Ben Guichard grew up in Bakersfield, California, with his mom, dad and older brother. He started teaching himself the drums early on, drawn to rock music and inspired by bands like The Cars, INXS and Led Zeppelin.
In 1986, when Ben was 11, his family moved to Wrightwood. His dad took a job at a new school in Phelan called Pinon Mesa Middle School, while his mom worked at Wrightwood Elementary during the school year and helped clear trails for the Forest Service in the summer.
Although it was hard to leave Bakersfield, Ben quickly made friends in Wrightwood. That fall, he began sixth grade at Pinon Mesa as one of its first students, already connected with kids he’d met over the summer.
At 12, his dad bought him a used drum set for $75, which he set up in his bedroom and practiced on nearly every day. “My mom didn’t mind at all. She was totally cool,” he said.
He went on to attend Serrano High School, where he played drums in the jazz band, took music theory and graduated in 1993.
After high school, Ben moved back to Bakersfield. At 19, he joined a group called Number One Band, playing covers of Nirvana and Rage Against the Machine at Highland High School.
Around that time, he also started teaching himself guitar. He was especially into the Rolling Stones, and that led him to study the music that inspired them—artists like Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters.
In 1994, he joined a blues band called Swollen Ego, playing drums and covering songs by White Boy James. He later played with Ed Munoz in another band called Brush Fire.
After moving to Long Beach, Ben began performing with White Boy James and the Blues Express every Wednesday night at Harvelle’s. He remembers one night when James turned to him on stage and said, “Play like your ass is on fire.”
Ben’s musical tastes go beyond blues. He also enjoys classic country by Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson—“real country music,” as he puts it.
These days, he plays drums, guitar and harmonica, sings, and writes some of his own songs. His voice shifts depending on the genre, sounding like early Rolling Stones when singing blues or closer to Black Sabbath and Fleetwood Mac when playing classic rock.
In 2020, Ben returned to Wrightwood. He attended his 30-year high school reunion in 2023 at the Wrightwood Country Club.
He performs locally with his current band, Electric Moonshine, which includes David Cimino, James Loveless, Josh Elliott and sometimes Travis Guichard. They’ve played at places like The Village Grind and The Yodeler.
Ben’s music is also available on SoundCloud. His recordings are multi-track sessions where he plays every part—drums, guitar, harmonica and vocals.
Having spent much of his life in and around the Tri-Community, Ben continues to contribute to its music scene with his wide range of skills and deep love for the craft.
