if you say the name “George Pickard,” many Reno music fans will nod with recognition and approval. But which George Pickard do they know? College-aged music fans might know George Pickard, 19, the lanky, rich-voiced lead singer and upright bassist of the Americana band Farewell Belladonna, often spotted busking along the Truckee River in downtown Reno or performing at all-ages venues. Every music fan worth his or her salt who lived in Reno during the ’90s or early ’00s has a good story or two about different George Pickard, 42, the charismatic singer, guitar player and whiskey baptismal preacher of the Atomiks, the high-energy rock ’n’ roll band that taught a generation of Renoites everything they needed to know about UFO conspiracies, alcohol-fueled religion and stage presence. And older, casino-going Renoites probably know yet another George Pickard, 68, the gregarious, piano-playing, multi-instrumentalist singer and storyteller, who has worked the showrooms and lounges of Northern Nevada to charming, cabaret-style effect for decades. Together, the three Georges Pickard represent a local family tradition and family industry of songwriting craft and showmanship. And through their music and recollections, it’s also possible to glimpse how being a songwriter and a performer in Reno has changed over the years. For the purposes of this article, we’ll refer to them as George I, George II and George III—eldest to youngest—but the name George Pickard goes back even farther than that. George II, of Atomiks fame, said that his grandmother told him he was the fourteenth of his name.
three generations of men named George Pickard continue to rock Reno
THREE GENERATIONS OF MEN NAMED GEORGE PICKARD CONTINUE TO ROCK RENO
by Brad Bynum bradb@newsreview.com PhotoS BY eRic MaRKS
engage! “I was at the humane society, adopting a dog,” said George I, recounting a recent encounter. “I said the name, and she asked, you have a grandson George, a musician? She’s a big fan.”
“ the 3 GeoRGeS” continued on page 14
“ continued head tK” on page xx Left to right, George Pickard, George Pickard and George Pickard.
OPINION
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NEWS
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GREEN
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FEATURE STORY
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ARTS&CULTURE
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ART OF THE STATE
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FOODFINDS
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FILM
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MUSICBEAT
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NIGHTCLUBS/CASINOS
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THIS WEEK
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MISCELLANY
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JUNE 26, 2014
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RN&R
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