Jeffrey "Skunk" Baxter
Background information
Born	December 13, 1948 (1948-12-13) (age 58) in Washington, D.C.
Genre(s)	Rock
Instrument(s)	Electric Guitar, Guitar synthesizer, Acoustic Guitar
Years active	1968 - present
Associated acts	The Doobie Brothers Steely Dan

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (born December 13, 1948 in Washington, D.C.) is an American guitarist best known for his stints in the rock bands Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers during the 1970s. More recently, he has been working as a defense consultant, and he chairs a Congressional Advisory Board on missile defense. Image File history File links Jeff Baxter, member of the Exploration Systems Advisory Committee (ESAC) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... An electric guitar An electric guitar is a type of guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into electrical current, which is then amplified. ... A guitar/synthesizer (also guitar synthesizer, guitar/synth, or guitar synth) is any one of a number of systems originally conceived to allow a guitar player to play synthesizers. ... Acoustic guitar can refer to the following musical instruments: Nylon and gut stringed guitars: Renaissance guitar Baroque guitar Romantic guitar Classical guitar, the modern version of the original guitar, with nylon strings Flamenco guitar Steel stringed guitars: Steel-string acoustic guitar, also known as western, folk or country guitar Twelve... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Steely Dan is a Grammy-Award winning American jazz rock band centered on core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Steely Dan is a Grammy-Award winning American jazz rock band centered on core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Missile defence is an air defence system, weapon program, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception and destruction of attacking missiles. ...

Early career

While working at Manny's Music Shop in Manhattan in 1966, Baxter met guitarist Jimi Hendrix, who was just beginning his career as a frontman. For a short period during that year, Baxter was a member of a Hendrix-led band called Jimmy James and The Blue Flames, along with fellow Manny's employee Randy California. For other uses, see Manhattan (disambiguation). ... Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American guitar virtuoso, singer and songwriter. ... Randy California (born Randy Craig Wolfe; February 20, 1951 - January 2, 1997) was a guitarist, singer and songwriter and one of the original members of the rock group Spirit, formed in 1967. ...

Baxter first reached the larger rock audience in 1968 as a member of the psychedelic rock band Ultimate Spinach. Baxter joined that band for their third and final album, titled III. Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that attempts to replicate the mind-altering experiences of hallucinogenic drugs. ... Ultimate Spinach was a psychedelic/ hard rock/ blues band originally from Boston. ...

With Steely Dan

After the breakup of Ultimate Spinach, Baxter relocated to Los Angeles, California, finding work as a session guitarist. In 1972 he became a founding member of the band Steely Dan, along with guitarist-bassist Walter Becker, keyboardist Donald Fagen, guitarist Denny Dias, drummer Jim Hodder and vocalist David Palmer (and session player Elliott Randall on various tracks). Becker and Fagen were employed at the time as staff songwriters for ABC Records, and they formed the band as a vehicle to promote their songs. Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... Steely Dan is a Grammy-Award winning American jazz rock band centered on core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. ... Walter Carl Becker (born February 20, 1950 in New York, New York) is the guitarist (and sometimes electric bassist) half of the duo at the core of the jazz-rock group Steely Dan. ... Donald Jay Fagen (born January 10, 1948 in Passaic, New Jersey) is an American musician and songwriter, best known as co-writer, co-founder, singer, and pianist with the jazz-rock band Steely Dan. ... Denny Dias is an American guitarist, most known for being a founding member of Steely Dan. ... Jim Hodder ([December 17]][1947]]-June 5, 1990) was an American drummer, best known as the original drummer for Steely Dan. ... David Palmer is an American vocalist and songwriter. ... Elliott Randall (born 1947) is an American guitarist, most known for being a session musician with popular artists. ... ABC Records started in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records, the recording arm of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres. ...

