CJ Vaughn - Biography

Flashback! 1991! Ray Charles smiles from behind is black grand piano, tips
his head back to drink from his Diet Pepsi can and croons, “You got the right
one, Baby, Uh huh!” At that moment a lightning bolt of soul hit a little boy from
Michigan with a life-changing jolt and the music of CJ Vaughn was born. His
influences are many; Allen Collay, The Meters, The Temptations, Jimi Hendrix,
Jack Pearson, Dr. John and the late Rich Mullins to name a few.
But perhaps none more than the great Ray Charles!
You can hear Ray in CJ’s vocals, his styling and more than anything in his
SOUL!
The soulful rendition of “Baby Blue” a CJ Vaughn original and his version of
the great cover, “Drown In My Own Tears” are the blending of those and other

great influences in the music business. A CJ Vaughn show will leave you on the edge of your seat wanting more.
He will take you on a musical journey from blistering leads to the softest jazz and back again with the tightest
dynamics and purest respect for the music.

CJ Vaughn

On the other side of the stage CJ has positioned the root tones of the band, Ron Vaughn
(Bass Guitar). The similarity of names is no coincidence as Ron is CJ’s dad. They have
been sharing the stage for many years and it almost seems like they are having fun! Ron
has been performing music since he was a young boy playing piano, guitar & bass in
church. He developed his appreciation for music in the circles of tradition and ritual but
eventually learned that music could be pushed into many other directions. He began
playing bass at 14 but really began focusing those skills when CJ started to develop his

music career. Together they are working to bring CJ Vaughn and Highway 58 to the music mainstream.

Ron Vaughn

Don Kendrick, (Drums & Percussion) affectionately referred to as “Big Brother” is the
New Orleans connection for the band. Don is from NOLA and his playing style reflects the
funk he learned from greats like Ziggy, the Neville Bros., and Allen Toussaint. He began
playing as a young kid and has not forgotten his roots despite playing with so many great
acts over the years. He has played behind many major artists such as Chuck Berry, Jerry
Lee Lewis, Freddie Fender, John Fred (& The Playboys), and many more. Don is a “groove
man” and he brings it to the stage every show!

Don Kendrick

Teaching the world to play drums one student at a time, Ross Lester (Drums & Percussion)
is the other half of the drum section in CJ’s band. Ross is a funky man who has traveled
most of North America in search of the perfect rudiment. He seems to have lighted on one
of the drum thrones in Highway 58 with a perfect 3-point landing. Ross has a lovely wife
and 3 awesome young men calling him “dad”, a title he wears with pride. Before he
connected with CJ, he toured with several different bands including the great Roland
Gresham for many years and then settled into music education. Highly animated

on stage, Ross is as fun to watch as he is to hear. Together, he and “Big Brother” make for a great percussion
section.

Ross Lester

What band would be complete without the token jokester? Larry van Loon (Hammond B3 &
Keyboards) brings a smile to everybody’s face with his wit and what the rest of the band
calls “Larryisms”. He has a knack of delivering a one-liner for just about every occasion.
Here, just listen to his self-description . . .” I'm a keyboard player with a specialty in B-3
styles. I live in a wee dell at the foot of Gleng'ry Hill in Nashville where I raise turkeys,
occasionally displaying them on MySpace . . .” But make no mistake, Larry has seen his
share of stage time performing with such greats as Muddy Waters, B. B. King, Willie Dixon,

John Lee Hooker, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Buddy Guy, Martha Reeves, Jay McShann, Gregg Allman, Air Supply, The
Winans, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, and Oleta Adams to name a few. His mastery of a B3 is hard to beat, almost as
good as his one-liners!

Larry van Loon