Artist Spotlight - Jack Ryan Sullivan
Jack Ryan Sullivan is a film composer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter based out of Los Angeles, CA. He plays over 30 instruments with a focus on guitar, plectrum banjo, mandolin, and pedal steel guitar. His favorite amp is his Quilter Aviator Mach 3, and he owns an amp from every generation of modern Quilter.
Jack Ryan Sullivan grew up in the dirt from a small town in South Carolina. He wasn't into college football and he didn't want to work in a factory, so he was immediately drawn to a life outside of the mundane South Carolina summers at a young age. Born to young parents, in turn, he was raised by his grandparents, and by going to church with them is where he was inspired to learn how to play the upright bass and mandolin by hearing the high, lonesome sound of true Southern Gospel music.
Fast forward Jack meets a local musician named Jimmy Rogers(N0, not THAT Jimmy Rogers) and he begins to take a liking to playing the electric guitar. Jack spends his school years not studying and instead playing guitar. He eventually begins teaching at Jimmy Rogers' music store and learns how to play 30 more instruments under Jimmy's unconventional, but very effective teachings.
Vans Warped Tours, opening for national acts, radio airplay, radio jingles, record label showcases, and several band breakups later, Jack picks up and moves to Nashville, TN where he was a sideman for several signed artists, studio musician, touring musician, published songwriter, and Broadway musician for 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. Jack grew tired of the grind as it yielded very little reward, but right before he did, he met his amazing wife while performing on stage at Tootsies Orchid Lounge. A few months pass, Jack, with soon-to-be wife in-tow, moves back to her hometown outside of Richmond, VA and opens up a teaching studio where he becomes Man of The Year featured in several magazines, creating, organizing and headlining the largest music festival in the area, while still finding time to spend time with their two dogs, Tank and Penny Lane, and their two cats, Chester and Cordelia.
Alongside creating music for Television and Film, Jack can be found playing various gigs all over the country and local gigs around his home in Los Angeles, CA.
Jack's newest project is working as the principal composer for the score and producer for the soundtrack for a major motion picture titled 'Last Train To Fortune' starring Malcolm McDowell, Mary Steenburgen, and Bernadette Peters. The film is directed by Adam Rifkin.