People
Just who exactly are these guitar nuts?
Bruce Long
Bruce Long is at heart a musician. Aside from a nearly three decade
long professional career in the film, broadcast and music industries, he has surrounded himself
with music and the instrument of his passion - guitars. A self-taught guitarist from age 18,
Long grew up in an Arizona household surrounded by music and accomplished musicians. His mom
was a pianist who worked with the Chicago City jazz band - featuring one Mel Torme on drums.
His brother was an accomplished classical guitarist. Bruce studied guitar, composition and
engineering at the Dick Grove Jazz Conservatory. He continued his music education at UCLA where
he studied acoustics and digital production - and furthered his studies in jazz.
Beyond his well-rounded education, Long has worked around musicians since age 18 when he ran
music stores in Arizona and other surrounding states. At age 19, he became a regional promo
man for Columbia Records. At Arizona State University he promoted and produced concerts. He
has also served stints in artist management, record- engineering, lead man or promo man for
many prominent artists.
Long began collecting guitars at age 21 which led him to one of his latest ventures, the
opening of GuitarSLAM in Sherman Oaks.
Frosty Horton
Inspired by the guitar prowess of The Ventures and the songwriting genius of The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, Frosty learned guitar at age 12 and was playing in his first R&R band (with a '63 Gibson SG Special he wishes he still had) by 13. A love of the guitar formed in those heady days of the 60s that has never cooled. With CSN -inspirited acoustic band Huck's River in tow, he relocated from his hometown New Orleans to Los Angeles in the 70s - there to continue playing, producing and writing.
After a 3-year stint with recording innovator TEAC, he teamed with pianist George Winston to form Dancing Cat Records (A&M) specializing primarily in acoustic based artists and later Hawaiian Slack Key solo guitar. This led later to several A&R stints, producing instrument artists like Mark Sloniker and Michael Hoppe as well as the founding of Sony/Relativity distributed Vertebrae Records - home to innovative indie bands such as Arson Garden and The Vestrymen.
A move to Nashville in the mid-90s cemented Frosty's direction back to acoustic based singer/songwriters, producing artists such as Jenn Adams, Malcolm Holcombe, Shad Weathersby and David Bankston for independent labels. As a songwriter, he has written many, including 'Cecilia Ann' covered by The Pixies.
Discovering the joys of luthier-made, hand built acoustic guitars has been his passion of the last several years after buying a Vintage D from master luthier Dana Bourgeois. This has lead to an 'awakening' to the world of sound magic inherent in fine tone woods in the hands of many inspired craftsmen building the finest guitars today. Examples include Goodall, Santa Cruz, Collings, Huss & Dalton, and small shops like Olson, and Dermot McIlroy in Ireland.
"Forming GuitarSlam with my like-minded partners and becoming a Guitar Evangelical - spreading the good guitar word - is a dream realized. Play one and you'll come away converted!" Frosty
Contact: GuitarSlam Nashville, (615) 386.0080
Mike Regan
Mike Regan currently owns Hired Gun Management and Marketing in
Beverly Hills California, which specializes in artist management and consulting labels
and artists on the marketing or music. Most recently he served as Vice President of
Sales for MCA Records, which he joined in 1996. He was responsible for all sales and
field marketing functions for MCA as well as distributed labels (Drive Thru, Magic
Johnson Music, Rawkus and Experience Hendrix). He oversaw the development and
implementation of strategies for cooperative advertising and field marketing for all
artists including Shaggy, New Found Glory, Mary J. Blige, The Roots, K-Ci and Jojo,
Live, Lyle Lovett and Blink 182.
Prior to joining MCA, he worked at A&M Records where he held various positions over the
course of almost nine years. He joined A&M in New York in 1988 where he served as
Regional Marketing Director for the East Coast until 1990. He was promoted and moved
to Los Angeles with A&M in 1990 as West Coast Regional Marketing Director. In 1993, he
was promoted to Senior Director of Marketing and New Media. In this position, he was
responsible for the conception and execution of marketing plans for several bands and
soundtrack projects including Bryan Adams, Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, and the
Empire Records Soundtrack. He also oversaw marketing for several Polydor acts as well as
for Victory Records and Horizon Records. He created marketing campaigns in support of the
annual H.O.R.D.E. tour to maximize sales and exposure for Blues Traveler as well as
developing artists. He oversaw the development and release of the first A&M Enhanced
CD's (Soundgarden Alive in the Superunknown and Monster Magnet's Dopes to Infinity).
In addition, he was part of the management team that oversaw the development and creation
of the A&M Records website in conjunction with BoxTop Interactive.
He began his career in 1984 with CBS Records in New York City as a field marketing
representative.
He is a graduate of Long Island University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business
Administration.
Doug Diamond
Riding a sonic wave of mega-guitar sales, Doug Diamond has long been known as the purveyor of some of the finest custom shop and vintage guitars in The Valley. You might remember the long-maned guitar gunslinger from his wild six year run as the Fender Custom Shop Master Dealer at the Mighty Guitar Center Sherman Oaks (earplugs not included). Diamond's new mission at GUITARSLAM: put the finest luthier and vintage acoustic guitars in your hands and ride off into the dusty, blood-red valley sunset. "Welcome to Guitarslam," Diamond says, wiping the sweat from his brow. "A six string rodeo in a luxurious laid-back showroom environment."