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Doug Rappoport's Bio
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The name is Doug Rappoport. My parents are 4th generation South Africans who went to London, England to finish studies and it was there that my brother Graeme and I were born. Shortly thereafter we emigrated to Los Angeles California where we’ve been ever since.
I have loved guitar for as long as I can remember. I saved my pocket money and got a little acoustic guitar from Sears for $31. I managed to pick out 3 chords from watching Elvis on TV (probably his entire chord repertoire). I was also able to figure out a few Queen songs. I was absolutely fanatical about Queen. While kids my age were playing with Hot Wheels and Star Wars action figures, I was collecting Queen records and air-guitaring in the living room.
It wasn’t until the 3rd grade when I heard the song Back in Black pumped through the school auditorium stereo that my destiny was sealed. About a year or so later, I began guitar in earnest. Angus Young. The beginning of the end….
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Guitar came very easily to me and after only playing for 6 months, I got a gig with a band that had major writers and producers. I don’t remember who they were, only that they had written and produced for bands like Alabama and Skynard, and they were putting together some kid band. Hell, I was 9 or 10 years old and the other kids were like 16. I was going to fancy rehearsals in Beverly Hills and playing with a bunch of "big kids". I guess it was pretty funny having a bunch of teenagers playing some song and then having some little prepube kid jump out blazin’ a solo. We were called Peer Pressure. My first professional gig. It came and went pretty fast. Thank GOD!
My whole life after that has been a blur of bands, and gigs.
My biggest influences are Angus Young, Warren Di Martini, Mr. Edward Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, Eric Johnson, Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Nuno Bettencourt, Satch, Vai, Brian May, Billy Gibons, Mike Campbel, David Gilmore, Wes Mongtomery, Steve Lukather, Eric Gales and my very good friend, and hands down the best guitar player I’ve ever seen or heard, Gabriel Moses.
I endorse and use Mesa Boogie amps, and I take my Mark IV head on tour with Edgar. I endorse and use SIT guitar strings. I use one guitar on the road with Edgar and that is my Don Grosh Retro Classic. I don’t leave home without it!
I don’t like name dropping, so suffice to say I’ve played and recorded with lots of people from all over the world and even ghosted some guitar leads for a major hair band in the late 80’s when I was but a puppy. I’ve played a lot of sessions with some serious cats, and we’ll leave it at that. I hate name dropping. By the way, did I mention that I am playing lead guitar for the Legendary Edgar Winter…? YOU DIG!? SAY IT ON ME!!
Sa Da TAY,
Doug Rappoport
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