Craig Chaquiço
| Craig Chaquico | |
|---|---|
Craig Chaquico in 1974.
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| Background information | |
| Born | September 26, 1954 |
| Origin | San Francisco, CA |
| Genres | Contemporary jazz, new-age |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Associated acts | Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, Starship |
| Website | www |
Craig Chaquico (/tʃəˈkiːsoʊ/ chə-KEE-soh; born September 26, 1954) is an American guitarist of Portuguese descent. He has had over thirty years of success in a variety of genres: in the 1970s with the post-Summer of Love Jefferson Starship, in that band's 1980s incarnation, Starship, and in the 1990s and 2000s as a contemporary jazz, blues and new-age solo artist.
Chaquico was raised in Sacramento, California, and attended La Sierra High School. He grew up in a musical household; his mother played piano and organ while his father played the saxophone and accordion. As Chaquico recalls, "My mom and dad were musicians and played around the house all the time. I thought everybody played the piano and organ like mom and the sax and accordion like Dad together after dinner." He began playing the guitar as a young boy, when his parents bought him his first guitar at the age of 10. By the time he was 14 he was playing professionally in nightclubs.
Tragedy struck for Chaquico and his family when he and his father were involved in a serious automobile accident, caused by a drunk driver. The head-on collision left the 12-year-old Chaquico with two broken arms, a broken rib, broken wrist, broken thumb, broken ankle and broken foot. In the physical therapy that followed, Chaquico's father made a deal with him. "He told me that Les Paul had once been in a terrible accident and played guitar the whole time to help him heal... My dad said that if I stayed with it and got to the light at the end of the tunnel, once I was back up to speed, he would buy me a Les Paul guitar." Despite the fact that he could only play on the high E string of his acoustic guitar (due to the his casts from the injury), the therapy helped Chaquico make a full recovery, saying, "it was a great place for my spirit to go." The accident and recovery would later push Chaquico to support organizations and efforts that use music as a therapeutic, healing power for injured, traumatized, and elderly people.
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