DOC’S BIO
Gary “Doc” Garb has researched his whole life to come up with his proven combination of ingredients to debut “Remedies and Elixirs”. His search began at the age of thirteen in New Iberia, LA, and only now feels that his renditions are ready to be released to the world. All of the songs necessary to complete this musical healing cover a broad spectrum of emotion. A dash from the depths of depression, a pinch of comedic relief, throw in some love and laughter, and a tale of pure joy, and let it simmer in a pot with some life experiences. This is Doc’s life from the time he was born in Baton Rouge, LA until now and with the one constant that music always cures what ails him.
Doc caught the musician bug when he was just thirteen years old. This musicianitis was given to him by “Flash” Gordon Wiltz, a friend of his older sister, Linda, that would play the piano while visiting. This was the first time Doc had heard or seen anyone play an instrument beyond the structures of sheet music and an instructor. And when Doc learned that Gary played in a band, that was something he wanted to do. Sure, Doc played drums and percussion in elementary school band but it wasn’t the same as when Gordon played the piano and talked about “gigs” and thus began Doc’s lifetime need for a cure.
Sam, Doc’s older brother, had a guitar and intrigued with the idea that you could make music with it, started playing Sam’s guitar when he wasn’t looking – teaching himself. It wasn’t long until Dad heard Doc playing and thought it would be cool if both the boys could play together so he bought another guitar. Dad then told them, “You boys learn ten songs to play and sing together and I’ll buy you each a strap”. Doc to this day still has that strap on his acoustic. Even though only a fragment is left it’s still tied on and Doc likes it there to look at it to remind him why he started playing.
It happened one Friday night at the New Iberia Teen Center, Doc’s fever grew out of control while watching one of his friends playing in the band that was performing. Although his friend was not the most handsome, he seemed to have girls hanging around him. Doc thought, “If that boy could do it, so could I”. Doc then started to think about his elementary school friend with whom he had shared a drum and a love for music. Doc knew he was in a band and went to see if they needed a drummer. They weren’t but were looking for a guitar player. Doc said he could play guitar, joined the band, and started playing for school functions. This seemed to calm the fever but a different deeper desire was driving Doc now.
Dave was the drummer in that young teen band and his talents took him to the next level. It wasn’t long until Dave called Doc to join him and now Doc was playing in clubs all over South Louisiana. Doc continued his search for countermeasures against his growing ailment while performing from the time he was a sophomore in high school until he graduated and joined the Marine Corps, in 1971. Doc still harbored his illness for music and in order to maintain he had to keep playing while serving a two-year term with the Marines. Doc’s therapy was recognized and soon it led to Doc being a solo attraction at a club near the base. Eventually becoming a duo with another marine who shared the same disorder. Just when Doc seemed to have is infirmity under control, while at an enlisted men’s club in CA, one of his marine buddy’s secretly entered him into an ANDY C talent contest and Doc won. This sparked his desire and affliction even more.
After serving 6 years, 4 active and 2 reserve, with the Marine Corps, Doc went back to LA to find some medicine for his malady of music and started performing with local bands. It wasn’t long before Doc was reunited with Sam and they started performing as the Garb Brothers Band. Because of the notoriety of their skills other professional bands were hiring the brothers to play for them as well. Doc’s ambitions were taking him places and he was performing all over Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi Gulf Coast.
The coming of the 80’s, Doc was a bonafide professional musician with an infectious disease that seemed to be growing without an antidote to be found. Doc, Sam, and brother Doug, eventually made a demo to send to “YOU CAN BE A STAR”. It was recorded at the legendary La Lousianne recording studio and the songs they recorded turned out so well they wanted to release a 45 but didn’t have the money. A publisher offered to pay for the recording and press it if they would sign with his publishing company, which they did, and it was released on La Lousianne Records. Now Doc could not only add Louisiana recording Artist to his resume’ and another healing agent to his list but now he was also a bonafide songwriter which also added to his condition. Both sides of the recording were played on the local radio stations. Friends that played on the recording, so that they didn’t have to pay musicians, included, Joshua “Bubba” Murrell and Gordon Wiltz on keys, and legendary fiddler Rufus Thibodeaux, King of the Cajun Fiddlers.
Doc and his brothers started playing with a lot of the Louisiana Legends such as Jimmy C Newman, Rufus, Wade Benson, and up and coming Country Singer Sammy Kershaw, and performing in Texas more. Visits to Texas lead to Doc meeting Larry Butler, Willie Nelson’s friend and companion in music. Doc’s association with new friend and admirer Larry gave him the credibility to play with just about anybody that would take the stage. Opening shows for George Jones, Hank Jr., Johnny Lee, Mickey Gilley, Mark Chestnut and others fueling more not only his problem but Doc’s need for a fix.
After years of playing together, the brothers wanted to see what they could do individually. Going in separate ways had Doc spending most of his time playing casinos in Mississippi. Doc and his band were on the stage either opening or backing all the artists that would come through town. Some of these included Leon Russell, Jay and the Techniques, Jerry Reed, Gary Puckett, and after ten years on the Gulf Coast casino circuit, Doc was left thinking he had run the table and it was time to do something else. It seemed his latest dose of the stage and scene had been a great healing agent for his infection.
Doc was enjoying a new life without the usual infirmity that seemed to always boil in his blood until he started playing songs he had written for his grandson. The itch started getting to him once again and before it got too bad, Doc decided to find a studio and record some of his songs for an ointment. That brought Doc to the Junction Recording Studio in Madison, TN where he met John Sturdivant, Jr. grandson of Kitty Wells and Johnnie Wright. While recording the guitar vocal demos, the songs caught the attention of Sturdivant and thought they were very worthy of letting the world hear. John urged Doc into making the recordings more than just demos. With the help of some of the Madison musicians, out of the studio came Doc and Jr’s concoction. An assortment of musical recipes that are sure to conjure up emotions and soothe the soul no matter what shape it is in. No real genre, no real style, no real boundaries, but proven pure raw ingredients of a lifetime of tales, stories, and experiences. Released on Junction Records, Doc is proud and honored for the world to sample and take a dose of his “Remedies and Elixirs”.