Biography:

Since Mo’ Kauffey became the stage name for Gary Wickizer, he has gone from someone known by few to a widely known, much respected, and loved artist throughout Colorado, Florida, Southern Ontario, Michigan, and points in between. He has released six full CDs since 2000. He has polished his persona into a highly entertaining show, with a laid-back smooth style, full of humour whether performing solo or joined by any number of sidemen he has attracted. He performs anywhere from coffeehouses to festivals, stating, “I like the intimate crowds, but love the energy of a larger crowd!”

“I got interested in music as a child, hearing the early rock and pop my older sisters would play on their phonographs. I took accordion lessons in grade school and had an ability to play ‘by ear’. It was at this time I first thought of having a band. The Accordion didn’t last too long and I ended up getting a guitar - hey, The Beatles were just starting to make waves - and I started teaching myself to play and learning songs. This was coming into the early 70’s when acoustic music was really popular. About this time I heard some acoustic blues “Sonny Boy Williamson” and “Sonny Terry”, it really caught my ear, but thought it was an old dead art form. I then heard “Hot Tuna” and John Mayall’s “Turning Point” and I veered in that direction, along with the Folk/rock sounds of those days Buffalo Springfield, Birds, Hoyt Axton, and I had an acoustic guitar
I was blessed by not sounding like anyone in particular, so I had no easy path to develop, but rather sang and played the music trying to sound like me.”

Mo’ was happy to jam with friends at parties and get-togethers for many years, not wanting to commercialize his music, but play what he felt and likred and just have fun with it. His first professional gig was in 1976, and at about this time he formed the Last Blast Band, (without drums), and they rehearsed a lot, but played out just once, and on that outing they won the local Gong Show. The band broke up soon after that, and Mo’ did not do any more gigs until he moved to Florida in 1979 and discovered the local music scene which centered at the “Stuffed Pepper”. It was during this time he met Eddie Kirkland and Diamond Teeth Mary, I also met and became friends with Rock Bottom and Little Juke and all the others
Around ‘The Pepper”.

“This place was alive with music every night, blues jams, acoustic jams, bands, there was nothing like this in Pueblo, Colorado, my home town, it was great, and I dived in with both feet. I grew a lot as a musician during this time, but still did not pursue it as a vocation. Moving back to Colorado in ’83, I started wanting to do more gigging and did a few with “Little Juke” as “The Cosmic Radiators.”

Mo’ then formed the Singing Painters, a great but poor band, with Mitchell Maroney on guitar and Donovan McNeilly on bass. In 1989 he joined up with Bryan Richie and Donovan and called themselves the “Del Rio Trio” and performed at a little club in Pueblo. In 1991 Mo’ joined what was to become the Moonriders and they worked at gigging for about a year. Mo’ eventually left and began doing some solo gigs.

“I had a steady Monday night gig that started out solo and I would invite folks to sit in; we always ended up the night with a full band on stage. Many of these guys would return weekly to enjoy the spontaneous music we would create. Then is when the enigma of my music really began. You see, musicians like to join in with me because the groove and space in my music is inviting in a free way, that ends up with the sum being more than the separate parts,

After some life changes in 1995 I decided I was going to pursue music as a career. I was living in Colorado Springs and actively pursued gigs. It wasn’t long before I was performing regionally 4 to 5 nights a week honing my presence and skills, and meeting musicians in the area. It was during this time I met Tim Costello, Barry Wedgle, Kim Stone, Jack Daniels, Michael Reese, and Steve Hoke all who have performed with me.
It was also during this time I became Mo’ Kauffey, and I haven’t looked back.

I started coming to Ontario to visit my friend (now my wife) and started performing around the area, meeting and gathering musical friends and fans. We got married I moved here and after five years of immigration red tape I am a permanent resident in my new home. Now, I am able to concentrate on my music career again and with my 6th out I can concentrate on performing and touring again.

And that brings us to the present, or “when you get to the bottom go back to the top…….of the slide.”

Discography
"Dig It" 2011
"Whatcha Gonna Do" 2003
"Pirates of the Airwaves" 2002
Mo' and Les “Headin’ South/Sno-Flakes” 2002
“4-Corners Mo’” 2001.
"Just Mo' " 2000

Links
http://www.mokauffey.com