RAO for SOS

     I will be on the ballot in November 2008 for the office of Secretary of State.  A three way race between the Democrat, Republican and my Mountain Party should be interesting.  My single issue is "Do we really need a Secretary of State?"

     I say no.  Our previous ones had no teeth.  Fraud is rampant.  In my small hometown, the last three municipal elections were rigged.  More on that later.

      Born in Pittsburgh in 1949 to Frank and Ida  Rao.  Three brothers, two sisters.  Attended  Coraopolis High .. captain of the football and golf teams.  Attended Washington and Jefferson College for two years then transferred to San Diego State for three more.  No degree in my major of Political Science.

Was drafted out of college only to fail the physical.  Began learning guitar building and repair at the American Dream in San Diego. After several years working in the collective of 12 other luthiers, Bob Taylor [of the now very successful Taylor Guitars] bought out the enterprise and I then opened my own shop at the original site of the first American Dream shop.  

I took a year off from California and guitar building to live near Chicago where my sister's husband, former Pittsburgh Steeler John Powers was battling terminal lymphoma.  After losing John, it was back to San Diego. Soon after my return, Paul Rothchild [producer of The Doors] hired me to be his west coast sales representitive for his new high line guitar company that sold the cream of professional guitars.  The line included Taylor, Larrivee, Travis Bean, Augie Lo Prinzi, Bartolini and Alembic.  I met and tried to close every music store from Mexico to Canada.  Unfortunately, the market forced Paul to close shop and suggested I move to San Francisco to help Rick Turner at Alembic.  Alembic was started by the Grateful Dead to construct their sound system and one of a kind guitars and basses.  After two years of custom building, I returned to southern California hoping to escape sawdust and lacquer fumes that were killing my lungs.  Stephen Stills had contacted me through a mutual friend.  He needed his guitar collection inventoried, appraised, and repaired.  After several months of living with his guitars, I moved to Venice to find a hole in the wall to set up a workshop.  I didn't stay but a week before a better choice appeared.

 At Westwood Music, the store of the stars, Fred Waleki urged me to go out on an extended tour with the Beach Boys taking care of Carl Wilsons guitars. Carl was simply the best in every way.  During the next year, we toured little, but he insisted on paying me a retainer to be on call.

 Stills contacted me again and brought me back into his employ.  For the next four years I lived with him and his ten year old son Chris.  After a solo album, two years were spent completing "Daylight Again" with partners Crosby and Nash. 

 
Golf was our diversion and it soon became as important as the music. Golf guru, Count Yogi, never left us alone and forced our games beyond our expectations. Just before the "Daylight Again" tour was to begin, I was injured.  A 'severe tire damage' parking lot spike found its was up my heel and crippled me for a few months, so I returned east to visit with family.

It was near Pittsburgh I found my future wife.  We married and I brought her to LA.  As a child was coming, we decided LA was not the place.  We moved to the small West Virginia mountain town of Elkins.  That was twenty years ago.  My two sons are men now and looking back, I should'a stayed in LA.

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