Bill Harkleroad, born January 8, 1949, is an American guitarist known professionally as Zoot Horn Rollo. He is best known for his work with Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band.
๐ธ Early Life and Training
Born in Hawthorne, California, Harkleroad was trained as an accordionist as a child. He changed to guitar in his teens.
๐ต Early Bands
In nearby Lancaster, California, he became involved in local bands. With Mark Boston, he joined a band named B.C. & The Cavemen. The two later played in the group Blues in a Bottle along with future Magic Band guitarist Jeff Cotton.
๐ค The Magic Band
He joined the Magic Band in 1968 after the departure of Alex St. Clair. After recording Trout Mask Replica and several further albums, he left in 1974 with several other band members to form Mallard.
๐ Later Career
After the break up of Mallard, Harkleroad had a limited involvement with the music community as a performer. He continued his involvement as a record store manager and guitar instructor in Eugene, Oregon. On November 27, 2001, he released We Saw a Bozo Under the Sea.
๐ Recognition
In 2003, he was ranked No. 62 in a Rolling Stone magazine list of “the 100 greatest guitarists of all time”. In March 2005, Q placed “Big Eyed Beans from Venus” at number 53 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
| Year | Event | Group/Album | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Joined Magic Band | Magic Band | N/A |
| 1974 | Left Magic Band | Mallard | N/A |
| 2001 | Released album | We Saw a Bozo Under the Sea | N/A |
| 2003 | Rolling Stone list | N/A | No. 62 |