Some say people are placed on earth for a reason. If that is true, one local musician came to know his reason as early as age 2.

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Randy Gilkey’s parents began to notice him being drawn to the piano as a toddler.

“I had a toy organ,” Gilkey said, “and I was always playing our old piano. So a couple years later they bought me a new piano and set me up with some lessons.”

But the Oak Hill native and lessons never really mixed.

“I wanted to play, but I wanted to play rock ’n’ roll,” the musician said. “I tried taking lessons from a few different teachers, but just couldn’t get into it.”

Gilkey made his way through a few “pianoesque” books, but says he grew bored easily, looking for more of a challenge.

“I wanted to play that Jerry Lee Lewis, boogie-woogie rock,” he explained. “My mom suggested I learn ‘Old Time Rock and Roll’ for the fourth-grade talent show. So I did, and I won. After that I was hooked.”

Performing at outdoor parks with his friend and learning more songs, Gilkey also learned that his music could affect people. He started his first band — Randy G and the Killer Bees — at age 12, and began playing professionally in night clubs that summer.

“There weren’t many places to play, so my dad would take me and keep me away from all the night club activities,” Gilkey said. “We played around like that for another year and I started getting better on the keys and with music altogether. The problem was that we were all teenagers and they wanted to do what teens do, so they lost interest pretty quick.”

Six months later, Gilkey formed a new group called Soul Survivor.

“The five-man band lasted until I turned 18, at which point I started doing solo gigs,” he added. “Other bands began offering me jobs and I did some of my first studio work.”

At 19, the local musician took a job at a studio in South Carolina, doing work for Myrtle Beach artists like The Drifters and The Embers. Gilkey’s solo career took off as he recorded albums with Jay Proctor of Jay & The Techniques, Al King and Jeffrey Joe Buckland. He has opened for greats like Blue Oyster Cult, The Marshall Tucker Band and George Jones, played with Chuck Berry and filmed a Christmas DVD with Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs.

“That was a pretty big deal for me, playing with such a well-known band,” the multi-instrumentalist said. “It was really cool. My music kept on going.”

And going, and going and going...

Gilkey, 33 as of Wednesday, joined Beckley’s own Old School Abbey in March of this year. The artist’s keys and vocals are a great asset to the group, and among other instruments, he plays guitar, drums and harmonica.

“I’ve been playing gigs off and on with OSA since 2006,” he continued, “but one of my most memorable events of all time was when we opened for Styx on the grand stage at the State Fair.”

While the artist has accomplished so much so fast, his goals for the future are even greater.

“I would like to do another solo album, but I want to keep the band going, recording, playing, touring, and hopefully meeting more people,” Gilkey said. “I just want to keep playing as much music as I can, reach out to as many people as I can and keep stepping up as far as all of our careers are concerned, hopefully playing bigger stages and maybe even touring.”

Gilkey has now played on more than 90 albums, and has performed on West Virginia Public Radio’s “Mountain Stage” several times.

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In addition to his professional success, the musician’s personal narrative is equally inspiring. Randy and his twin sister, Candy, were born prematurely. Gilkey lost his eyesight as an infant in the incubator, where both of his retinas were detached.

“I want to be known as a musician first and not as a blind person,” Gilkey said. “It’s such a turnoff when people say, ‘Randy, he’s that blind guy that plays music.’ I want them to say, ‘Randy’s that musician, and he’s blind.’”

The artist runs his studio by himself now, using talking software that he can manipulate alone. Gilkey said he loves going whitewater rafting, to amusement parks, reading and working with computers, but right now is just trying to keep the studio going.

“Music,” the musician said, smiling, “is my reason for being.”

— E-mail: cclark@register-herald.com