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1. Here I am playing my very first electric guitar. It was a Philco that came with a record player where you could plug the guitar in the side of the player and play along with records. I learned a lot this way! Thanks to Mom and Dad! This was taken at our Sunny Oaks house in Santa Venetia, CA around 1965.
2. Playing at a church concert at Blessed Sacrament in Santa Venetia, CA. I believe I was 13 here. I’m playing my acoustic 12 string that was a Christmas gift from Santa.
3. I always jumped at the chance to play drums (still do)! Luckily my bandmates loved to switch instruments as well. I’m about 13 or so here playing my friend Mitch Hinard’s Slingerland set at a rec center dance in San Rafael, CA.
4. Same gig as in #3 with my friend Dennis Spadini who I lived next door to in Santa Venetia. I’m playing a Belzuki teardrop electric 12 string. I so wish I still had this guitar. I believe it was made by Danelectro.
5. At our Sunny Oaks house playing my new 12 string acoustic guitar. I remember it being rough on my fingers for a while but it actually helped me get stronger and be better as a player I think.
6. About 1968 in at Santa Venetia Junior High between sets at a dance gig.
7. Also around 1968 in the backyard of my parents home at Sunny Oaks Dr in San Rafael, CA. This was a knock off Hofner bass that a friend lent me. All I wanted to be was be a Beatle! Still do… I now own a “real” Hofner bass!
8. 1973 on Simmons Lane in Novato, CA with my friend and bandmate John Lovrien. He was my brother in music. We lived and rehearsed at this house. There was always live music coming out this house.
9. 1973 as well with Logos. Left to right: John Lovrien, Dave Obiedo, me, John Langford (Harrison) and Don McCleod somewhere in Marin.
10. Two of my favorite people and drummers Dave Obiedo and Mitch Hinard.
11. 1973 with John Lovrien at Simmons Lane in Novato, CA. I’m playing a beautiful Les Paul that was and is still owned by guitarist Bill Burgess. Bill played with Logos for a short period. He was a great jazz player as well and really taught me a lot about scales and chord voicing. I still draw from his influence on me.
12. A drawing of me by my young aspiring artist brother Bill who went on to be one of the leading graphics designers in the country.
13. 1974 at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco. I ran into Vince Garaldi in the hallway during these sessions. He passed away not long after. Photo by Kate Kirner.
14. Back at Simmons Lane in Novato, CA at rehearsal - 1973.
15. Photo shoot. Bowling shirts were in around this time.
16. Up at Lake Tahoe with my dear friends Kate Kirner and John Lovrien. I believe this was 1973.
17. 1976 lineup of Logos. Left to Right: Danny Bertlodi, me (top), Michael Byrnes, Ross Bell and John Lovrien.
18. 1977 at “Day On the Brown” in Terra Linda, CA with Logos. Peter Maunu sat in with us that day. Also pictured is John Lovrien on bass. Photo by Warren Harris
19. 1978 in the studio somewhere in the Bay Area tracking with my Travis Bean guitar. They were very unique guitars with a Hawaiian Koa body and an aluminum neck. The neck would sometimes make the balance weight heavy on the neck and they would be cold if it was cold in the air. I did like the guitar but traded it for something else… which we did a lot back then. You always had to trade or sell to get a new guitar. I wish I had every guitar I ever had to part with. It might be why I’ve accumulated quite a collection now to make up for it! Ha!
20. Sometime in the 70s playing my acoustic guitar in my apartment in San Rafael, CA. Think my friend Kate Kirner took this photo.
21. Me and Dave Obeido with Logos playing a noon high school concert in Marin County. I had a new Fender Tele at the time. Traded it for something else of course.
22. With my friend and main bandmate in Logos John Lovrien. We had many adventures and gigs together. We could really read each other musically. If we were jamming just the two of us we could create songs out of thin air. I do miss those early band days sometimes. Happy to say I’m still in touch with John. We have a lifelong bond from those days. Photo by Kate Kirner.
23. In Santa Rosa, CA playing my friend and bandmate John Langford’s Gibson Firebird. John had an amazing collection of gear he brought out with him from Atlanta, GA in the early 70s to join Logos. He was always so generous and encouraged me to play his guitars. This Firebird along with a Gibson Birdland and a Mosrite were my favorites. John was an incredible singer and writer and great musician and went on to form Timmy with former Logos bassist Don McCleod and Mitch Hinard. Timmy was a prog rock band that also included my friend Peter Penhallow.
24. With my friend John Lovrien around 1981 in Santa Venetia, CA at my parent’s home on Sunny Oaks Dr.
25. 1983ish with Flavia Paulsen and Mike Morris of Page One. John Lovrien and I joined forces with them and became a quartet and kept the Page One name.
26. With Page One at the Cotati Cabaret in Sonoma, CA around 1983. Playing my Ibanez. Great guitar but unfortunately another guitar traded away for another…
27. Page One photo shoot… 1984 I think. Someone talked me into not wearing shirt? What was I thinking?
28. Playing my Travis Bean in Berkeley, CA at Zellerbach Hall in 1979 I believe. We opened for Cecilia and Capono
29. Playing in Sonoma, CA around 1979 with Logos. I had a Fender Bullet here which I didn’t have that long before I traded it for something else. They were like a slightly smaller Strat in style and cheaper hardware. These were made before the Squire series started up.
30. The great Michael Byrnes with Logos in San Francisco, CA at the very first Haight Street Festival in 1978. Mickey Hart from the The Grateful Dead mixed us that day to a crowd of 100,000 people!
31. John Lovrien, me and Danny Bertoldi in the studio recording vocals for a Logos track.
32. 1988 - my very first show with Michael McDonald on July 3rd (1988) in Ventura, CA playing my Fender Squire Strat. Needless to say it was a landmark day for me in my career. It was the beginning of my relationship with Michael and his band that lasts to this day. I’m fortunate to have become dear friends with Michael and the rest of the band members over the years.
33. Also July 3, 1988 in Ventura, CA. My first show with Michael McDonald.
34. 1988 playing in Sonoma, CA with Michael McDonald and my dear friend Chazz Frichtel. We’ve written and recorded a lot of songs together. We also did an album project together under the name Silent Partner called Weddington Street. You can find the CD at www.berniechiaravalle.com or on streaming sites.
35. The Michael McDonald band in 1993 in Hamburg, Germany sitting on the Star Club stage where The Beatles once played. We all were so thrilled to be here. Left to right: George Perilli, Michael McDonald, Chazz Frichtel, Chuck Sabatino, me and Vince Denham. Photo by Ed Simeone.