Trinidad Musician Zakk DeBono Collaborates With Standells Founder Tony Valentino

Zakk DeBono grew up in Trinidad, Colorado, absorbing classic rock from a young age and eventually building a career that has taken him well beyond Las Animas County. Last Friday, that career reached a new milestone when DeBono collaborated with Tony Valentino, the Los Angeles-based co-founder and guitarist of The Standells, the 1960s garage rock band best known for the song "Dirty Water."

The Standells have been called the Godfathers of Punk and Garage Rock, best known for their iconic 1960s hit "Dirty Water." Valentino created the famous guitar riff in that song, which is now played after every Boston Red Sox home victory and during Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins home games. "Dirty Water" is listed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll."

Valentino has toured with The Rolling Stones, The Dave Clark Five, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Sonny and Cher, and Otis Redding. Known as the godfather of punk guitar, Valentino was one of the first guitarists to use Vox amps, and created a guitar tone that would be emulated the world over; he is now in his 80s.

For DeBono, the pairing is a natural extension of a career built on connecting with rock and blues giants. He and his band, Zakk DeBono and The Broken Circle, have opened for artists including Buddy Guy, Robby Krieger at the Whisky A Go Go, Paul Gilbert, George Lynch, and Kip Winger. DeBono is a singer-songwriter ranging from power blues to vintage rock, and was called the "Modern Day Hendrix" by Denver's 303 Magazine in May 2015.

DeBono has performed as Trinidad's native guitar hero at the Trinidaddio Blues Fest, the annual Central Park event that has long served as the county's biggest music showcase. That local foundation, combined with years of touring nationally, made DeBono a credible partner for a musician of Valentino's stature.

The Standells' songs have been covered by everyone from Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, and U2 to countless other bands, a legacy that gives any collaboration with Valentino immediate historical weight. Valentino has remained active, releasing "Dirty Water Revisited," an album featuring remakes of eight Standells classics including "Barracuda," "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White," and "Try It."

DeBono's roots in Trinidad have never been far from his identity as a performer. He learned to play guitar with his uncle Jon Pompia and made trips to Virgil's Music in Trinidad to buy DR Strings, memories that shaped his earliest sense of what a musician could be. The collaboration with Valentino marks the furthest distance yet between that Trinidad starting point and the stage DeBono now occupies.