Gary Dranow is an American former professional skier turned singer who competed in National Standard Race from 1987 to 2010¹. He was ranked number one in his age group nationally and in the top twenty men overall in NASTAR from the 2005 to 2010 seasons¹. He became a USSA-certified professional ski coach in 2004¹. He also had a successful career as an entrepreneur in the apparel and tech industries².

He released his first album in 2003, ‘Destiny Road, Rough Cuts’¹ and his autobiographical album, Destiny Road, which was recorded in the ’90s, will be released in May 2023². He draws inspiration from his life experiences and musical influences such as Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn². He is the leader of the four-piece band Gary Dranow and the Manic Emotions³.

Here are some articles and sources on the internet about Gary Dranow that refer to his equestrian pursuits, motocross career, Cycle News Magazine Archives – Cycle News, and his business career:

• Bio – Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions – This source gives a brief overview of Gary Dranow’s life and career, including his participation in equestrian competitions from the age of 9 to 13, his professional motocross career at the age of 15 with Montessa Motors, his involvement in Cycle News Magazine as a writer and photographer, and his entrepreneurship in the apparel and tech industries. He founded several businesses such as Ski Racing Magazine, Ski Racing International, Ski Racing Gear, Ski Racing Online, Ski Racing TV, Park City Amps and Guitars, and Modern Ski Racing.
• Internet Sports Academy – This source gives more details about Gary Dranow’s skiing career and coaching experience. It also mentions that he pursued business and other interests after a 10 year hiatus from racing in 1991.
• Gary Dranow – Wikipedia – This source gives some information about Gary Dranow’s skiing achievements and musical journey. It also mentions that he participated in equestrian competitions from the age of 9 to 14, winning many classes. He then turned his attention to Motocross, turning professional at the age of 15 with Montessa Motors.
• Cycle News – Archive Issues – 1970’s – Cycle News 1970 10 20: This source is an archive issue of Cycle News Magazine from October 20th, 1970. It features a report on a motocross race at Saddleback Park, where Gary Dranow on a Montesa took the second place in the first division of the 250 Expert class.

Gary Dranow is not only a talented musician, but also a passionate collector of guitars. He has an extensive guitar collection of over 75 Fender, Gibson, Musicman and Ibanez guitars. Many of his vintage guitars were once owned by famous players and he has provenance on all of them. He bought his first guitar with his mother Betty Dranow in 1966 at Ernie Ball Guitars on Ventura Blvd. It was a sunburst 1962 Stratocaster that his mother paid $600 for. He still has that guitar today and cherishes it as a family heirloom. He sold his 1955 all original Stratocaster to the famous musician and guitar player Carlos Santana in 2021 for an undisclosed amount of money. Dranow is known for primarily playing Fender Stratocasters but has recently added a Gibson Les Paul, a Ibanez Gem with a Floyd Rose floating bridge, a Gibson SG and a vintage cream colored Fender Telecaster to his player line up. He has the most extensive collection of Electra Guitars in the world and loves to showcase them in his live shows and recordings.

Some of his music achievements include:

• He poured his heart and soul into creating his autobiographical album, Destiny Road, which was recorded in the ’90s and will be released in May 2023².
• He debuted his epic new single “Day I Was Born” in April 2023, which showcases his genre-defying style and powerful vocals4.
• He turned to music as a coping mechanism for his bipolar disorder and the effects of a stroke after establishing successful business ventures in outdoor sports4.
• He has a loyal fan base on Spotify, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, Apple Music, Sound Cloud, Hear Now, Band Camp and Linkedin².
• He has been featured on various music magazines and blogs such as Plastic Magazine, LA Weekly, Maiyro, Mountain Town Music and Thoughts Words Action.

