Making Music History: Joey Stuckey’s 17-Day Los Angeles Marathon
When Macon’s Official Music Ambassador, Joey Stuckey, sets his sights on an opportunity, he doesn't just open the door—he walks right in and makes history. In this podcast highlight edition, we catch up with Joey about his whirlwind 17-day journey to Los Angeles packed with historic recording sessions, legendary venue performances, cutting-edge audio tech, and important accessibility advocacy.
Listen While You Read: Hit play on the podcast episode below to hear Joey Stuckey share these incredible stories in his own words on Big Blend Radio’s Music Talks series!
Recording Live at the Historic Les Paul Studio
The crown jewel of Stuckey's trip was an exclusive 12-hour session at the Les Paul Foundation’s studio space inside United Studios in LA. The studio houses Les Paul's meticulously refurbished recording setup, built to digitize, remaster, and release hundreds of unreleased tapes left behind by the guitar pioneer.
After visiting the space earlier in the year—where engineer Tom Camuso gave Joey a rare hands-on look at Les Paul’s personal, customized guitar—Joey politely persisted until he secured the honor of becoming the very first artist to officially record on the restored equipment.
Joey Stuckey at Les Paul Recording Studio
Surrounded by 1950s vintage gear, including an 8-channel all-tube mixing console, an 8-track reel-to-reel machine, and a 1940s vinyl lathe, Joey and his band recorded six songs live to tape.
"It was three guys in a room making music together with a limited number of tracks... straight to tape without click tracks or auto-tune," Stuckey shared during the show. "It’s the exact antithesis to generative AI. From a human, spiritual perspective, it’s perfect."
Joey Stuckey, Dusty Wakeman, and David Raven perform at the Whiskey A Go-Go
Podcast Episode Breakdown: From Sunset Strip to Harmon HQ
In this conversation, Joey takes listeners behind the scenes of an action-packed California schedule:
Rocking the Sunset Strip: Backed by industry veterans Dusty Wakeman (CEO of Mojave Microphones) and drummer David Raven, Joey played a 45-minute set at the world-famous Whisky a Go-Go, opening for 1980s icons Bow Wow Wow ("I Want Candy").
Testing Next-Gen Sound at Harmon HQ: Invited for a private tour, Joey explored anechoic sound chambers, tested 25-speaker 3D spatial audio arrays, and was officially welcomed as an AKG Artist.
Boutique Pedals & Braille: At Beetronics HQ ("The Hive"), Joey put 24 custom guitar pedals to the test. The visit also sparked discussions on incorporating Braille onto pedal layouts to make gear more accessible for visually impaired musicians.
Over 28 Songs Captured: In addition to the six-track Les Paul EP, Joey tracked 12 more songs at a private home studio and captured 10 live tracks from the Whisky performance, creating an absolute trove of new music set for future release.
Joey and Jennifer at La Brea Tar PIts, Los Angeles
Accessibility and Advocacy
Between high-energy recording sessions and builds for his daily health management, Joey and his wife, Jennifer, made time to explore local attractions, including a behind-the-scenes tour of the La Brea Tar Pits.
While sorting real fossils and experiencing the active excavation sites, the visit highlighted a topic Joey champions everywhere he travels: equal access and proper ADA accommodations for tourists with visual impairments and special needs. From comparing accessibility standards in London and Paris to navigating travel in the U.S., Joey continues to push for inclusive environments across public lands and cultural institutions.
Connect & Subscribe
With new music fully tracked and mixed, Joey Stuckey continues to demonstrate that passion, resilience, and human artistry will always triumph over shortcuts.
Explore More: Check out Joey's upcoming EP release and studio projects at JoeyStuckey.com.
Tune In: Catch Joey every 4th Sunday on Big Blend Radio’s Music Talks series!
A frequent guest on Big Blend Radio, Joey proudly co-hosts the Music Talks Podcast every fourth Sunday on Big Daily Blend, A Toast to The Arts, and Rants, Raves & Rock 'n Roll.
Have a Question for Joey? Ask us on our Contact Page.