Baxter appeared with Steely Dan on their first three albums, Can't Buy a Thrill in 1972, Countdown to Ecstasy in 1973, and Pretzel Logic in 1974. Among his contributions was the guitar solo on the 1974 hit single "Rikki Don't Lose That Number". Cant Buy A Thrill is the first album by Steely Dan. ... Originally released in 1973, Countdown To Ecstasy was the second album released by rock group Steely Dan. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

With the Doobie Brothers

While finishing work on Pretzel Logic, Baxter became aware of Becker and Fagen's intentions to retire Steely Dan from touring, and to work almost exclusively with session players in the future. With that in mind, Baxter left the band in 1974 to join The Doobie Brothers, who at the time were touring in support of their fourth album What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits. As a session man, he had contributed pedal steel guitar to "Black Water" on Vices as well as "South City Midnight Lady" on its predecessor, The Captain and Me. Baxter's first album as a full member of the group was 1975's Stampede. Baxter contributed an acoustic interlude entitled "Precis," significant turns on slide and pedal steel guitar, and the guitar solo for the hit single "Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While)". This article does not cite any references or sources. ... What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1974. ... The Captain and Me is the third studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1973. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Stampede is the fifth studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1975. ...

While preparing to tour in support of Stampede, Doobie Brothers founder Tom Johnston was hospitalised with a stomach ailment. To fill in for Johnston on vocals, Baxter suggested bringing in singer-keyboardist Michael McDonald, with whom Baxter had worked in Steely Dan. With Johnston still convalescing, McDonald soon was invited to join the band full-time. McDonald's vocal and songwriting contributions, as well as Baxter's jazzier guitar style, marked a new direction for the band. They went on to continued success with the 1976 album Takin' It to the Streets, 1977's Livin' on the Fault Line, and particularly 1978's Minute by Minute, which spent five weeks as the #1 album in the U.S. and spawned several hit singles. Tom Johnston (b. ... Michael McDonald (born February 12, 1952, in St. ... Takin It to the Streets is the sixth studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1976. ... Livin on the Fault Line is the seventh studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1977. ... Minute by Minute is the eighth studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1978. ...

In early 1979, Baxter and co-founding drummer John Hartman left the band. John Hartman is a US drummer, born on March 18th 1950 in Falls Church, Virginia. ...

Post-Doobie Brothers music career

Baxter has continued working as a session guitarist for a diverse group of artists, including Willy DeVille, Bryan Adams, Hoyt Axton, Eric Clapton, Gene Clark, Sheryl Crow, Freddie Hubbard, Joni Mitchell, Rick Nelson, Dolly Parton, Carly Simon, Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand, and Donna Summer. He has worked as a touring musician with Elton John and Linda Ronstadt and Billy Vera and the Beaters. In 1990, Baxter joined John Entwistle, Joe Walsh, Keith Emerson and Simon Phillips in an abortive supergroup called "The Best". The group released a live performance video in Japan before disbanding. He also produced several albums for the hard rock band Nazareth and Livingston Taylor, The Ventures and Nils Lofgren. He also appeared in Blues Brothers 2000 and can be heard on the cast album. Willy DeVille on his 2001 album Horse of a Different Color Willy DeVille, singer and songwriter, was born William Borsay in Stamford, Connecticut on August 25, 1950. ... For other persons of the same name, see Brian Adams. ... Hoyt Axton on the cover of Southbound (1975) Hoyt Wayne Axton (March 25, 1938 – October 26, 1999) was an American country music singer-songwriter, and a film and television actor. ... Eric Patrick Clapton CBE (born 30 March 1945), nicknamed Slowhand, is a Grammy Award winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. ... For other uses, see Gene Clark (disambiguation). ... Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American blues rock singer, guitarist, bassist, and songwriter. ... Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (born April 7, 1938 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is an American jazz trumpeter. ... Joni Mitchell, CC (born Roberta Joan Anderson on November 7, 1943) is a Canadian musician, songwriter, and painter. ... Eric Hilliard Ricky Nelson, alternately Rick Nelson (May 8, 1940 - December 31, 1985), was one of the first American teen idols. ... Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American, Grammy Award-winning country music singer/songwriter, composer, author, actress, and philanthropist. ... Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1945 in New York City) is an Academy Award, Golden Globe and two-time Grammy Award winning American musician who emerged as one of the leading lights of the early 1970s singer-songwriter movement. ... Richard Starkey Jr, MBE (born 7 July 1940), known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor, best known as the drummer for The Beatles. ... Rod Stewart CBE (born January 10, 1945), is a singer and songwriter born and raised in London, England, with Scottish parentage. ... Barbra Streisand (pronounced STRY-sand, IPA: ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, theatre and film actress, composer, liberal political activist, film producer and director. ... Donna Summer (born LaDonna Adrian Gaines, on December 31, 1948) is a legendary American singer, songwriter, and artist, best known for a string of dance hits in the 1970s that earned her the title Queen of Disco and as one of the few disco-based artists to have longevity on... Sir Elton Hercules[1] John CBE[2] (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is a five-time Grammy and one-time Academy Award-winning English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... Linda Marie Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946 in Tucson, Arizona) is an American popular vocalist and entertainer who has earned multiple Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, numerous certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, and Tony Award and Golden Globe nominations. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... John Alec Entwistle (October 9, 1944 – June 27, 2002) was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, and horn player, who was best known as the bass guitarist for rock band The Who. ... For other persons named Joe Walsh, see Joe Walsh (disambiguation). ... Keith Noel Emerson (born 2 November 1944 in Todmorden, Yorkshire) is a British keyboard player and composer. ... For other persons named Simon Phillips, see Simon Phillips (disambiguation). ... This article is about the term in rock music. ... Hard Rock redirects here. ... For other uses, see Nazareth (disambiguation). ... Livingston Taylor (born November 21, 1950) is an American singer-songwriter, originally from Boston, Massachusetts. ... Nils Lofgren is an American rock music singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. ...

