HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Samuel Ross encountered an informal education in music at a young age, devouring generations of his parent’s music from the 60s, 70s and 80s. He was enamored by the likes of Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Crosby Stills and Nash.
But it wasn’t enough to just listen.
Ross found himself selling a beloved scooter to buy his first guitar at age 14. He then taught himself how to play, started writing songs and singing, and spent hours, then days, then months evolving his newfound hobby.
In his 20s and on the heels of a visit to family in Italy, Ross decided he had found love in a different arena: Italian food and wine. He detoured his talents to Tuscany for an apprenticeship as a winemaker and chef. The experience developed his expertise and has since allowed him to work in some of Cleveland, Ohio’s best restaurants as a wine steward and educator. Still, working as a street musician and writing songs amidst his travels kept music at the forefront of his mind.
With self-written lyrics and terrific, sometimes raw hooks, Samuel Ross has perfected aligning songs with experience, as he recounts the journey of a singer/songwriter who has lived the songs he sings in the most genuine way. From cozy to cold, the rasp of his voice and vibes of his songs are honest and refreshing.
Though he has performed on his own and in the company of bands for years, the time has never seemed quite right to make music his career. That changed when he cooked dinner for friends not long ago.
Dinner was followed by the routine jam session by the fireplace and it was there that a friend cornered Ross. He gave him a loving jab… and swore to kick his @#! if he didn’t starting playing music beyond his kitchen.
The friend’s subtle point was well received.
So, Ross began by starting a band with fellow musicians called The Funk Country Store. The opportunity arose to play festivals, coffee shops, art centers and pubs and the songs he had written as a hobby were evolving into more of a day job. The Funk Country Store recorded a self-titled album that was independently released in 2012. (Check out their work on Facebook and YouTube.)
Not long after the album release, he took a break to write new material and created the band The Solar Gnomes to debut his new songs. He’s also collaborated with the band Peter James and His Flapping Wings.
Ross continues to multi-task careers in Cleveland where he works as a wine steward and educator and is on the cusp of releasing his debut solo album, Samuel Ross. The nine-track album is a funky mix of folk, rock, blues and country and is testament to a matured Ross post heartache and in steady anticipation of what is to come. He finds inspiration in equally funky yet bluesy places while recording, including a studio in his home decorated with church pews and a disco ball.
Now, the road beckons.
“I’ve written a lot of songs about love and heartache in the past,” says Ross.
“Those subjects still inspire me, but I think my collection of new songs have a little more variety that will still resonate with audiences. It will be fun to get back out there and play for the people.”
So far, Samuel has written over 100 original songs, 30 of them copyrighted in the U.S. Library of Congress.