Former Jefferson Airplane lead guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and his wife and manager Vanessa did not expect to leave New York but fate brought them to Southeast Ohio.
Many may wonder why a star of such magnitude would settle in Appalachian
Ohio. Jorma said he attended Antioch College and participated in a work study in
New York City where he began listening to the Rev. Gary Davis, whose finger-picking style really influenced him.
"An old friend of mine had this property and offered it to me," Jorma said. "I just had a good feeling about it. After I moved here, I discovered a lot of family ties in Ohio."
The couple moved to Pomeroy in 1993 and started Fur Peace Ranch guitar camp in 1998. The ranch is a seasonal facility running from February to November with four-day workshops scheduled throughout the season.
The ranch includes a restaurant, music library, store, concert hall and 18 small cabins, which house the 25-35 students attending the workshop at any given time.
The ranch offers entry-level, intermediate and advanced workshops with talented instructors specializing in various types of guitar styles, said ranch manager John Hurlbut.
"We've had over 3,000 students come through here since we opened," Vanessa said. "We've had people from all fifty states and from places like Hong Kong, Germany, Hungary and Berlin."
Vanessa said she believes the couple's move to Ohio was 'divine intervention.'
"We weren't looking to come to Ohio," Vanessa said. "We were brought here."
When Jorma gave her the deed to the land in Pomeroy as a Christmas present, she wasn't too certain about the move, she said.
"But when we arrived, I just got it," she said. "I've been all over the world and Southeast Ohio looks like southern Italy and the south of France. The topography, the layout of the hills, the plants and trees are all the same."
Jorma said the Appalachian culture always has had a profound effect on his music.
"Traditional mountain music, that kind of music just abounds in these hills," he said.
Most of the people attending the camp are fans of Jorma, who was a founding member of the folk rock turned psychedelic rock band.
"You know how kids used to be with the Beatles — screaming and going crazy and everything? That's how I feel when Jorma walks into the room," said Mike McCullough, who flew in from the bay area of California to attend the camp.
In addition to performing at Woodstock, Jorma also has played with Jerry Garcia, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.
"When Jorma was in his early twenties, he and Jerry Garcia used to teach guitar lessons together in San Jose," Vanessa said. "That's when he first started teaching."
Jorma said he started teaching because that was the only way to make money, and everyone on the folk circuit taught guitar lessons.
"I really enjoy teaching; the teaching compliments my playing," he said. "It's folk music, and folks need to learn how to play it."
Jorma, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, still is touring by himself and performs shows with long-time partner Jack Casady in their band Hot Tuna. He tours all around the United States and to other countries. His upcoming tour includes Italy and Finland.
17 Archives
Caitlin Diven
