John originally joined the newly forming and then nameless band that would become Mary's Basement as the bass player, and he stayed in that roll all the way through to the end of the first rehearsal. Sadly, John can't sing and play bass at the same time, and he most definitely does one of those things better than the other (the audience can guess which). The next day Charlie and former member Alex (keys) met Jimmy, and that completed the original lineup. That was in April of 2006, and the band was playing in former member Rennie's (guitar and vocals) garage, which apparently irritated the neighbors. By the second time the Ramsey Police showed up, it was clear that the band had to find a new home. "My in-laws have a finished basement that no one is using," John said to the others, and the rest is history . . . sort of. That was in 2006, and it wasn't until 2008, when John sent an email to Charlie that read "what about Mary's Basement?," that the band found its name.

Aside from that historic contribution, John brings decades of musical experience and an uncanny ability to remember every lyric from the '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s—but not where he left his car keys. Audience praise for John's voice often includes comments like "you're too load," and "let the girl sing." 

John first began singing with bands in high school, but he didn’t pick up a guitar until he was in his twenties, and it was not until after he joined Mary’s Basement that John bought his first electric guitar. Yes, kind of a boring origin story, that is until the incident with the radioactive spider . . . .

A two-time Albanian synchronized spoon balancing semi-finalist, John’s hobbies also include extreme ironing, competitive plant naming, and showing off his impressive collection of Golden Girls memorabilia. “One can never have too many autographed pictures of Rue McClanahan,” he's often heard saying.