John DeHaas

In 1978, most six-year-old boys idolized Han Solo or Luke Skywalker. Or even Darth Vader. Musician John DeHaas instead  looked up to the platform-shoe-stomping, leather-vest-busting quartet known as KISS. 

John“All of my other little friends were into Star Wars at the time,” he recalls. “Their parents had to bite their tongues to be pleasant whey they saw me bring my KISS albums into their homes.”

While he never outgrew KISS, this Rochester, NY, resident’s taste eventually expanded into many more groups, as wide-ranging as Jimi Hendrix, Queen, The Ramones, and The Beach Boys (whose song “Sloop John B” would later inspire his musical alias, SloopJohnD).

But it wasn’t until adulthood that he took the plunge and grew into a musician himself. And, even though he got a later start than some, John makes no apologies for his timeline. He approaches it with sense of humor and perspective. How many people can honestly claim to have had a true epiphany at a Hanson concert? That's right.

“I was standing in the audience when something hit me,” John says. “I suddenly realized I was in my 30s listening to people half my age doing what I’ve always wanted to do. I decided at that moment that I wasn’t going to let another 10 years go by wishing I’d at least tried.”

John released his latest album, "Devilicious," in 2010. “Who says you have to be 16 to start playing and recording music?” he says.

He took up guitar just a few years ago, and credits guitar lessons—and perhaps a sense that he had some catching up to do—with getting him up to speed way, way faster than teaching himself the instrument.

“I received guitar lessons for Christmas in 2006. This changed everything. And fast,” he says. “I don’t know if I was subconsciously trying to make up for lost time or what, but I just became totally inspired to learn how to play well.”

Today, John has written, recorded, produced, designed, released and marketed three albums. Getting that first one recorded gave him the momentum to keep it going.

“One of the great things about having the courage to start and finish my first album was that it gave me a starting point to build on,” he says. “My only goal for each new batch of songs I write is to improve on what I’ve previously done.”

“Things happen when you’re ready for them to happen,” John says. “I say forget about the rules and focus on what truly makes you happy.”

Rock on, SloopJohn.

See more: www.sloopjohnd.com 

Say hi: sloopjohnd72@yahoo.com