This one hums. Jonathan “John” Firey grew up in an Oklahoma bluegrass family (matching velvet suits and all), turned down basketball scholarships to chase songs in Nashville, became a session ace, and quietly racked up thousands of shows—from the Ryman and the Grand Ole Opry to guitar records that ended up in big-box stores (yep, that haunting instrumental you heard while shopping might’ve been John). We talk adoption, a surprise pregnancy, and the moment he and his wife chose the Santa Ynez Valley so they wouldn’t miss their daughters growing up.

John takes us inside the Granada Theatre’s sold-out David Crosby tribute (30-piece orchestra, goosebumps), his instrumental album Taste of the Valley (melodies written in a dusty Jeep pull-off), and why the Valley has its own unnameable sound—part dirt road, part ocean air, all heart. He’s a humble showman who’d rather hide behind the guitar, but the stories spill: church Sundays, denim every day, and the kind of artistry that doesn’t chase fame—it chases truth.

If you love songs that feel lived-in, press play. Then queue up CaliAmericana Vol. 3: David Crosby and Taste of the Valley on your favorite streamer. And if you’re local, say hey when you spot the tall guy in all-denim rolling a Jeep down Grand Ave. Tap in—this episode sings. 🎧🎶