Today we’d like to introduce you to Tony Obrohta.
Hi Tony, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My story? Which one? There’s the story of being thirteen and being too young to play in the bars that I played at in my hometown so my dad had to chaperone. Playing forty five minutes of classical music in a tuxedo in front of my teachers and my peers to be able to graduate with a Bachelor’s of Music from Millikin University. Having the bass player watch my back while I made a phone call to my parents at twenty one years of age on a pay phone outside of a seedy hotel somewhere on the East Coast while traveling in a van and trailer playing five nights a week in even seedier dive bars. Walking on the shoulder of a highway with a six pack of beer, a half a pack of smokes, and a roll of toilet paper in the middle of the night in the middle of the desert with the keyboard player of another D rate band because the RV had broken down (again) and we had just “Had enough.” Walking through knee high snow with garbage bags wrapped around our legs for three hours in the middle of Carson National Forest on a Sunday afternoon to look for help because bus driver decided to take a short cut through the forest in the middle of a raging snowstorm while the bus itself was stuck about two feet away from a hundred foot drop. The feeling you get standing between Wynonna and Naomi Judd on the Ryman stage with an acoustic guitar playing a Harlan Howard song in front of the industry heavyweights for Harlan’s memorial. Holding hands with Charlie Daniels as he said a prayer that we land in one piece in a private jet above Aspen Colorado in the middle of a raging storm, and then playing acoustic guitar with a mask on at the height of Covid for Charlie’s memorial years later. Getting a phone call from Chicago that would change the whole trajectory of my musical journey.
The most important story is this one, I told my wife on a Monday that by the end of the week I would be able to play the Chicago songs for their tour and I would have them completely memorized. Thursday night I looked at her and said I did it, they’re memorized. She said, “Do you think you could play a show if you had to?” and I said if someone put a gun to my head, yes. Friday, Chicago’s manager called and wanted me to drive to Louisville to watch the show from the audience’s standpoint, just to get an overview of how things worked on stage. Saturday, I drove to Louisville and was walking into the venue about a half hour before the show started when my phone rang, it was Lee, the trumpet player for the band asking me if I could play the show tonight. I said yes, he said meet me backstage. Their guitar player had tripped on the steps and had broken his wrist. I walked on stage using his guitar and gear without even meeting the band and played the whole two hour plus show. Five years later, I’m still just as excited to play with the band as I was that first night.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think the biggest obstacle is convincing yourself to believe that you belong and have something to offer to the music community long term. Case in point, my very first night in Nashville after dropping my stuff off at my apartment, my Dad and I went out to listen to some live music. We didn’t have a clue where to go so we just walked around downtown until we heard a live band playing. We found a spot and walked in, where I then proceeded to get one of the best life lessons I’ve ever learned. The band on stage consisted of two of the greatest country guitar players on the planet, Albert Lee and Ray Flacke. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, and it humbled me to the point where I looked at my Dad and said, “Maybe I should go back home to Illinois for a while longer and practice some more.” He looked at me and told me (paraphrasing) I was in the big leagues now and to just get on with it. I was ready to quit day one, but I stuck it out and about five years later I found myself on the road playing arenas opening up for Brooks and Dunn. One day I was telling their bass player the story about my first night in town and his response was epic, it was “Must be present to win.”
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ll stick with just the touring side of things since thirty five years is a long time to list everything. I’ve toured with Suzy Bogguss, Billy Dean, Jo Dee Messina, Wynonna Judd, LeAnn Rimes, The Wreckers, Little Big Town, Gretchen Wilson, Big and Rich, Peter Cetera, and I’m currently the guitar player for the band Chicago. I’m sure I’ve forgotten and a few, and a few I left out on purpose, haha.
What matters most to you?
On the professional side of things, working every day to better yourself on your instrument, developing an unwavering belief in your abilities, paying strict attention to the finer details, and being ultra prepared for any situation are the most important attributes that a musician can have. On the personal side of things, having a loving family, building strong relationships, and being a considerate dependable human being that tries to offer only good to the world at large are really the most important things to me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonyoguitar/
