John Arden "Jay" Ferguson (born May 10, 1947) is an American rock and pop musician known for his work with the bands Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne, and his 1978 solo hit "Thunder Island". His later career has been as a composer of music for television programs and films, most notably the theme song for the American version of The Office on NBC.

Childhood and early musical career

Ferguson was born on May 10, 1947, in Burbank in the San Fernando Valley, California, to John Becker and Kathleen Jane Ferguson. He grew up in the Van Nuys and Canoga Park sections of Los Angeles. At 12 years old, Ferguson's parents encouraged his musical abilities with classical piano lessons. When he was 16, Ferguson's interest transferred to the banjo. Along with his brother Tom, an accomplished fiddle player, he formed a bluegrass group called The Oat Hill Stump Straddlers including Michael Fondiler and Steve Fondiler. Ferguson was also a member of local garage bands Western Union and The Red Roosters, as was Michael Fondiler.

He also held part-time jobs at different points as a theater usher and an architect's assistant for his father John Ferguson, and taught piano in a music store and studied at UCLA after high school.

The band Spirit

Spirit was founded in the mid-1960s. Many musicians of the time cited The Beatles and their music as an influence, and Ferguson was no exception. Reuniting with longtime musician friends Randy California and California's stepfather Ed Cassidy, who, with Mark Andes and John Locke were in a band called the Red Roosters - Ferguson joined with them to form a jazz influenced rock group that was originally called Spirits Rebellious, after a Khalil Gibran passage. With the general consensus that the moniker was too long, they later shortened the name to Spirit. Ferguson was the last member to join the band and found himself in the position of lead vocalist and percussionist.

Soundtrack composer

In 1982, after his fifth solo album, White Noise, Ferguson decided to become a soundtrack composer for movies and television. To date, he has written music for over 15 feature films and for many TV shows. His most recognizable composition as a TV and film scorer is the theme to the NBC-TV version of The Office, which won him the 2007 Film & TV Music Award for Best Score for a Comedy Television Program. (In The Office, he is also the guitarist in Kevin's band "Scrantonicity".) He is the composer of "Pictures of You" from the soundtrack to The Terminator, and the entire score to A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child and Bad Dreams, the Tales from the Crypt episode "Forever Ambergris", as well as Tremors 2: Aftershocks, and Tremors 4: The Legend Begins. Ferguson was also a soundtrack composer for NCIS: Los Angeles, having replaced original composer James S. Levine halfway through season one with Ferguson's music debuting in the season 1 episode, "Chinatown".

Discography

Albums

  • 1976: All Alone in the End Zone (Asylum Records)
  • 1977: Jay Ferguson Live (Asylum) (promotional issue only)
  • 1977: Thunder Island (Asylum) U.S. No.72
  • 1979: Real Life Ain't This Way (Asylum) U.S. No.86
  • 1980: Terms and Conditions (Capitol Records)
  • 1982: White Noise (Capitol) U.S. No.178
  • 1989: A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (soundtrack) (Varèse Sarabande)
  • 2025: The Faultline

Singles

  • 1976: "Medicated Goo"
  • 1977: "Thunder Island" - U.S. No.9, Canada No.8
  • 1978: "Losing Control"
  • 1979: "Shakedown Cruise" - U.S. No.31, Canada No.48
  • 1979: "Paying Time"
  • 1980: "Terms and Conditions"
  • 1982: "Tonite (Fallin' for Ya)"

References

  • Bio on Jo Jo Gunne website
  • Biography by Steve Huey on Allmusic