Spring 2024

C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 4 143 The soundtrack of his childhood was 1950’s rock 'n' roll and pop music, and he especially loved watching teen idol Ricky Nelson on the Nelson family television series, “Ozzie and Harriet.” “Hometown is on the southwest side of Chicago,” Beland says, “and I also heard a lot of rhythm and blues and blues.” The seminal Chess Records studio, home to Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley and John Lee Hooker was nearby. “I used to hang out there. My parents would have had heart attacks if they knew,” he says with a chuckle. In his midteens, Beland senior moved his fam- ily to sunny Southern California, landing in sleepy La Puente. Young Beland already had a fledgling musical career going, playing gigs with his band. He was devastated at first, homesick for Hometown. But then he followed the well- worn path to Hollywood and forgot all about Illinois.“I hitched a ride and started hanging out. I fell in love with the place.” A budding song- writer, one day he snuck onto an elevator in the iconic Capital Records building (the one that looks like a stack of 45 rpm records) on Vine Street. “I’d slept in the parking lot the night before. When I got out, an A&R (artists and repertoire) man asked if he could help me. I had a totally amateurish tape of my songs, and he gave a listen.” No, this isn’t one of those stories that picks a young man out of obscurity and The guitarist has recorded and performed live with (clockwise from top left) Merle Haggard, Linda Ronstadt, Ricky Nelson, Alison Krauss and many others. He considers his time with Nelson as among his most rewarding. Beland’s memoir, “Best Seat in the House,” features jacket blurbs from some with whom he's played and remained friends: Garth Brooks, Kris Kristofferson, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt. Photos: Courtesy of John Beland