You’re a miracle

Everyone but you can see

—“Call On Me” by Jock Bartley

Jock Bartley of Firefall Brings Message of Suicide Prevention to Center Stage

Jock Bartley, an original member of the band Firefall, will present an evening of song and storytelling on February 13 at Center Stage to benefit Resilience1220, The Wooden Hawk Foundation, and Ovation West. A limited number of $60 VIP tickets are going fast. The pre-concert VIP experience begins at 6 pm at Center Stage and includes a backstage conversation with Jock, a private reception, and premium seating for the performance.

The main event begins at 7:30 pm and will include Jock and Steven Weinstein as Acoustic Firefall playing some of the band’s well-known songs and a few releases from its recent albums. Jock will also participate in an onstage Q&A session. General admission is $35. All tickets are available at ovationwest.org.

A Calling to Help Kids

Jock’s interest in a fundraiser for three Evergreen nonprofits who share a commitment to improving the lives of young people was born out of his own passion to help youth in crisis. A call from a Colorado Springs suicide prevention agency in dire need of financial support was a catalyst for a new chapter in Jock Bartley’s career. Jock said “yes” to the nonprofit’s request to write and record a song they could use to help raise money to keep their doors open to people in crisis. “Call On Me,” which Jock wrote from the perspective of the person answering a suicide hotline, touched the songwriter’s heart and motivated him to engage in the cause.

“I knew nothing about suicide prevention when I wrote it,” said Bartley. “I started looking into the subject and realized that so many kids are at risk. I wanted to help raise money and consciousness by speaking in an emotional and straightforward way about the crisis.”

What began as a fundraiser in Colorado evolved into a suicide prevention benefit concert Jock organized in Nashville with friends Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers and David Pack of Ambrosia. Another event with McDonald and country star Wynona Judd followed, and Jock’s mission to raise awareness of suicide prevention continued across the country with “Call On Me” as its theme song.

Fate Begets Fame

Destiny began to unfold when Jock’s mom bought him his first guitar at the age of 9. The gift changed his life and introduced Jock to a new freedom of creative expression. Coming of age when the Beatles arrived only intensified Jock’s desire to pursue music. While attending Manitou Springs High School, he was drawn to the music of the Rolling Stones, the Byrds, and Buffalo Springfield.

The guitarist’s big break came when he was asked to play with The Fallen Angels, the backing band for the Gram Parsons tour. When in concert in Houston, the performers were joined on stage by Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young. At an after-party in Young’s hotel suite, Jock witnessed history. “During the party, which went until dawn, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris sang together for the first time, facing each other 5 feet apart,” Bartley recalls. “I look at that moment as fated… meant to be.”

When the tour reached New York in 1973, Jock met Rick Roberts who would become his friend and band member. The two eventually reunited in Boulder and began a musical collaboration. They recruited bassist Mark Andes and singer/guitarist Larry Burnett. Firefall was born.

Rubbing Shoulders With Music Royalty

When Firefall traveled to Miami’s Criteria Studios for a recording session, Jock had an encounter with an idol. “I was warming up to play on the song ‘Mexico’ practicing a few licks and solos,” said Bartley. “I knew there were people going in and out of the control room, but I was focused on my playing. When I finished, the producer invited me into the control room and the first person I saw was my guitar hero, Eric Clapton, who had been listening to my performance. He said, ‘keen playin’ man.’ I was blown away.”

The exchange with Clapton was one of many memorable moments to come. Firefall hit big in the summer of 1976, touring with the Doobie Brothers and sharing the spotlight with Fleetwood Mac on its historic Rumours album tour.

“There were a lot of bands we got to be friends with—the Doobies, Loggins & Messina, and the Marshall Tucker Band,” Bartley shares. “One time we opened for The Band. It was unbelievable that I got to watch Levon Hill perform 8 feet away from me.”

Delighting Fans for Decades

Firefall fans know the words to the band’s blockbuster songs, “You Are the Woman,” “Just Remember I Love You” from the gold album Luna Sea in 1977, and “Strange Way” from the platinum-selling album Elan.

Today, Bartley and a group of talented musicians continue the Firefall tour in the United States and abroad. In 2023 Firefall released Friends & Family, an album featuring songs from the bands they toured with and who became lifelong friends. Friends & Family 2 is about to be released and will be a highlight of upcoming concerts.

Opening to the Creative Flow

Always an outstanding guitarist, Bartley eventually embraced songwriting. “I was in the band because of being a good guitar player,” said Bartley. “I developed as a songwriter later in my career. The finished product and having people love your song—that’s a side benefit. You need to balance between successful songs and songs that are written to be heartfelt.” Bartley has a simple yet profound philosophy on songwriting.

“One of the worst things you can do is question your muse. Lyrics come out on their own because creativity is coming from another place,” Bartley explains. “Stop thinking so much. Open yourself to the causeway to greater consciousness. Without trying, open yourself up and tap into a consciousness that’s greater than you.”