Maybe you know Jim Conroy as a singer-songwriter or from the many bands he’s played in, or from theater productions he’s acted in, or from his role as host of KCBX’s Celtic Crossroads on Saturdays from 5 to 6 p.m.
However you know him, you’ll know him even better if you buy and read his new book, Brushes: Stories from a Musical Life, available locally in Los Osos’ Volumes of Pleasure, online at amazon.com, or buy a copy in person on Sunday, April 12, when Conroy does a book reading and concert at Don’s String Shop in Los Osos (3 p.m.; buy $10 tickets and reserve your spot by emailing jconroy@kcbx.org; the ticket cost can be applied to a book purchase).
Conroy’s memoir chronicles his life in music beginning as a South Bay Los Angeles teenager “where he was part of the garage band culture that started in the mid ’60s as a result of surf music and the British invasion,” according to press materials. “From humble garage beginnings, his band rose to the top of the heap and nearly sprang into the world of fame but fell short while having a grand adventure rubbing elbows with the major names of the day. Then, throughout his life in music, he continued to have encounters with the famous while gigging and running a nightclub. Brushes is about those encounters.” ∆
This article appears in April 9-16, 2026.