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| Jonathon Valor - Founder/Frontman of the Professional Amateurs |
Following in his father's footsteps, Jon began drumming at the age of 5
He was very big into music. Unfortunately, grandpa wasn't. Dad got me my first drum kit for Christmas my fifth year after spending so much time sitting on his lap and banging on the snares and toms. He joked that I had to learn to throw in bass kicks at some point.
But the life at home was broken when his parents filed for divorce. Jonathon's mother, Julia Feathers, had cited irreconcilable differences and was eventually given full custody of Jon.
I wont say she stunted my growth musically, but it's kinda difficult to practice and play without a kit available to you. I remember arranging texts books around my desk and and tap out rhythms on the covers. .
Eventually even the textbooks kit had to be put away as someone else entered young Jon's life. A woman that would become a central part of it for the next decade, his sister Nicole.
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| Nicole Feathers/Nikki Falcon - Guitarist of the Professional Amateurs |
Yeah, we were latchkey kids. Not at first obviously, but once Nikki hit 1st grade mom started working longer hours and I had to start taking care of the baby. I kept my dad informed of everything and told him that we were kinda crammed into a small apartment but I still wanted to play music. For my birthday that year, he sent me a cheap Ibaniz acoustic guitar.
I think I still have that guitar somewhere... Jonny would play for me every night before bed. Usually badly (laughs).
