Ken Forssi - Early Life

Early Life

He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the oldest of two children (brother Charles) of Raymond B. and Lola G. Forssi. When he was about 9 years old, his family moved to Siesta Key, on the Florida west coast, and then, shortly moved on to the nearby city of Sarasota. Ken Forssi's formative years were spent there, and he attended Sarasota High School where he demonstrated considerable talent in engineering drawing. Several pen and ink drawings, of the complex, multi-geared transmission of a helicopter and of the intricacies of a large jet aircraft engine, won local prizes, and he was encouraged to follow a career in that field. He also proved to be mechanically skilled as a teenager, working on both motorcycles and cars, sometimes as a paid part-time employee of local businesses. He eventually was employed as a draftsman at a large Sarasota aerospace engineering company.

Music was a modest part of his life then, but as his skill on the bass guitar increased, he was hired for a number of engagements with local groups.

Ken was a good enough artist that he obtained a scholarship to the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. Along with several Sarasota friends, he migrated to Anaheim, California in 1964, and began commuting to the school. At this time, his interest in music became much more intense. His natural ability was substantial, and he learned new techniques very rapidly. In fact, his ability was soon sufficient to earn him a position as bass player in a late-period lineup of The Surfaris, a group that previously rose to brief fame with their first record "Wipe Out", which according to "The Illustrated Book of Rock Records" is the number one surf hit of all time (based on record sales and chart positions).