Ken Kovach BIO
Born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania on April 19, 1953, to
Margaret and Joseph, a musical family, whose father sang
in the church choir and with the international singing group
‘The Slovak Aires’.
Inspired by his father’s rehearsals and performances, Ken began accordion lessons at the age of 8 years and started trombone lessons in the 6th grade at St. Mark grade school. Ken also sang for the church boys’ choir. At that time, he started to play bass and played in his first band with Bill Purse and Gary Bacher. It was with that band that he played his first professional job.
He attended Canevin High School playing trombone in the school bands
and playing weekend professional jobs on bass with ‘The El Rays’ all
during his high school years. By his senior year, Ken became the student
band director for the concert and marching bands and graduated in 1971.
Ken attended the Duquesne University School of Music and studied
trombone with Dan Poupard and Matty Shiner. There, he played in the jazz band and concert bands. He also put together a band to back the singer Sharon Tabor, as well as playing freelance jobs on bass and trombone.
Since 1971 to the present, Ken has been able to evolve his professional
performance career. Ken feels blessed and honored to have performed with many iconic musicians. He performed with ‘Jimmy Beaumont and The Skyliners’, ‘Gina Morgano and Friends’, and We Three, as well as being a freelance bass player with many local musicians and bands. Some international groups Ken has performed with include: Ben E King, The Drifters, The Jersey Boys, The Four Aces, The Platters, and more.
Ken has recorded with The Slovak Aires, Sunship, John Damico, Max Leake and Magique, Jimmy Beaumont and The Skyliners, Algo Latino, America’s Latin Orchestra, The Soiree Band, John Maione, Bill Purse, Joe Lagnese, and more. Ken continues to perform with The Skyliners, Gina Morgano and Friends, and The Mark Antonich Trio.
Ken was also interested in electronics and sound engineering at an early
age. As an example, he and Gary Bacher built a radio station in 1967 that
went on the public airways.
After coming off “the road” with Sunship in 1976, he went back to school and received a degree in ‘Specialized Electronic Engineering. In late 1978, while still in school, Ken accepted his first job at Extra Nuclear Laboratories building Mass Spectrometer’s.
In 1979 he accepted a job for XEROX Corporation and worked for 20 years,
amassing many Par Club and President Club awards.
In 1999 Ken accepted a job with Bayer Corporation and spent the next 23 years working for Bayer, retiring at the age of 68 years. While there, he was listed in the Global Register’s Who’s Who In Executives And Professionals
2006-2007 Edition. These were exciting times in his life as he spent 44
years working for ‘corporate America’ internationally, while still playing
music. His mantra was always, ‘I’m just a musician with a day job. ’
Margaret and Joseph, a musical family, whose father sang
in the church choir and with the international singing group
‘The Slovak Aires’.
Inspired by his father’s rehearsals and performances, Ken began accordion lessons at the age of 8 years and started trombone lessons in the 6th grade at St. Mark grade school. Ken also sang for the church boys’ choir. At that time, he started to play bass and played in his first band with Bill Purse and Gary Bacher. It was with that band that he played his first professional job.
He attended Canevin High School playing trombone in the school bands
and playing weekend professional jobs on bass with ‘The El Rays’ all
during his high school years. By his senior year, Ken became the student
band director for the concert and marching bands and graduated in 1971.
Ken attended the Duquesne University School of Music and studied
trombone with Dan Poupard and Matty Shiner. There, he played in the jazz band and concert bands. He also put together a band to back the singer Sharon Tabor, as well as playing freelance jobs on bass and trombone.
Since 1971 to the present, Ken has been able to evolve his professional
performance career. Ken feels blessed and honored to have performed with many iconic musicians. He performed with ‘Jimmy Beaumont and The Skyliners’, ‘Gina Morgano and Friends’, and We Three, as well as being a freelance bass player with many local musicians and bands. Some international groups Ken has performed with include: Ben E King, The Drifters, The Jersey Boys, The Four Aces, The Platters, and more.
Ken has recorded with The Slovak Aires, Sunship, John Damico, Max Leake and Magique, Jimmy Beaumont and The Skyliners, Algo Latino, America’s Latin Orchestra, The Soiree Band, John Maione, Bill Purse, Joe Lagnese, and more. Ken continues to perform with The Skyliners, Gina Morgano and Friends, and The Mark Antonich Trio.
Ken was also interested in electronics and sound engineering at an early
age. As an example, he and Gary Bacher built a radio station in 1967 that
went on the public airways.
After coming off “the road” with Sunship in 1976, he went back to school and received a degree in ‘Specialized Electronic Engineering. In late 1978, while still in school, Ken accepted his first job at Extra Nuclear Laboratories building Mass Spectrometer’s.
In 1979 he accepted a job for XEROX Corporation and worked for 20 years,
amassing many Par Club and President Club awards.
In 1999 Ken accepted a job with Bayer Corporation and spent the next 23 years working for Bayer, retiring at the age of 68 years. While there, he was listed in the Global Register’s Who’s Who In Executives And Professionals
2006-2007 Edition. These were exciting times in his life as he spent 44
years working for ‘corporate America’ internationally, while still playing
music. His mantra was always, ‘I’m just a musician with a day job. ’