Donald Jay Irving (born September 9, 1946) is an American musician, best known as a guitarist for rock band

The Beau Brummels The Beau Brummels were an American rock band. Formed in San Francisco in 1964, the band's original lineup included Sal Valentino (lead vocals), Ron Elliott (lead guitar), Ron Meagher (bass guitar), Declan Mulligan (rhythm guitar, bass, harm ...

. He was a member of the band for their ''

Beau Brummels '66 ''Beau Brummels '66'' is the third studio album by the American rock group the Beau Brummels, and their first on Warner Bros. Records. The album consists of twelve cover songs and no originals. Autumn Records, the band's previous label, had sold ...

'' album and joined a revamped lineup for a 2002 concert tour.

History

Don Irving, the son of a career military man, spent his early childhood in Germany before returning to California at age nine. His first band was The Showmen, where he played with Butch Engle, later of Butch Engle & the Styx. Irving then joined The Opposite Six, which featured

Bill Champlin William Bradford Champlin (born May 21, 1947) is an American singer, keyboardist, guitarist and songwriter. He formed the band Sons of Champlin in 1965, which still performs today, and was a member of the rock band Chicago (band), Chicago from 1 ...

and two other future members of the Sons of Champlin. In 1965, he played on demos composed by Beau Brummels' lead vocalist,

Sal Valentino Sal Valentino (born Salvatore Spampinato; September 8, 1942) is an American rock musician, singer and songwriter, best known as lead singer of The Beau Brummels, subsequently becoming a songwriter as well. The band released a pair of top 20 U.S. ...

. Touring had heightened tensions within the Beau Brummels and led to the departure of

Declan Mulligan John Declan Mulligan (April 4, 1938 – November 2, 2021) was an Irish-born American musician, best known as a guitarist of rock band The Beau Brummels in the 1960s. Life and career Mulligan was born in Fethard, County Tipperary. He emigrated t ...

. Later that year, guitarist Ron Elliott was no longer able to perform live after suffering seizures from his diabetic condition. Elliott's father, who managed the Brummels as well as the Styx, was recommended by Engle to recruit Irving as a temporary replacement on the road. Irving became a permanent member in early 1966, and he performed on the band's third album—and first on

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...

—''

''. He also played on the band's single, "

One Too Many Mornings "One Too Many Mornings" is a song by Bob Dylan, released on his third studio album '' The Times They Are a-Changin in 1964. The chords and vocal melody are in some places very similar to the song " The Times They Are A-Changin'". "One Too Many ...

", a

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

cover. Drummer John Petersen recalled, "Irving was really cool. He played all of Elliott's licks perfectly. By then we had three albums and we were still a good draw but the vibes in the band weren't healthy. It was really strained. I would go out to

Laurel Canyon Laurel Canyon is a mountainous neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills region of the Santa Monica Mountains, within the Hollywood Hills West district of Los Angeles, California. The main thoroughfare of Laurel Canyon Boulevard connects the neig ...

and people weren't talking to each other. By the time we got sold to Warner Brothers, we weren't the same band anymore". Following the album's release, Petersen quit the band to join

Harpers Bizarre Harpers Bizarre was an American sunshine pop band of the 1960s, best known for their Broadway/sunshine pop sound and their cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)." Career Harpers Bizarre was formed out of ...

, and Irving left when he received an induction notice into the

armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...

. In 2002, Irving joined original members Valentino and

Ron Meagher Ron Meagher (born October 2, 1941) is an American musician, best known as the bassist of the rock band The Beau Brummels. The Beau Brummels When guitarist-songwriter Ron Elliott was putting the band together in 1964, he asked a friend, Kay ...

for a concert tour.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Irving, Don 1946 births Living people 20th-century American guitarists American male guitarists American rock guitarists The Beau Brummels members Guitarists from California Musicians from Pasadena, California