Ross Valory

Ross Lamont Valory (born February 2, 1949)[1] is an American musician best known as the bass player for the rock band Journey from 1973 to 1985 and again from 1995 to 2020. Valory was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Journey in 2017.[2]

Ross Valory
Valory with Journey on September 16, 2008
Background information
Birth nameRoss Lamont Valory
Born (1949-02-02) February 2, 1949
San Francisco
GenresAOR, rock
InstrumentsBass guitar, vocals, keyboards, guitar
Years active1966-present
Associated actsJourney, the Storm, Todd Rundgren, Steve Miller Band
Websitewww.therosszone.com/index.htm

Career

Ross Valory is originally from the Bay Area, growing up in Lafayette, California and attended Acalanes High School. In high school, he played clarinet, bass clarinet and guitar. His mother introduced him to jazz, particularly Dave Brubeck.[3] He played with Frumious Bandersnatch followed by Steve Miller Band appearing on Rock Love.[4] He was joined by guitarist David Denny, drummer Jack King and bassist Bobby Winkelman, all of whom would become members of the Steve Miller Band. In fact it was Jim Nixon, the manager of Frumious Bandersnatch, who would introduce Valory to Journey band members along with Prairie Prince from The Tubes who originally sat in on drums.[5]

Aside from his termination from the group during the Raised on Radio album sessions and the album's supporting tour in 1986, Valory has played on all of Journey's albums to date. For Raised on Radio, he was replaced on bass in the studio by Bob Glaub on three songs, while the remaining songs were played by Randy Jackson, who also played on the subsequent tour. Though he returned to the band when they reformed in 1995, Valory was dismissed from Journey again in 2020, with Jackson replacing him once again.

One of Valory's techniques is to string a four-string bass with the bottom four strings of a 5-string set. Thus, instead of the usual E-A-D-G arrangement, his bass is strung as B-E-A-D, which he calls Nashville Tuning.[6] This adds the five string depth to the songs, while allowing the quick fingering of a four-string neck. Valory recorded the Escape with an Ovation Magnum II, used a Peavey for Frontiers, and a Fender Jazz up until the Departure album.[7]

Valory also plays keyboards and guitar.

Valory also played for The Vu, The Storm, Frumious Bandersnatch and the Steve Miller Band.

Discography

Steve Miller Band

Journey

Todd Rundgren

The Storm
  • The Storm (1991)
  • Eye of the Storm (1996)

The V.U.
  • Phoenix Rising (Recorded 1985; released in 2000)

References
  1. "Ross Lamont Valory, Born 02/02/1949 in San Francisco - CaliforniaBirthIndex.org". www.californiabirthindex.org. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  2. "Inductees: Journey". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  3. , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbB80uDTiho
  5. , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbB80uDTiho
  6. , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbB80uDTiho
  7. , https://www.talkbass.com/threads/ross-valory-journey.180647/

Bibliography
  • Daniels, Neil (2011). The Untold Story of Journey. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-1-84938-657-9.
Preceded by
none		 Journey bass-guitarist
1973–1985		 Succeeded by
Bob Glaub
Preceded by
Randy Jackson		 Journey bass-guitarist
1995 – 2020		 Succeeded by
Randy Jackson
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