Bob Theis | Guitarist and Vocalist

I was born in 1952 in St. Peter, Minnesota, a farming community of 8,000 people, 65 miles south of Minneapolis. I was the oldest of six children, and my passion for music started at a very early age. While my dad, Roger, worked at the Theis plumbing shop in town, my mom, Marilyn, would be home listening to the radio while doing the housework and raising the family. She would happily sing along with all the songs. At 11 years old, I played the Peter, Paul, and Mary records and listened to the harmonies that seemed to draw me in. Learning some chords on a plastic cowboy guitar from the local hardware store made it seem possible to pursue music further, as singing and playing the songs slowly took shape. I formed a band at 14 years old with my brother Dan (13) and some hometown friends. Before long, we began playing dances at local high schools and around town in parking lots, the pool hall, and Legion Clubs. After high school, I learned the carpenter trade and played in bands on the weekends. In June of 1977, I headed west to Denver, Colorado, for an open-air concert at Mile High Stadium to see The Outlaws, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and The Marshall Tucker Band. I took a liking to Denver and decided to move there for work and to play in bands on the weekends. Another bonus was living close to Red Rocks Natural Amphitheatre, where the summers brought all the top bands to play. By 1988, I was married and had moved to the Pacific Northwest near Seattle, where I found work at the Boeing Company. I hung up the guitar for 23 years to help raise the family, and after 27 years of marriage and raising 3 children, it was time to pick up the guitar again. In 2011, I found myself busking in parks and eventually playing in a couple of retirement centers. In June of 2020, in the midst of Covid, I retired from a 29+ year career at Boeing. Performing live on Facebook during the Covid lockdown and learning more songs, I eventually ventured out as a solo performer. Now, I find myself playing in many retirement centers, breweries, and pubs throughout the greater Seattle area. My intention is to keep the music alive as long as possible. I am very thankful for the opportunity and wish all the best to everyone!