Jonathan Gale :: Biography

Jonathan Gale is a rock and roll singer-songwriter based in Atlanta, Georgia.  Born and raised in Los Angeles, JG started taking piano lessons at the age of six, and got his first nylon string acoustic guitar when he was ten years old.  His parents used to make him play for their friends, and on one of those occasions his father shot a polaroid image of 15 year-old Jonathan performing.  That polaroid was the inspiration for a painting by JG’s late grandfather, David, which is the album cover artwork for his latest release, Tales From An (Almost) Normal Childhood.

Jonathan played in a series of rock bands throughout high school, emulating his favorite band the Who and it’s guitarist Pete Townshend.  While attending U.C.L.A. as an undergraduate, his various bands performed live at famous Sunset Strip clubs such as the Whiskey-A-Go-Go, Troubadour, the Central (later called the Viper Room), Madame Wong's and Coconut Teaszer.  Sitting in the fifth row for a solo acoustic Dan Fogelberg show at the Universal Amphitheatre, he was blown away by the incredible musicianship and Dan’s ability to reach six thousand people alone on stage.  Gale realized he was part of the singer-songwriter tradition, and spent the next several years writing hundreds of songs and performing in bars, playing both original material and classic songs by James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Van Morrison, Bob Seger and Bruce Springsteen.

Responding to an ad in a local musician’s magazine, Music Connection, JG joined Southern Rock outfit Manassas Junction, who were planning to relocate to the Atlanta area.  The band was represented by noted entertainment attorney Jay Cooper, who says, "I really liked what I heard, it was very listenable."  After several years of traveling across the Southeastern States in a beat up van, playing bars and college towns,  the band eventually split up and JG instinctively returned to what he knows best — solo acoustic performances in bars, restaurants and clubs in his adopted hometown of Atlanta.  After releasing his self-produced debut, The Game,  a supporter at a regular club gig made a small initial investment to start production on his follow-up record, which prompted Gale to fund the entire project privately and present a completely finished product to major labels for distribution.

A musician JG performed with at the Georgia Governor's Mansion introduced him to Rodney Mills, producer of Atlanta Rhythm Section, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 38 Special, the Outlaws, Journey and the Doobie Brothers, among many other top selling bands.  "I was immediately impressed with his songwriting and his presence,” explains Mills.  “He just showed up at my house one afternoon with a guitar, which doesn't happen very often.  The guy has a strong vision."  Top local musicians cut tracks at studios including Tree Sound, at the same time when Matchbox 20 was recording down the hall.

After several years of trying to get major label distribution, Gale decided to re-cut some of the tracks, re-mix and master the tracks a second time at Rodney Mills Masterhouse, where today's biggest artists including Pearl Jam, Collective Soul, the Wallflowers and hundreds of other artists have finished their projects.  The record was finally re-released on Renegade Recordings, as JG began performing live with Deep Cut - a seasoned local band with standout musicianship and multi-layered vocal harmonies.  Gale and Deep Cut produced a series of successful, sold out shows at Duluth’s famous Red Clay Theater.  Rock-n-Roll Stories showcased material from some of rock’s greatest story tellers with little known stories about the songs and the artists, and the times that both influenced the songs and were influenced by them.  The multi-media show was a hit, and the band is currently determining the next step for this high energy show.