Schon
*Narada Michael Walden *Noelle Hampton *Norton Buffalo *Patti LaBelle *Paul
Butterfield *Randy Hansen *Rhoyal *Rick Danko *Ringo Starr *Robert Winters & Fall
*Rock Justice *Ron Calderon *Ron Thompson *Secret Records *Simon Kirk *Tony
Bennett *Tough Mama *Tremaine Hawkins *Verlin Sandles
*Walter Hawkins *Zero, Average White Band, Bay Apple Corp., Big Shoes, Bo Diddley,
Captain & Tenille, Carl Lewis, Chaka Kahn, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown,
Clarence Clemmons, Crosby Stills & Nash, Dexter Gordon, Eric
Clapton, Fast Company, George Howard, Joe Sample, John Sebastian,
Leif Garret, Leon Russell, Michael Franks, Nikita Germain, Randy
Crawford, Ray Chew, Rick Meilson, Ron Wood, Sly Stone, Stevie
Wonder, Sweetmeat, Terry Haggerty, The Whispers, David Pack,
and Timothy Schmidt. |
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