Prelude
A rock steady drummer,
A bandmate and a brother,
An explorer open to the full spectrum of life
Those could be lyrics to a song. But in this case, they’re the words people who knew him best chose to describe John Shafer, this year’s recipient of the Valley Music Hall of Fame Legacy Award.
The term “Legacy” refers to something of cultural importance we inherit from the past and pass on to the future. In musical terms, you could say Louie Armstrong’s legacy was to give us Jazz, like Robert Johnson gave us Blues, and The Beach Boys gave us Surf. On the local scene, John Shafer gave us a unique way to think of drumming – and a refreshing view of friendship.
To accurately tell his story, we talked to several of his closest friends about John’s contribution to the local music community. Their summation: he was a 9-year-old transplant from Palmdale who attended Roosevelt High School and went on to influence the local music scene from behind ‘the kit’ with his dedication to his craft, his reliability, and his innate cool. He could also play any genre, was everybody’s friend, and never met a gig he wouldn’t play.
The Melody
“John played in twenty or more bands over the years in a variety of styles and genres: Blues, Rock, Zydeco, Dixieland, Surf, and Jazz” recounts his life partner, Dixie Salazar. “His style was steady but understated, yet always accomplished.”
That list of bands includes his first one, The Penetrators, followed by (in no particular order) Back Country, Electric Leal, The Houserockers, Million Dollar Bongos, Trailer Park Tornadoes, The Trees, The Neptunes, Good Medicine, Lone Wolf with Joe Rosato Jr. & Perry Hodge, Bad Boy Zydeco, The Trike Shop, The Brauhaus Polkateers, Deja Blues, Running with Cleavers, The Fellow Travelers, and several more. “He lived for his drumming, and he never said no to a drumming opportunity, whether it was a gig or to cover for an ill musician, which earned him the reputation of a guy you could count on,” added Dixie.
That reputation was established in his earliest years, as his longtime friend and bandmate Dean MacDonald recalls. “I’ve known John personally for 42 years. But I’ve known John, the name, the legend, much earlier than that. He was involved with local bands that were legendary at the time, like The Leal Brothers, who recorded their own 45. That was unheard of at the time.”
A few years down the road, John & Dean, along with singer/songwriter Glen Delpit, keyboardist John Suhr and bassist Steve Carter joined forces in The Houserockers, arguably one of the most popular local bands of the 1980’s. “John was the driving force of The Houserockers”, said Glen. The band had a regular schedule at the iconic Wild Blue Yonder and hosted the club’s annual New Year’s Eve Party. “The Houserockers paid the rent for many years” recalled the club’s owner, Bill Bixler – with a hint of nostalgia.
What was it like playing with John Shafer? Steve Carter referred to as the bass/drum brotherhood. “The Houserockers was really a great time to play because he and I would lock so tight on it – and I bet every bass player that ever played with him would say the same thing.” Steve said. He also spoke to John’s interpretive skills. “You could play music with him, and the song wouldn’t be just a straight 4 on the floor, 8 count. It would be something really magical.”
Dean MacDonald also commented on John’s ability to transcend the fixed laws of drumming to create something unique and compelling. “When John drummed, he went into a space nobody else inhabited.” He recalled. “John didn’t leave the music. He was still well aware of the beat and what was laying down, but he went somewhere nobody else was. He had a keen ear. He would turn things around. He was not satisfied with playing it like you would expect it to be played. John would take things to the next level.”
Steve Carter also recalled one of those transcendent moments. “We were in The Neptunes together and there was this one song that I used to play that had a great introduction. And it had this one riff that John really loved, and he’d close his eyes when he played it,” Steve recalled. “I’d raise my guitar to end the song and he’d keep playing. He wanted me to keep playing that riff over and over again. Sometimes it would last 2 or 3 minutes.”
“He’d be off”, shared Dean. “We’d be playing and ready to end the song and John’s got his eyes closed and his head back, and we’d know there was no way we could end this song till he comes back to earth And why would you want to? Just sail on. That’s why he really liked Heflin’s band, Running with Cleavers.”
“Cleavers” is a jam band created during Covid by bassist Don Heflin, guitarist Gumbo Furnas, and John. It was a way to get together and play something while life was shutdown. “We’d be in John’s big living room, and we would just jam,” Don remembered. “Just find grooves – not necessarily a song – and groove. And we did that for months.”
So, when hibernation was over, Running with Cleavers was set to emerge. Just to be clear, the definition of a Jam Band is, “a rock band that plays music characterized by long improvisational passages.” Think Grateful Dead without the vocals. So Running with Cleavers was a trio of super accomplished musicians having fun playing changes in tempo, key, and time signature, all in one continuous melodic voyage – like a stream of consciousness. Sometimes ethereal, sometimes flat out funky, these streams could last 20 to 30 uninterrupted minutes. And John was the key.
“John was the route master. He drove the train,” said Don. “John’s approach to the concept of this free-form jam just took it everywhere. I would say it was from his vast knowledge of every kind of groove.” As for technique? “Everything he did was just effortless. It was almost like he wasn’t even holding his sticks. They were just floating in his hands.”
