By Lola Rossi
Vocalist and guitarist Randyn Seymon (pronounced Simon) performs every Monday and Tuesday from 5:30 until 9:30 p.m. in the dining room at Sammy G’s Tuscan Grill, 265 South Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs. (760) 320-8041.
A California native, Randyn Seymon was the eldest of six children. His Father’s entire family, including Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, were fortunate to be among the passengers on the last ship to leave Hamburg, Germany before they closed the boarders in November of 1938. They landed in New York and moved to San Francisco. His father played the harmonica and his mother played piano. They both loved music and the two met during a performance on a boat to Catalina. “Life was different in those days.” Seymon recalls. “Thanks to my Grandmother, my Father was introduced to my Mother. It was love at first sight.”
They lived in Santa Monica and later moved to Danville, California. “I sang a little during my high school years, but I learned to play the guitar by ear. I loved singing and writing my own songs.” A confident guitarist, singer and songwriter, in 1974, he hitchhiked across the country to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to realize his dream and be discovered on the Mike Douglas Show. Defying all the odds and with great determination, he auditioned for the producers and was invited to be included in a special episode for upcoming singer/songwriters with Paul Williams, who was the guest host for the Mike Douglas Show that week. “I was young, had a lot of fun and met many talented people there.”
He followed the music scene to Florida and traveled around for a short time, performing in various venues and private parties. He hitchhiked all over the country and met many musicians throughout his travels. Seymon landed in Oregon, where he met his wife. They lived there for a few years and then made the move to Palm Springs, California. He has three children and four grand-children. “My grand-daughter, Kalei Bragg, recently performed one of the lead roles in a theatrical performance at the Cathedral City High School. I am very proud of my family.”
Throughout his life, Seymon, never lost his passion for music. He has recorded albums of his Original music, “Sojourner Road” and “Everland”. He performs them along with cover music from Sinatra to the Beatles. As a matter of fact, several of his Original compositions are currently being considered by Kool and the Gang for their upcoming album. Thanks to a friend of many years, one of his songs, “Mokele Membe” is going to be included in the Soundtrack for a comedic movie currently being filmed in South Africa. Congratulations for keeping your musical dream alive.
