Roger Voudouris -

Roger Voudouris (Dec. 29, 1954 — Aug. 3, 2003) was an American vocalist and songwriter who released three albums through 1981 and scored a 1979 hit with “Get Used to It.”

Background

John Roger Voudouris was born December 29, 1954, in Sacramento, California. His mother, Eunice Evelyn “Eve” Voudouris, sang on East Texas radio with her sister Pat in the prewar years and later watched American Bandstand with Roger and his brother Steven.

Voudouris took up guitar as his first instrument and attended C.K. McClatchy High School, where he formed Roger Voudouris’ Loud As Hell Rockers. The band worked the Northern California club circuit. Voudouris later toured the United States as an opening act for Stephen Stills, John Mayall, and Lou Rawls.

David Kahne taught Voudouris in high school and teamed with the seventeen-year-old guitarist on songs and demos. Manager Richard Greene represented the pair by July 1975, when Capitol signed Voudouris & Kahne to a long-term recording contract. Voudouris & Kahne recorded There’s a Secret Goin’ On at A&M Studios that month with producer Rick Jarrard. The duo cut Street Player in 1976 with producer Michael Stewart at Devonshire Sound in Los Angeles and Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco. Kahne quit performing and took an entry-level job at a San Francisco studio to learn recording equipment.

Bruce Cohn represented Voudouris as personal manager by the Warner period. Warner Bros. vice president Ted Templeman signed Voudouris as a solo artist and paired him with producer Michael Omartian. Voudouris and Omartian co-wrote “Don’t Turn My Music Down,” “What Are You Doing After Class?,” and “I’m There” for the first Warner album. Omartian produced the self-titled debut at Hollywood Sound Recorders with bassist Dwight Martenia and drummer Peter Pfiefer.

Discography:

Roger Voudouris (1978)
Radio Dream (1979)
On the Heels of Love (1981)

Sources

The Sacramento Bee / Legacy — Eunice Evelyn “Eve” Voudouris obituary. This is the strongest source for the family music environment. Eve and her sister Pat sang on East Texas radio, and the obituary identifies her as a strong musical influence on Roger and Steven. A condolence from Roger’s friend Steve Summerville specifically remembers Roger at seventeen as he started making music with David Kahne. (Legacy.com)
C.K. McClatchy Class of 1973 memorial roster. Lists him as John “Roger” Voudouris among the class, independently supporting the school and full name. (Class Creator)
Cash Box, April 21, 1979 — “New Faces to Watch: Roger Voudouris.” Contemporary career profile states that Voudouris wrote songs from childhood, formed Loud As Hell Rockers in high school, worked the Northern California club/bar circuit, and toured nationally as an opener for Stephen Stills, John Mayall, and Lou Rawls. (World Radio History)
Sound On Sound — David Kahne interview. Kahne identifies himself as a high-school English teacher who wrote and demoed songs with one of his students, then secured a Capitol deal with that student as Voudouris & Kahne. He also explains why he stopped performing and moved into a San Francisco studio job. This is the strongest evidence for the central Voudouris–Kahne causal link. (Sound On Sound)
Record World, July 12, 1975 — “Capitol Inks Voudouris & Kahne.” Contemporary trade report confirms the long-term exclusive Capitol recording contract and identifies Richard Greene as manager. Capitol A&R executives Al Coury, Rupert Perry, and John Carter appear in the signing photograph. (World Radio History)
U.S. copyright records. Registrations for “There’s a Secret Goin’ On,” “I Only Wanted to Know Your Name,” “Take Your Music to the People,” and other titles establish the Voudouris–Kahne songwriting partnership in 1975 under Glenwood Music. (Copyright Encyclopedia)
Original-album credit transcription — There’s a Secret Goin’ On. Gives Rick Jarrard as producer and places the sessions at A&M Studios on July 28–31, 1975; Voudouris played acoustic and electric guitars and sang. (La Bible de la West Coast)
Original-album credit transcription — Street Player. Confirms Michael Stewart as producer and the 1976 sessions at Devonshire Sound and Wally Heider Studios. (La Bible de la West Coast)
Billboard, June 24, 1978 — Bruce Cohn profile. Identifies Cohn as manager of Roger Voudouris as well as the Doobie Brothers and Tommy Johnston. The separate Billboard talent directory also lists Voudouris on Warner Bros. with Cohn as personal manager. (World Radio History)
Billboard, May 17, 1980 — Michael Omartian profile. Supplies the crucial Warner mechanism: Warner Bros. vice president Ted Templeman signed Voudouris and paired him with Omartian because Templeman wanted additional songwriting input for the artist. (World Radio History)
Warner Bros. / Billboard, April 1978. Warner advertised Roger Voudouris, catalog BSK 3154, among the label’s April releases; Billboard reviewed the album the following week. (World Radio History)
1978 LP credits. The self-titled album credits Voudouris on lead vocals and guitars, Omartian as producer and keyboardist, Dwight Martenia on bass, Peter Pfiefer on drums, and Hollywood Sound Recorders as the recording and mixing studio. The credits also establish the three Voudouris–Omartian co-writes used above. (La Bible de la West Coast)