Rob Fetters is an American musician, songwriter, and commercial music composer. He has performed as a
guitarist
A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselve ...
and singer for
power pop
Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, ...
bands The Raisins,
The Bears, psychodots, and has also released solo albums.
Early life
Fetters was born on September 28, 1954, in
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...
, and grew up in neighboring
Sylvania. Fetters met fellow artists
Chris Arduser and
Bob Nyswonger while attending Sylvania High School. Fetters, Arduser and Nyswonger have been playing together off and on since 1971.
Career
Fetters, Arduser, Nyswonger, and
Adrian Belew
Robert Steven "Adrian" Belew (born December 23, 1949) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist primarily known as a guitarist and singer, he is noted for his unusual approach to the instrument, his ...
formed
The Bears in 1985 and began touring and recording until 1988. The trio "psychodots" recorded and performed starting in 1990, sometimes as Belew's tour support or backing band members.
The Bears regrouped in 2000 and continued performing until 2007. The psychodots continue to perform in the
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
area.
Fetters has released five solo albums. His commercial scoring and commissioned work has included clients such as
ABC,
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
,
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
, and
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
, as well as
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...
, Crest and
Kellogg’s.
As of the late 2010s, Fetters still performed occasionally with psychodots, most notably for the group's annual Thanksgiving concerts held in or near his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. Drummer Chris Arduser of psychodots passed away in 2023.
Instruments
Fetters’ guitars include Fender Stratocasters, a Taylor 612-CE Acoustic, a 1974 Les Paul Custom, a 1967 Martin 00-18, a 1965 Rickenbacker 625, and a 2012 “partscaster” created by David Schneider. His amplifiers include a Vox AC-15 and Wavelength Audio Rob Fetters Signature designed by
Gordon Rankin.
Discography
Solo discography
*Lefty Loose Righty Tight (CD) – Baby Ranch Records (1998)
*Musician (CD) – Baby Ranch Records (2005)
*Saint Ain’t (CD) – Baby Ranch Records (2014)
*Ship Shake (CD) – Baby Ranch Records (2020)
*Mother (CD) – Baby Ranch Records (2023)
psychodots
*Psychodots (CD) Strugglebaby Recording Company (1991)
*On The Grid (CD) – Strugglebaby Recording Company (1993)
*Awkwardsville (CD) – Strugglebaby Recording Company (1995)
*Official Bootleg (CD) – Strugglebaby Recording Company (1998)
*Terminal Blvd (CD) – Baby Ranch Records (2005)
The Bears
*
The Bears (LP) – Primitive Man Recording Company (1987)
*
Rise and Shine (LP) – Primitive Man Recording Company (1988)
*Car Caught Fire (CD) – The Bears Music (2001)
*Live (CD) – The Bears Music (2002)
*Live at Club Café (DVD) – Merging Media (2004)
*Eureka! (CD) – The Bears Music (2007)
The Raisins
*Quarters / Tour Guide (Vinyl 45rpm) Raisin Records (1981)
*The Raisins (LP) Strugglebaby Recording Company 1983 (CD 1993)
*Sucker Punch / Interspecies Love (Vinyl 45 RPM) Strugglebaby Recording Company 1983
*Valentine / Hoy Hoy Hoy (Vinyl 45rpm) Raisin Records (1984)
*Everything and More (Cassette) 1985 Baby Ranch Recording Company (CD) 2000
As the sole producer
*Purple Kisses by 33 People (1995)
*Dinosaur Love by Lucky Spaulding (2001)
*Okodoro Oro by Baoku Moses (2004)
*Two Hearted by
Dawg Yawp (2015)
References
External links
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fetters, Rob
Avant-garde guitarists
Living people
1954 births
Guitarists from Ohio
Musicians from Toledo, Ohio
Singers from Ohio
20th-century American guitarists
People from Sylvania, Ohio