Musician Cary Beare can be seen at a wide variety of regional venues this summer. He also recently reunited with Gotham, a band he was part of in the late 1980s.
To truly appreciate Beare’s per- sonal and professional journey from North Idaho and back again, you have to start at the beginning. “From the time I was 3, I always played music, and always knew be- ing a musician was my path,” he said. Beare was born in Coeur d’Alene, grew up in Cataldo, and graduated from Kellogg High School in 1983. He and friends Dave Dupree and Bob Burdett formed a band called Go- tham, which was hired at the newly- opened Coeur d’Alene Resort. From 1986 to 1989, six nights a week, Go - tham entertained resort guests. The band also recorded some of its music and sold cassettes at shows. In 1989, Beare put the Idaho life, tapes and all, behind him, and head-
ed south to seek musical fame and fortune in Hollywood. His early musical adventures in- cluded being hired as bass player for the Riverdogs. The advent of grunge in the early 1990s killed the group’s recording deal in the U.S., but it re- mained strong in Europe. In 1993, he moved to Nashville where he wrote music and owned a recording studio. Around 2000, he decided to move back to Idaho, but stopped in California to visit a few musician friends. At the time, he was low on gas money so he asked if they knew of any paying gigs. “My friend told me about a blonde girl he knew who needed a guitar player,” he said. “She’s now my wife.” This “third wind” encouraged him
to remain in California trying his hand in other musical areas. Beare has recorded hundreds of songs, including material for the soundtracks for multiple movies and TV shows such as “Zombieland: Double Tap” and “13 Sins,” plus the theme songs for shows “Less Than Perfect” and “Gary Unmarried.” He also played himself in “Last Man Standing.” He also toured with Garrison Starr and played guitar for Deana Carter on the road from 2005 to 2020. >> Coming home When COVID hit, it made sense to come back to Idaho, this time for good. “We were living in Santa Monica and locked down, so we said, ‘let’s go home for a few months,’” he said. “The few months turned into a year.”
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