Ron Artis II will never forget his first guitar.
“It was a Yamaha RTX series. It’s a white Stratocaster-style guitar with one humbucker (pickup). It was on my 13th birthday,” Artis, who grew up in Kailua and Haleiwa, said recently. “My parents went out to a garage sale and came back with a guitar and an amplifier — and there went the rest of my teenage years!”
The instrument changed his life. These days Artis is a full-time professional musician, based outside of Nashville, Tenn., and a recent recipient of the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Bill Withers Scholarship. He is also working with Free Guitars 4 Kids, also known as FG4K, a national nonprofit organization that gives guitars to kids who can’t afford one and then provides opportunities to play and compose music.
“A gentleman named Ben (Dudley), who works for the organization, told me about it.” Artis said. “I explained that I was completely in love with the idea and I wanted to collaborate every chance we get. For the first event we got to do together, we gave 200 guitars away in partnership with Gibson Gives (a nonprofit affiliate of Gibson Guitars) in downtown Nashville. That was really, really amazing.”
Artis brings FG4K to Hawaii next month when he returns home for two nights at the Blue Note Hawaii and two days of workshops at Surfers Coffee in Wahiawa. He will give a new guitar to one qualified young musician at the early show each night at the Blue Note. He emphasizes that FG4K is for kids whose families can’t afford to buy them a first guitar; it is not a random giveaway, nor an opportunity for people who own guitars to add another one to their collection.
At the Blue Note, Artis will give audiences a preview of the music on his upcoming album. Newest of the new music already out is “Revival,” a rocking message of hope and inspiration that he released earlier this month. Drummer Tyrone Hendrix, bassist Ernesto Ecraela Jr., and live mixing engineer Victor Franca (“the fourth member of the band”) complete the lineup. Artis says it is an “honor” to work with them.
Early next year, Artis ships out with blues/rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa and more that 20 other artists on Bonamassa’s Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea IX spring cruise traveling from Miami to Cozumel, Mexico, in March. (The cruise is currently sold out. For waitlist information, visit bluesaliveatsea.com).
“He reached out to me about doing his cruise,” Artis said. “It’s my first time on a cruise doing something on this level and we’re really looking forward to it. With a guitar giant like Bonamassa, it’s pretty wild.”
And yes, Artis still has that Yamaha RTX guitar.
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Ron Artis II
>> Where: Blue Note Hawaii, 2335 Kalakaua Ave.
>> When: 6:30 and 9 p.m. Aug. 6 and 10
>> Cost: $35-$45 ($10 food or beverage minimum per person)
>> Info: bluenotejazz.com/hawaii or 808-777-4890
Songwriting and guitar workshops
>> Where: Surfers Coffee, 63 Kamehameha Highway, Wahiawa
>> When: Songwriting workshop, 6 p.m. Aug. 7; guitar workshop, 4 p.m. Aug 8.
>> Cost: Free, email Surfers Coffee to reserve a spot.
>> Info: Email coffee.hi@stn.global
