Born on the muddy banks of the Mississippi in St Louis, Anthony Beel began his intense love affair with the guitar at age six. Already a music lover and junior connoisseur, the guitar was a quick and steady friend the little south side boy. Living in close proximity to his music loving grandmother and great grandmother, Anthony was exposed early to some of the all time greats of music performance.
Public performance began that same year in second grade. The neighborhood homeroom teacher, Connie Baldessari, was a friend of the family. She was very aware of the young boy's talent and passion. While Connie would baby sit Anthony the previous year, she let him play all her different musical instruments. She, too, held quite a passion for the arts. A new teacher, Connie found the idea of starting the day with music soothing, to the young people. Not being able to walk up and down the isle of class to watch the children sing while playing guitar, she had an idea that changed Anthony's life. She asked him to play the guitar at the front of the class while she sang. This was a huge hit with the kid.
After much tutelage and playing with Mrs. Baldessari, Anthony started playing with boys from the neighborhood and Jim Applebaum. Apple and Anthony's dad were friends and he quite a scary guitarist himself. The music collection Apple had was shared with Anthony, furthering his vocabulary. This time proved immeasurably helpful due to the long improve jams Apple shared with the young boy. Anthony shares, "Man! It was freaking incredible! Here's this man in his late twenties holding down the rhythm for this 8 or 9 year old boy, while I'm doing leads all night. That taught me a ton about meter, dynamics and phrasing. He was very supportive."
Frustrated by the lack of drive of his peers, Anthony studied all through his high school and college days independently until he left for Los Angeles. There he studied with some of the greats of the LA studio scene. This was made even easier by a crash course of theory the summer before leaving with Duke and Perry Thebeau, famous local teachers in St Louis.
Logging 16 hour days 6 days a week was fuel to the fire. Soon Anthony was not only performing in weekly, well produced shows at school, but also performing all over the LA basin. Of the many bands he played in at the time American Band was most successful. Opening up for bands at their album release parties, they were one of the very few bands to be paid up front to play the Sunset Strip.
The mid 1990's brought Anthony back to St Louis. He played with all his friends in the metro area, when ever he wasn't performing solo acoustic. Sitting in at the last minute for missing guitarists was his claim to fame. His own band, Charlie Don't Surf, had some blistering sets around town with Anthony's long time friend and partner Shaun Andree. They did some great instrumental fusion along with some classics.
Next came a nightclub tour with the infamous progressive rock cover band John Doe. A call came from his friend bassist/vocalist Dean Holiday on a Thursday. That same Friday, the boys were back out on the road as a three with Anthony. Six months and some 3500 miles of God's country had JD3 back in St Louis.
Since the late 1990's, Anthony has been performing in St Louis with a variety of bands. He plays with Missouri champion flat picker Ranger Dave Montgomery in the 'hopped up country' band Liquid Prairie. He plays with his friend Dave Smith in Acoustic Madness. Anthony has been reunited with childhood friend and bluesman Johnny Fox for the Fox Beel Duo. Acid Blue is a trio Anthony has with his friends doing some of his crazy art rock, soul, reggae, funk and blues. Drummers Bill Walters, Steven Lord and bassist Scott Pease, are from various local bands and populate not only Liquid Prairie, but Acid Blue.
Anthony is currently working on a self produced recording of all the songs he has written over the years. This will be available at local shows and for online purchase very soon.
Public performance began that same year in second grade. The neighborhood homeroom teacher, Connie Baldessari, was a friend of the family. She was very aware of the young boy's talent and passion. While Connie would baby sit Anthony the previous year, she let him play all her different musical instruments. She, too, held quite a passion for the arts. A new teacher, Connie found the idea of starting the day with music soothing, to the young people. Not being able to walk up and down the isle of class to watch the children sing while playing guitar, she had an idea that changed Anthony's life. She asked him to play the guitar at the front of the class while she sang. This was a huge hit with the kid.
After much tutelage and playing with Mrs. Baldessari, Anthony started playing with boys from the neighborhood and Jim Applebaum. Apple and Anthony's dad were friends and he quite a scary guitarist himself. The music collection Apple had was shared with Anthony, furthering his vocabulary. This time proved immeasurably helpful due to the long improve jams Apple shared with the young boy. Anthony shares, "Man! It was freaking incredible! Here's this man in his late twenties holding down the rhythm for this 8 or 9 year old boy, while I'm doing leads all night. That taught me a ton about meter, dynamics and phrasing. He was very supportive."
Frustrated by the lack of drive of his peers, Anthony studied all through his high school and college days independently until he left for Los Angeles. There he studied with some of the greats of the LA studio scene. This was made even easier by a crash course of theory the summer before leaving with Duke and Perry Thebeau, famous local teachers in St Louis.
Logging 16 hour days 6 days a week was fuel to the fire. Soon Anthony was not only performing in weekly, well produced shows at school, but also performing all over the LA basin. Of the many bands he played in at the time American Band was most successful. Opening up for bands at their album release parties, they were one of the very few bands to be paid up front to play the Sunset Strip.
The mid 1990's brought Anthony back to St Louis. He played with all his friends in the metro area, when ever he wasn't performing solo acoustic. Sitting in at the last minute for missing guitarists was his claim to fame. His own band, Charlie Don't Surf, had some blistering sets around town with Anthony's long time friend and partner Shaun Andree. They did some great instrumental fusion along with some classics.
Next came a nightclub tour with the infamous progressive rock cover band John Doe. A call came from his friend bassist/vocalist Dean Holiday on a Thursday. That same Friday, the boys were back out on the road as a three with Anthony. Six months and some 3500 miles of God's country had JD3 back in St Louis.
Since the late 1990's, Anthony has been performing in St Louis with a variety of bands. He plays with Missouri champion flat picker Ranger Dave Montgomery in the 'hopped up country' band Liquid Prairie. He plays with his friend Dave Smith in Acoustic Madness. Anthony has been reunited with childhood friend and bluesman Johnny Fox for the Fox Beel Duo. Acid Blue is a trio Anthony has with his friends doing some of his crazy art rock, soul, reggae, funk and blues. Drummers Bill Walters, Steven Lord and bassist Scott Pease, are from various local bands and populate not only Liquid Prairie, but Acid Blue.
Anthony is currently working on a self produced recording of all the songs he has written over the years. This will be available at local shows and for online purchase very soon.