SamTrans Bus Operator Nominated For Grammy

John Gignoux, a bus operator for the San Mateo County Transit District, will be tuned in to the Grammy Awards next year. The Millbrae resident was recently nominated in the first round of selections for the prestigious award.

Gignoux’s song “The Landing,” was nominated for “Record of the Year,” “Song of the Year” and “Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.”

“I am an unknown, so I don’t expect to be in the top five,” said Gignoux. Nevertheless, the nominations are a thrill for the life-long musician.

Gignoux has been driving a bus for SamTrans for nearly 30 years – and for most of that time he has been doing it with a song in his heart – or at least in his head. Gignoux, who plays guitar and piano, composes, arranges, sings and records his own compositions.

The Grammy Awards, the only peer-presented awards in the recording industry, are awarded without regard to record sales or chart position. After the initial nominations are announced, a special committee selects finalists in 31 fields. The 2007 winners will be announced on Feb. 11.

Like many artists, Gignoux credits his agent Al Gomes of Big Noise for the nomination. “The song is on the official ballot thanks to Al’s hard work,” said Gignoux. “I wouldn’t want his efforts to go unmentioned.”

Gignoux took accordion lessons as a child. A chance meeting with the Beatles in 1969 inspired him to learn to play the guitar, and he has been composing and singing ever since.

Fans will not be able to hear Gignoux in a live performance. Early on, Gignoux made the decision to concentrate his efforts on composing and recording. “I saw a lot of my friends trying to make a living by playing in bands and it was really hard.” Gignoux found that his work as a bus operator was the perfect fit with his interest in music. “There is something about driving, about the sense of movement, that inspires me,” said Gignoux. “I carry a small tape recorder with me and when I am on a break, I hum the song into the recorder.”

“The Landing,” which uses outer space and technology to explore the theme of isolation, is one of nine on Gignoux’s latest CD, “Dining at Horizons.” Gignoux describes his work as “having a bit of an edge.” Calling himself an observationist, he said, “I write about what I see.”

Right now, Gignoux and his wife Barbara are busy trying to extend his 15 minutes of fame. “We are contacting music publishers and local media outlets. The more people that hear that I’ve been nominated for a Grammy, the better,” said Gignoux. “The window of opportunity is only open for so long.”

He also is putting the finishing touches on a new CD, “The Cyanide Circus,” that will soon be available on his Website. “It’s not dance music, but I think the songs are geared a little more for a general audience,” said Gignoux.

In the meantime, fans who want to say they knew-him-when can find Gignoux driving Routes 132, 133 and 140 in San Bruno and South San Francisco. In between collecting fares and opening doors, he might even be persuaded to hum a few bars of his latest song.

Gignoux’s work is available on CD Baby, a Website that features albums by independent musicians, and at JohnGignoux.com.

11/10/06 - crd