Albert 'Butch' Ford
Soulful keyboardist Albert "Butch" Ford joined OCEAN 503 in 2010. In 1984 the USS Truxton brought then Navy Journalist Albert "Butch" Ford, Jr. to the Northwest, where he soon found a hotbed of music in Portland, OR. and Seattle, WA., which was very comparable with that of his hometown Philadelphia, PA., and he finally settled in Seattle, WA., playing with many great bands of the mid 80‟s. During this time he had a chance to see the popular Portland music scene and yearned to relocate, which he then did.
At first no one knew the skill and years of training the young man possessed which has made him to be the musician he is today, but they were soon to find out. At age 15 he was doing pre-production for Philadelphia International producer/guitarist Norman Harris, who happened to be his next door neighbor. By age 19 he frequently played for many of the acts in the Philadelphia International family including Sister Sledge, Teddy Pendergrass, MFSB, The Jones Girls, The City Limits and others, and also did studio sessions for many more acts.
Educated at Penn State, Butch‟s first musical training came from the church; he began playing at age 6 and then attended the Philadelphia Music Conservatory at 8. This blend of Gospel/Classical music training has given Butch soulfully passionate style with disciplined execution. His athletic training adds to the aggressive and passionate manner with which Butch carries himself and plays music.
In a conversation with Whoopi Goldberg once, years ago after hearing him play, she asked Butch, "What do you think about when you wake up?" He told her, "My mom and dad. I think of them because my sister Renee and I barely made it into this world, and I always play like they are in the audience. I keep a picture of them on my keys." She said, "Keep playing; they hear you and are pleased".