Defense consulting career

Baxter fell into his second profession almost by accident. In the mid-1980s, Baxter's interest in music recording technology led him to wonder about hardware and software that was originally developed for military use, i.e. data-compression algorithms and large-capacity storage devices. As it happened, his next-door neighbor was a retired engineer who had worked on the Sidewinder missile program. This neighbor bought Baxter a subscription to an aviation magazine, provoking his interest in additional military-oriented publications and missile defense systems in particular. He became self-taught in this area, and at one point he wrote a five-page paper that proposed converting the ship-based anti-aircraft Aegis missile into a rudimentary missile defense system. He gave the paper to California congressman Dana Rohrabacher, and his career as a defense consultant began. The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. ... USS Lake Champlain, a Ticonderoga-class Aegis guided missile cruiser, launched in 1987 The Aegis combat system is an integrated missile guidance system used by the United States Navy. ... Dana Tyron Rohrabacher (born June 21, 1947, in Coronado, California) is an American politician, who has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1989, currently representing Californias 46th congressional district. ...

Backed by several influential Capitol Hill lawmakers, Baxter received a series of classified security clearances. In 1995, Pennsylvania congressman Curt Weldon, then the chairman of the House Military Research and Development Subcommittee, nominated Baxter to chair the Civilian Advisory Board for Ballistic Missile Defense. This article is about the U.S. State. ... Curtis Curt Weldon (born July 22, 1947) is an American politician. ...

Baxter's work with that panel led to consulting contracts with the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. He now consults to the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. intelligence community, as well as for defense-oriented manufacturers including Science Applications International Corporation ("SAIC"), Northrop Grumman Corp. and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. He has been quoted as saying his unconventional approach to thinking about terrorism, tied to his interest in technology, is a major reason he became sought after by the government. The Missile Defense Agency is the section of the United States governments Department of Defense responsible for developing a layered defense against ballistic missiles. ... The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is an agency of the United States Government with the primary mission of collection, analysis, and distribution of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) in support of national security. ... The United States Department of Defense, abbreviated DoD or DOD and sometimes called the Defense Department, is a civilian Cabinet organization of the United States government. ... Science Applications International Corporation Science Applications International Corporation (usually known as SAIC) is the largest employee-owned research and engineering firm in the United States. ... The Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) is an aerospace and defense conglomerate that is the result of a 1994 merger between Northrop and Grumman. ... General Atomics is a nuclear physics and defense contractor headquartered in San Diego, California. ...

