I read a quote that said, “Funk is everything, it’s a religion to me.” Knowing the man who said those words makes it easy to understand exactly what they mean. Funk is everything to guitarist Rob “Fonksta” Bacon. He is called the “Fonksta” for a reason. Growing up in the Motor City of Detroit, you can’t help but be surrounded by the sound of music. Having a father who played the guitar and a mother who sat down with him and played records all the time, Rob could feel the music stirring on the inside. One day, his dad heard him playing George Benson’s “Breezin” and to his astonishment discovered that he was playing it with only 3 strings because one had broken. Now that’s what I call an “aha” moment. The gift revealed itself not only to Rob’s dad but to Rob himself. After leaving Detroit and heading to LA,he began to work with artists like Raphael Saadiq, DJ Quik, and George Clinton. It didn’t take long for him to become one of the best session guitarist in LA. Rob is fortunate to be able to play different genres of music such as pop, R&B, funk, rap, and jazz. He’s mastering his craft and constantly learning. This year is a very big one in his life. He will release his first solo project and will be the guitarist for the new Aresnio Hall Show airing in September. It’s still surreal for him, but he has worked very hard and appreciates growing even more in new directions. You can count on this for sure: where there is Rob “Fonksta” Bacon, there will be FUNK.

On a calm evening in Seattle, Rob and I talk about music, the past, present, future, and funk.