Perhaps no other band leader was more aware and appreciative of John’s ability to go ‘somewhere else’ than Blake Jones of The Trike Shop. He and John worked together for 20 years in this band noted for its creative song writing and sonic awareness, which fit seamlessly with John’s musicality and temperament. “He was a deep student of what drums could do,” Blake said. “And our band tries to be a deep student of songwriting and trying to stretch the edges here and there. So he was the perfect guy to come along for a ride like that.”
“This is the truth, and I told it to his face many times, ‘John, you’re my favorite living drummer,” Blake continued. “He had everything you could ask for. The exuberance of a Keith Moon, but at the same time he wasn’t gonna go off the rails. John was gonna hold it together musically. He was a serious student of the art of drumming. He was always listening to stuff, rock & roll or jazz or blues. He was always listening and always learning things. Many of us would consider John Shafer a master at what he did. But he was always open and always learning. Again, I always trusted him with coming up with cool parts in the drumming field.”
The Chorus
Of course, there was more to John Shafer than his drumming. He also had the rare ability to touch people on a personal level. And just as he was accomplished yet never over-played his drumming, he was consistent in his personal relationships, and no matter the circumstances, could be counted on to be “just John.”
“John had an almost child-like quality of wonderment, and his feelings ran deep and intense,” said Dixie. “He had a sweetness and kindness about him that both people and animals responded to.” (FYI: John was also the owner of Whitie’s Pets in Fresno – but that’s another story)
His friends tell us that John was “cool.” But it was a natural quality and never forced. He had a very sly and subtle sense of humor that sometimes you’d have to think about before you ‘got it.’ He had a terrible sense of direction that made “Let’s go get lost” an anthem for his travel misadventures, yet he maintained a calm and humorous presence throughout the journey. And he cared deeply for the people around him.
“We were very close personal friends, and he was one of those guys I could reveal my heart to, and he could to me,” said Steve Carter. Added Dean MacDonald, “He was like a brother, really, like a musical brother. Even if we weren’t playing together, we would always stay in contact.” Blake Jones put it this way, “John was not only a bandmate who became a friend, he was one of these people who made you feel big, capable of doing great things.”
Dana Bentley, the owner of Bentley’s Drum Shop, who considered John a close friend as well as a supportive customer, recalled two instances where John helped him ‘do great things.’ The first came not long after Dana opened the shop’s initial location on Shields Ave. “He had always admired my little BMW, and at that point I needed a truck because we were starting to ship stuff out of the area, and I couldn’t take stuff to UPS in the car.,” he explained. “So I said John, ‘You wanna buy my car and he says ‘Yeah I totally do!’ So he bought it and I was able to get the truck.”
John’s second big assist came a year or so later when Dana was trying to expand his business. “I told him, ‘Hey John, I’ve got an opportunity to buy this really big lot of drums on closeout, but I don’t have the space. Do you have any space over at Whities’s that I could rent and maybe give you store credit?’ And he says ‘I do. Come on over.’ And so we worked that out for maybe 3 or 4 years,” Dana recalled.
Another example of John’s generosity and sense of responsibility occurred while he was working with Don Heflin and Deja Blues after their original drummer, Don Cleary (aka Squeak) moved to Arkansas. As Don tells it, “We were rehearsing and all of a sudden John says. “I’ve got a problem here with this gig coming up. I overbooked and I have to do this other gig. But I do have someone that will fill-in and it’ll work out fine so don’t worry about it.” And a few minutes later the doorbell rings and Squeak walks in. And it was like – What the Hell? John got ahold of Squeak and bought him an airline ticket and flew him out here just for that gig. He went above and beyond on that one.”
“John was a generous guy, a real giving guy,” said Dean. “I have a guitar hanging on my wall that he gave me. He asked me once, what kind of guitar don’t you have that you’d like to have. And I said I don’t have a Gretsch. What color? This green color that’s really cool. Then on my next birthday I got a green Gretsch. That’s the kind of guy he was.”
Finale
John’s battle with non-Hodkins lymphoma lasted close to seven years. When he was first diagnosed the Doctor’s told him he may last five, but John seemingly took that as a challenge and proceeded to live life to the fullest. He made sure to stay in contact with all his friends and family. He met Dixie and fell in love. And he continued to play gigs, even when his bandmates advised against it.
“He’d push himself to the point I’d say ‘John, take a break.’ And he’d say, ‘No I gotta do this.” said Dean.
But they understood. “He continued playing almost to his last day. That was what he loved doing,” Steve recalled. “And when you look at those pictures of him smiling and playing with his eyes closed, you could really tell that his whole spirit was in the music. And he never was about ‘I’m going to die.’ He was about ‘I’m going to live.”
John Shafer passed on March 26, 2025. He was 71 years old.
Coda
Getting back to the Valley Music Hall of Fame Legacy Award, we asked John’s closest friends for their thoughts on his legacy.
“There is no one who loved drums more than John. He was so thrilled to be around it, to touch it, to feel it, to play it. and he just lived to play music.” Dana Bentley
“He was a real spiritual player, and he was preaching when he was playing. He was like the disciple of soul.” Dean MacDonald
“He made people feel good about what they were doing, no matter what level of music they were playing. It was all important to him.” Steve Carter
“He made me want to be my best self.” Blake Jones.
Resolution
We began this story with potential song lyrics provided by John’s friends. Seems appropriate that we close with same. Here are the words. You provide the music.
Most easy-going musician you’d ever meet
The Yoda of the local music scene
Making Fresno Bands sound professional since 1975