Keith Czech, best known throughout the world by his nom de plume "KC Taylor" for music and also "Thunderossa" for video production and graphic design. He is a complete DIY artist with skills covering an incredible range in visual and performing art.
KC began playing when he was seven years old and performed his first pro gig at 16 before 1500 people. A high school All-American, he was classically trained on clarinet & alto sax and became a music major at the prestigious Northern Illinois University. He left after one year to start a professional career. He played with various bands throughout Chicago on sax, but switched instruments to become a highly sought out bassist. As his songwriting came to the forefront, he began to form his own bands as a frontman & guitarist opening for Michael Charles, Ted Aliotta, Michael Bruce (Alice Cooper), Enuff Z’Nuff, and Firehouse. In 1999, his first single “Can I Really” hit #10 on Rolling Stone.com displacing artists such as Papa Roach, Tori Amos, Eminem, and brand new material from Styx, REO Speedwagon, and others. He followed that up with “It’s Alright” which rose to #11. Soon more singles such as "Part of Me" were released across European music sites toppling bands like Queen, Quiet Riot, and Rainbow while rising to #1 status. His first CD, Those Days, debuted at #1 at Australia’s largest music provider mp3.com.au in October of 2000 and stayed there for five weeks, remaining in the Hot 100 for 11 years. Shortly afterward the accolades began coming in from all over the world and he hit the road to perform as a headlining solo act in CO, NV, CA, MI, WI, TN, and GA. In 2001, he signed a promotional deal with Guerrilla Records and appeared on the album Guerrilla Grooves along with Ace Frehley (KISS), John Hiatt, and Billy Joel’s backup band. Consequently, he received airplay in New York, Seattle, Phoenix, Orlando, San Francisco and other markets. In 2001 he was named "Best New Foreign Rock Artist of 2000" by the Famelink Cafe in Sydney, Australia. His photos, hand-written lyrics, and signed guitar were enshrined on the wall next to Kylie Minogue. "I couldn't make it down for the unveiling, but I don't think there could've been a better honor!" In 2004 his second CD, Nothing Beats Aces was released and focused more on his rock/blues guitar playing and power ballads. Rather than tour, he took a hiatus to write his third album All We Are Is What We Are that was released on January 1, 2007. He began pre-production of his fourth release in 2011, but has temporarily shelved the project to pursue other interests. Since then, he began working in film & 3D animation production taking on clients like New York University's School of Nursing and several international corporations, but made some stops in Nashville to play at the World Famous Tootsie’s Wild Orchid. In August of 2014, he returned to Northern Illinois University (NIU) to restart his degree course. After some decision making, he has chosen to pursue oil painting. "I will go into film after graduation. I feel that painting will help me frame shots better with particular attention to the colors involved in them. I took a number of extra literature classes as well to discover how to analyze stories, which will help when reading scripts. "I'm at a crossroads though. I think I've learned all I can at NIU. They're really big on the School of the Art Institute - Chicago's methods of abstraction, but I want a more classically based curriculum. I can always abstract later." (Spring 2017). http://www.patreon.com/thunderossa |