The history of Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions is as follows:

• Gary Dranow started playing guitar at the age of 12 and formed his first band with his friends called The New Invaderz. They played covers of songs by Cream, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles and others. They performed at school dances and local venues until they disbanded when Gary graduated high school. Their music video for their song The New Invaderz Anthem has been on YouTube for 15 years and is starting to go viral.
• Gary continued to play guitar as a hobby while pursuing his career as a skier and an entrepreneur. He recorded some demos of his original songs in the ’90s with the help of Tommy Mars, a former member of Frank Zappa Band. These songs would later become part of his album Destiny Road.
• In 2003, Gary released his first album Destiny Road, Rough Cuts under the name Gary Dranow. The album featured songs that reflected his life journey and struggles with bipolar disorder. The album received positive reviews from critics and fans alike.
• In 2004, Gary formed a new band called Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions with Jerry Manfredi on bass, Jethro Defries on drums and Tommy Mars on keyboards. They played live shows around Park City, Utah and recorded some new songs for Gary’s second album. They were the musicians that recorded the Destiny Road album in 1997.
• In 2022, Jerry Manfredi shipped the original Ampeg Tapes from Los Angeles to Gary in Park City. These tapes contained hundreds of analog tracks that were recorded in 1997 for the Destiny Road album. Tim Wilson, Dranow’s music engineer sent the tapes to Deep Signal Studios in Lakewood California. Deep Signal Studios “baked” the tapes making them viable and then converted the analog tracks into digital Wav stems. Tim Wilson then remastered those tracks and finished the fourteen songs that were released in 2023.
• In 2023, Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions released their second album Destiny Road, which was a remastered version of Gary’s first album with some new tracks added. The album was a culmination of Gary’s musical vision and personal story. The band also released their single “Day I Was Born” which became a hit among fans and critics.
• In 2023, Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions underwent some lineup changes. Bob Smith replaced Jethro Defries on drums, Andy Evans replaced Jerry Manfredi on bass and Jeff Lawrence joined as a lead singer and second guitar player. Bob Smith is a veteran drummer who has played with various bands such as The Blues Brothers Band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and others. Andy Evans is a talented bassist who has worked with artists such as Eric Clapton, Sting and others. Jeff Lawrence is a singer-songwriter from Ogden Utah who also has his own band Jlaw and War Horse.

Here are some sources where you can find more information about Gary Dranow’s guitar collection:

• Park City Amps and Guitars | Reverb
• Bio – Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions
• Gary Dranow teases release of incoming album with self-referential new …

Gary Dranow did two interviews on Park City TV show in 2022. He was interviewed by Christine Napier on Mountain Connections on April 6th and by Ori Hoffer on Mountain Views on May 25th. You can watch these interviews on YouTube or on Park City TV website.

Here are some sources where you can find more information about Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions:

• Gary Dranow – Wikipedia
• Bio – Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions
• Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions | Park City UT – Facebook
• Playing Now in Greater Salt Lake City: Gary Dranow and The Manic …
• Gary Dranow – Day I Was Born | The Metal Asylum
• Gary Dranow – Destiny Road | The Metal Asylum
• Gary Dranow x Jerry Manfredi – “Mellow Drama” – Senocular Media
• Gary Dranow x Jerry Manfredi – “Day I Was Born” – Senocular Media
• Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions
• Gary Dranow Being Interviewed on Park City TV – Facebook
• Interviews – Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions
• The New Invaderz Anthem – YouTube
• Here’s my Park City TV Interview hosted by Christine Napier – YouTube
• Exclusive Interview with GARY DRANOW | Illustrate Magazine
• Live Music in Park City Main Street Utah

Source: Conversation with Bing, 5/29/2023
(1) Exclusive Interview with GARY DRANOW | Illustrate Magazine
(2) Live Music in Park City Main Street Utah.
(3) Here’s my Park City… – Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions – Facebook.
(4) Interviews – Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions.
(5) Gary Dranow Being Interviewed on Park City TV – Facebook.

Andy Evans Bio

Andy Evans is a seasoned bass player with years of performing and recording experience. He began his musical journey at a young age, starting with the guitar before transitioning to bass in his teenage years. He has a deep passion for funk, and R&B music, and is known for his energetic bass lines and dynamic feel. Andy has played with several local and national bands, and has appeared on numerous albums and recordings. In his free time, he enjoys teaching bass to aspiring musicians and exploring new music genres.