About Jon Valenti Band
Jon is originally from Bakersfield California and he graduated from Highland High School in 1991. After high school, Jon attended several universities and ended up in Oklahoma. While in Oklahoma, he signed a professional baseball player contract. He played professional baseball for 8 years under organizations such as Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Taiwan Major Leagues. While playing baseball, Jon bought his first guitar (D-15 Martin acoustic). He didn't know how to read music, so he taught himself how to play. He wrote and composed some songs inspired by relationships, partying while playing baseball and life in general. In 2001, Jon retired from baseball and ended up in Modesto, California, where he began bartending. Late nights while the bar was closing he played some cover songs and worked on his own material. This is where he met his future wife, Leah. They moved to Turlock, a small town 20 minutes south of Modesto. In January 2005, Jon and his wife had triplet boys. Jon became a stay-at-home father and spent his “free” time writing more songs. In February 2006, Jon’s wife suggested he try playing his music professionally. He auditioned for a well known live music venue, The Speakeasy Lounge, and he received his first gig the following week. Since then, he has played in over 50 venues amassing more than 140 shows. Fans have described his voice as “soothing with a harshness to it that hits your soul”. It has also been said that when he sings, "he sings with his heart all out and exposed”. He has played regional shows from the Bay Area to the Central Valley. In October 2007, Jon won The Modesto Area Music Association award for the “Best Unplugged (Acoustic/Americana)” category. He has been showcased on the Clear Channel radio station FM 93.1 (B93) and has played in musical events such as X-Fest and the Modesto Art & Wine Festival. On November 17th, 2007, at The Fat Cat Music House & Lounge, Jon released his debut full length album, “Grin & Bury It”.