"We thought turntables were for playing records until rappers began to use them as instruments, and we thought airplanes were for carrying passengers until terrorists realized they could be used as missiles," he has said. "My big thing is to look at existing technologies and try to see other ways they can be used, which happens in music all the time and happens to be what terrorists are incredibly good at."

Baxter has also appeared in public debates and as a guest on CNN and Fox News Channel advocating missile defense. He served as a national spokesman for Americans for Missile Defense, a coalition of conservative organizations devoted to the issue. The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ... Fox News redirects here. ...

In April 2005, he joined the NASA Exploration Systems Advisory Committee (ESAC). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (IPA [ˈnæsə]) is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... Image from NASA site Two planned configurations for a return to the moon, heavy lift (left) and crew (right) The Vision for Space Exploration is the United States space policy announced on January 14, 2004 by President George W. Bush. ...

Baxter was a member of an independent study group that produced the "Civil Applications Committee Blue Ribbon Study" recommending an increased domestic role for U.S. spy satellites in September 2005.^[1] This study was first reported by the Wall Street Journal on August 15, 2007.^[2]

Still a musician

Despite his defense-related work, Baxter has not abandoned his music career. He continues accepting studio work; his most recent such work involved tribute albums to Pink Floyd and Aerosmith. He also occasionally plays in The Coalition of the Willing, a band comprising Andras Simonyi, Hungarian Ambassador to the United States; Alexander Vershbow, US Ambassador to South Korea; Daniel B. Poneman, formerly of the United States National Security Council and now of The Scowcroft Group; and Lincoln Bloomfield, former United States Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs. Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock music, and, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. ... This article is about the band Aerosmith. ... Mr. ... Alexander Vershbow in 2005. ... The National Security Council (NSC) of the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and cabinet officials. ... The Scowcroft Group, an international advisory company is managed by Brent Scowcroft, former National Security Advisor to U.S. President George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford. ... Assistant Secretary John Hillen The Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs is a position within the American Department of State that manages the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, charged with linking the Department of Defense and the Department of State by providing policy in the areas of international...

Trivia

• The origin of his nickname "Skunk" is unknown, and Baxter has been quoted as saying he has no intention of explaining it.
• Baxter was seen in attendance at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner (hosted by comedian Stephen Colbert) wearing a kilt.
• On June 19, 2007, Baxter jammed with White House Press Secretary Tony Snow's band Beats Workin at the Congressional Picnic held on the South Lawn of the White House.

The White House Correspondents Association is an organization of journalists who cover the President of the United States. ... For the documentary about Jerry Seinfeld, see Comedian (film). ... This article is about Stephen Colbert, the actor. ... A kilt in the Black Watch tartan A kilt is a traditional garment of modern Scottish and Celtic culture typically worn by men. ...

Notes

1. ^ Civil Applications Committee Blue Ribbon Study. Department of Homeland Security (September 2005).
2. ^ U.S. to Expand Domestic Use of Spy Satellites. Wall Street Journal (August 15, 2007).

This article does not cite any references or sources. (July 2006) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

For other uses, see September (disambiguation). ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Image File history File links Question_book-3. ...

References

• Yochi J. Dreazen (May 24, 2005). "Rocker Jeff Baxter moves and shakes in national security". The Wall Street Journal. (available through the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: article)
• The Jimi Hendrix Music - Biography
• Jeff Baxter interview on America Online, July 13 1992
• Editor & Publisher article referencing the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association dinner
• Article and photos about the "Coalition of the Willing" band

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the PG, is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. // The paper began publication on July 29, 1786, with the encouragement of Hugh Henry Brackenridge as a four-page weekly, initially called The Gazette. ...

External links

• NASA Establishes Exploration Systems Advisory Committee
• December 2005 Today Show interview at MSNBC.com
• Wall Street Journal Article about Jeff Baxter's Defense Contracting