Once upon A Time
A man’s path in life is shaped by twists and turns, obstacles and challenges, good fortune and smart decisions. It is the blessed man indeed that finds his way with a really killer soundtrack. Music in all forms has been an integral part of Ruben V’s life - surrounded and supported by a musical family; key moments in his life are marked by memorable performances and songs. He embraced this gift and successfully made it his own. “The power of music is amazing. I’ve known for thirty years that this is what I’ve wanted to do and I’ve had confirmations at every step that this is what I’m supposed to do.”
At this point in his journey, Texas-born Ruben V is already an accomplished artist. He’s released seven solo CDs, 14 group albums and averages over 120 shows a year. He’s been awarded the title of “Best Guitar Player” by the city of San Antonio, his current residence, four times as well as “Best Songwriter” and “Best Blues Band.” He’s been tapped for a commercial promoting the pride of Texas, Lone Star Beer. He’s endorsed by several premiere music companies – G&L Guitars, Gibson Epiphone and GHS Strings, just to name a few. He’s shared the stage with such stellar musicians as Gatemouth Brown, George Thorogood, Delbert McClinton and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Three of the songs from his latest CD, Labor of Shame, are receiving airplay on XM Satellite Radio. He’s a guitar player, songwriter, producer and family man. He’s built a huge following of Ruben V Band fans – all while keeping a sense of humor and a genuine Texas charm.
But first and foremost, there is the music. It’s a fresh, smooth blend of blues, Latin, jazz, country and rock. It’s an ambitious mix of the music that moves him and in his skillful hands, becomes a truly energizing and enjoyable experience. The result is stylistically different from his peers – it’s alluring, soulful, fun and mature. As he says, “it’s everything I love about music.”
Ruben’s love of music was instilled at a young age. His father played guitar and sang, as did his uncles, cousins and older brothers. Their family owned a nightclub in Corpus Christi and it was a revolving door of touring musicians with wild stories of the road to tell. He worked along side his family to ensure the club’s success and it was there that the nine-year-old Ruben made his decision to pursue music as a career.
Although he had heard his dad play and sing around the house, it wasn’t until a touring band called his dad to sit in on a song that it clicked for Ruben. The bright lights, the receptive crowd and it was his dad up there on stage – and in seeing him, he saw himself. “I remember everything about that moment. It was life-changing. Forget Elvis Presley – this was tangible. I could do that. I wanted to be on stage from that moment on.” With two older brothers whose record collection consisted of Led Zeppelin and Black
Sabbath and his father’s leanings toward Johnny Cash, Elvis, and Jerry Lee Lewis, its no wonder Ruben would go on to embrace artistic freedom and diversity. That music captured their imagination and the three boys would spend hours plotting the road to rock stardom – the right name, the right song, designing logos and designing t-shirts. There are tapes still in existence of a young Ruben performing songs and playing radio DJ interviewing himself.
With his father’s exorbitant instrument collection and his own determination, Ruben had everything he needed at his fingertips. For a man who would turn out to be such a celebrated guitar player, Ruben was self-taught – old school style. “I would slow down our old 45 albums on the record player and learn that way. I was also front and center at every concert – watching and listening. Then it was just hitting the road. There’s no better way to learn.”
Hitting the road began at 15 for Ruben, who played in a string of bands and eventually landed an Indie record deal with his heavy metal band, Final Assault. The unexpected death of a friend, the band’s bass player, brought everything to a halt for Ruben and he began questioning his direction. Again, it was music that pulled the twenty year old back in. “I was in a dark time in my life when I saw Stevie Ray Vaughan in concert. It was the opposite of the heavy metal bands that were defining the time. I wanted to play Stevie’s kind of music – to bend a guitar string like that because that’s what I felt.” That performance is what drove him back to writing and playing, but this time, he surrounded himself with his brothers and the group began touring clubs in the area. As time passed, the shows became bigger and the four albums they put out became heavier, but, again, that sound wasn’t what Ruben had envisioned for himself. Forced to confront the different directions the brothers were heading, Ruben parted ways with the group to pursue his own musical path – one that was true to him. That becomes the essence of Ruben V’s music – every sound heard comes from the heart.
Ruben has been quoted as saying, “I want to sing like Elvis, play like Stevie Ray Vaughan and write like Bruce Springsteen.” Lofty aspirations, but he understands the hard work that goes into creating a career and he’s not afraid of the legwork. Putting out great music meant finding a producer with equally high standards and the talent to match. It was sheer determination that led Ruben to search out famed producer Jim Gaines whose previous credits included several Grammy Awards and 4X Platinum work with Santana, Blues Traveler and Stevie Ray Vaughan and it was fated that Jim answered the random email and met with Ruben. “I had already produced five of my albums and I wanted fans to have something new. Jim pushed me and brought out a more Hispanic flavor than what I had done in the past. He’s an amazing man and I’m blessed to work with him.”
The collaboration between Ruben and Gaines produced 2004’s I Am and the new CD, Labor of Shame (both on Old Dog Records) - a twelve song collection that balances both his passion and technique. With the smoothness of “Welcome to the Blues,” the Spanish sung “Todos Reunidos,” the bluesy touch of “You Win,” and the roadhouse flair of “When I Hear You Smile,” the album is the perfect calling card for this talented musician. His voice is smoky and rich and his guitar playing is inspiring. It’s the kind of music the listener can feel and making that connection with the audience is what Ruben wants. He surrounds himself, both on the album and on stage, with equally talented musicians and the combination makes for one thrilling show as evidenced by the seven fan-recorded concert videos currently on www.youtube.com. Every show is different; he has a vast catalog of songs to pull from. They may play a familiar song but change the tempo or instruments. The Ruben V shows become enlivened jams inciting the audience into a musical frenzy. It keeps the audience entertained and coming back for more.
From here, Ruben V will continue to pursue what has been in his life at every turn – he’ll tour, write songs and make albums. The musical path that he’s followed – varied, honest and sincere – may not have always proved the easiest, but from a man who knows where he comes from, playing music his way is the only way to go. “My guitar might change shape and size; but, those six strings will always be a part of who I am and who I have grown up to be.
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