Skip Prokop
Encyclopedia
Ronn "Skip" Prokop is a Canadian
drummer and band leader who was a driving force in Canadian rock music
, creating seminal bands, including The Paupers
In 1969, Skip co-founded the rock group Lighthouse
with Paul Hoffert
. The world’s first 13-piece rock orchestra, it achieved international success as Canada’s leading rock group. Lighthouse was the first group in Canada to be sponsored by a large corporation on a national level.
He is also remembered for The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper
, a seminal live blues-rock
album of the late 1960s.
Skip also drums in a London, Ontario rock/funk/Christian band called Mercy Train. He is currently working on smooth jazz album to be released in 2010 titled The Smooth Side Of Skip Prokop.
During the years in which Lighthouse was inactive, Prokop turned towards radio for his career. He was host of CFNY-FM
's Rock and a Hard Place program in the Toronto broadcast market. In the early 2000s, he worked for Astral Media
radio stations CJBX
/CIQM
/CJBK
in advertising sales. As of 2010, he lives in Aylmer, Ontario
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
drummer and band leader who was a driving force in Canadian rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, creating seminal bands, including The Paupers
The Paupers
The Paupers are a Canadian psychedelic rock band that recorded two albums for Verve Forecast Records in 1967 and 1968 and appeared at the Monterey International Pop Festival.-Origins:...
In 1969, Skip co-founded the rock group Lighthouse
Lighthouse (band)
Lighthouse is a Canadian rock band formed in 1968 in Toronto which included horns, string instruments, and vibraphone; their music reflected elements of rock music, jazz, classical music and swing...
with Paul Hoffert
Paul Hoffert
Paul Matthew Hoffert, CM is a recording artist, performer, media music composer, author, academic, and corporate executive. He studied mathematics and physics at the University of Toronto. He later studied music composition with Samuel Dolin and music theory with Gordon Delamont...
. The world’s first 13-piece rock orchestra, it achieved international success as Canada’s leading rock group. Lighthouse was the first group in Canada to be sponsored by a large corporation on a national level.
He is also remembered for The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper
The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper
Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper is a double album documenting performances from two of blues-rock's most notable American musicians of the late 1960s...
, a seminal live blues-rock
Blues-rock
Blues rock is a hybrid musical genre combining bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles. The core of the blues rock sound is created by the electric guitar, piano, bass guitar and drum kit, with the electric guitar usually amplified through a...
album of the late 1960s.
Skip also drums in a London, Ontario rock/funk/Christian band called Mercy Train. He is currently working on smooth jazz album to be released in 2010 titled The Smooth Side Of Skip Prokop.
During the years in which Lighthouse was inactive, Prokop turned towards radio for his career. He was host of CFNY-FM
CFNY-FM
CFNY-FM, promoted under the branding 102.1 The Edge, is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 102.1 FM. The station rose to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s due to its freestyle DJing format and unique choice to play alternative music...
's Rock and a Hard Place program in the Toronto broadcast market. In the early 2000s, he worked for Astral Media
Astral Media
Astral Media Inc. is a Canadian media corporation. It is Canada's largest radio broadcaster with 83 radio stations in eight provinces, and is a major player in premium and specialty television in Canada, including The Movie Network, Super Écran, Family, Teletoon, Canal D, Canal Vie, VRAK.TV,...
radio stations CJBX
CJBX-FM
CJBX-FM is a country music radio station in London, Ontario, branded as "BX93". The station is owned by Astral Media and has studios on 743 Wellington Road South, along with CIQM, CJBK and CKSL...
/CIQM
CIQM-FM
CIQM-FM is an FM radio station broadcasting at 97.5 FM in London, Ontario, Canada, branded as 97.5FM EZ Rock. The station plays a hot adult contemporary format branded as EZ Rock...
/CJBK
CJBK (AM)
CJBK is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting in London, Ontario at 1290 kHz. The station, owned by Astral Media, has an effective radiated power of 10,000 watts, as a class B station. The station airs a news, talk and sports format...
in advertising sales. As of 2010, he lives in Aylmer, Ontario
Aylmer, Ontario
Aylmer is a town in Elgin County in southern Ontario, Canada, just north of Lake Erie, on Catfish Creek. It is 20 km south of Highway 401...
.