BAND MEMBER BIOS
Jeff Adams: GUITARIST, VOCALIST, SONGWRITER AND PERFORMER
Co-founder of The Blue Genies
Inducted in the Maryland Hall of fame. Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, Jeff now calls Florida home, where he continues to shape the West Florida music scene with his exceptional talent and passion.
Jeff’s career took off as a member of the internationally recognized hard rock band Face Dancer (Capitol/EMI), with whom he recorded two albums and performed for crowds of up to 10,000 people. His solo album, Death By 1000 Lics, showcases his masterful guitar work and songwriting abilities. His compositions have been featured on both mainstream and internet radio, further solidifying his reputation as a top-tier musician.
During the 1980s, Jeff made his mark in Los Angeles, where he was invited by legendary guitarist Kim Simmonds to tour with Savoy Brown (Decca Records). He later joined forces with Les Dudek (CBS Records), whose collaborations with artists like Boz Scaggs, Steve Miller, Cher, and Stevie Nicks made him an influential figure in rock music.
Jeff Adams continues to captivate audiences with his signature style and unwavering passion for music.
"If you feel safe in the area you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.
- DAVID BOWIE
JOHN WEST – LEAD VOCALIST, SONGWRITER AND PERFORMER
Co-founder of The Blue Genies
Inducted in the Maryland Hall of fame
Originally from Philadelphia, John West is a dynamic vocalist currently performing in Baltimore, Maryland, and Southwest Florida.
With a captivating voice and commanding stage presence, John brings energy and authenticity to every performance. Now, he is thrilled to celebrate the iconic music of David Bowie, delivering powerful renditions that honor Bowie’s legendary catalog.
Throughout his career, John has had the privilege of sharing the stage with an incredible lineup of legendary artists, including Ian Hunter (Mott the Hoople), Ronnie Montrose, Earl Slick (David Bowie/John Lennon), The New York Dolls, Cheap Trick, Brian Auger, Manfred Mann, Savoy Brown, Nils Lofgren, Jeff Golub (Billy Squier/Rod Stewart), The Producers, and many more. He has also been a part of several renowned East Coast regional bands, including Vanessa, Voices, and Vision.
Whether performing for longtime fans or new audiences, John’s passion for music ensures an unforgettable experience.
DON JACKOWSKI - KEYBOARDS
Don is a musical product of the 60’s, having grown up in the Renaissance era of popular music and electronics. His initial training through one of his piano teachers has a tutorial heritage that can be traced back to Franz Liszt, the virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period of the 1800’s. He has performed onstage as an electronic music specialist for over 50 years. He has been an award recipient from Billboard Magazine, and will soon be a featured artist on the internationally renowned Youtube presentation of 'BACKSTAGE WITH GIG PERFORMER,' during which his sound design and stage performance with The Blue Genies will be covered in detail to provide insight for other artists throughout the world. He looks forward to bringing the sonic complexities of David Bowie’s music to live audience.
MICHAEL FIORE - DRUMMER
Like many musicians of his generation Michael’s life was changed by the Beatles debut on the Ed Sullivan Show. He wanted to be just like that guy behind those drums that seemed to be having so much fun ! Hailing from Baltimore MD. Michael has been in original acts like the Psych Punk band The Accused that released an EP on Frantic Records which afforded them the opportunity to be the opening act for bands such as Squeeze … The Psychedelic Furs … Adam and The Ants and The Teardrop Explodes. Michael has also written and recorded songs with his long time friend and former Voice’s band member Dane Williams in a project called Black Velvet Express which is available on all major streaming services. During his musical journey Michael would always bug the guitar players at band practice to show him a new chord or two and impart some knowledge about the fretboard and now also plays guitar for the Radio Pilots as well as drumming for The Blue Genies.
JOHN KNOBLER- BASS/VOCALS
John is a native of the Philadelphia area. He started playing in bands in
the late 60s. In the early 70s John formed a prog rock band called Egdon Heath. The band had a long run and great success for many years, playing in the tri state areas of Pa, New Jersey and Delaware. After joining up with lead vocalist John West in the early 90s, and played together in Egdon Heath until 2008. With many recording credits along the way, later in 2017, John joined a touring country band ensemble
backing up for several new up and coming country recording artists,
which lead to more touring, writing , and the recording and songwriting credits on 3 albums in Nashville with The Jess Zimmerman Band. In 2024 John joined the Blue Genies adding his bass and vocal talents to this exciting new band.
