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Neon Lessons from Bruce Turgon:
- Retro Sonya
- 3 days ago
- 8 min read
Where Support Becomes Strength!
Imagine a neon horizon, a glowing grid stretching out beneath palm trees, and a sleek 80s DeLorean racing toward a vibrant cyber-city under a sky alight with stars and clouds. That’s the energy of what I’ve learned from Bruce Turgon: a beacon of humility, friendship, and faith in a world that often chases its own reflection.
The Power of Supporting Others:
In the neon glow of the synthwave cityscape, it’s easy to get caught up in the competition of lights. Everyone wants their sign to shine the brightest, their name flashing across the skyline. But then there’s someone like Bruce Turgon — a bass player, songwriter, and quiet architect of sound — who teaches us that true success doesn’t come from being the loudest light in the city, but from helping others shine.
Bruce Turgon’s career is one of those stories that deserves more neon spotlight. While the world often knew Lou Gramm as the face and the voice, Bruce was right there, shaping the music behind the scenes — writing, playing, and building the sonic backbone that made those songs unforgettable. He wasn’t chasing his own fame; he was building with his friend. And in supporting Lou Gramm, Bruce Turgon became successful in his own right.
What I’ve learned from Bruce is this:
Being truly happy for others is a rare strength. Supporting a friend’s dream, celebrating their wins as if they were your own, is not weakness — it’s power.
Bruce showed me that stepping back from the spotlight doesn’t mean you’re invisible. It means you’re part of something bigger. And in that, you shine in a different way.
The Biblical Perspective:
Scripture speaks directly to this truth:
“Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” — Galatians 5:26
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” — Romans 12:15
Jealousy and envy are like static that distorts the music. They make us bitter, they drown out harmony. But when we clap for others, when we celebrate their light, we discover something powerful: someone else’s success does not steal from our own. God’s Kingdom is not a zero-sum game. There is room for all of us to flourish.
Bruce Turgon embodied that principle. He didn’t let envy stand in the way of friendship or music. He showed that being a loyal, supportive friend can also lead to great success. His story makes me wonder if his parents instilled these values in him from an early age — because that kind of humility and strength doesn’t come easy in a world built on ego.
A Shining Example:
In the glowing synthwave skyline of music history, Bruce Turgon stands as a neon reminder:
Support your friends.
Celebrate their victories.
Never let jealousy dim your light.
His example teaches us that the road to true success isn’t always in the driver’s seat with your name in neon — sometimes it’s in helping build the highway, shaping the soundtrack, and proving that greatness can come from selflessness.
Bruce Turgon, to me, has been a shining example of what a genuinely supportive friend looks like. He teaches us that in the act of clapping for others, we find our own rhythm, our own success, and our own peace.
Crafting the Sound Without the Spotlight:
Bruce was never the leader, but what he did from the side stage reshaped the music. He co-wrote and delivered the rhythm that drove Lou Gramm’s Ready or Not and Long Hard Look, including the hit singles “Midnight Blue” (which hit #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks) and “Just Between You and Me.”
Take “Midnight Blue” (1987), the Lou Gramm hit co-written with Turgon. The driving bassline and atmospheric keys give it the same pulse you’d find in today’s dark synthwave — moody, yet electric. It feels like it could slide right into a Midnight Danger playlist without missing a beat.
He even contributed to the Shadow King project, where he co-wrote nine of ten tracks and handled multiple instruments, arrangements, and programming Wikipedia.
In his own words, he explained how his solo album Outside Looking In came into being:
“It was just time and timing… In the fall of ’03, I was at the end of an extensive five-month tour with Lou Gramm… I wanted to take a break from touring and decided that I would finally commit to doing it. ”And on his goals for that album: “My desire was to make an aggressive, honest hard rock album with an emphasis on strong songwriting” BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
His humility and patience shine through—not the spotlight seeker, but the craftsman with timing and purpose.
Supporting, Not Competing:
Bruce’s story isn’t just about music—it’s about the heart behind it. He put his friendship and artistry into building something greater with Lou Gramm, never allowing his own light to overshadow theirs.
He described how collaboratively he approached Places of Power with Philip Bardowell:
“I would send Philip musical ideas and he would send his lyrical and melodic ideas back to me. If we both felt strongly about where the song was going, we would continue to develop it. It proved to be a great collaborative effort and very honest in its approach.”
He continues....
“From inception, it was imperative that the songs be just as important as our performances and I think that we've achieved this with Places Of Power. It's a strong melding of power and substance.” Metal Temple Magazine.
Bruce Turgon’s Sound: Where Dark Synth Meets Classic Rock!
Because they both rock! As a synthwave artist myself, I can’t help but hear Bruce Turgon’s music through neon-colored lenses. His sound lives in that sweet spot between classic rock grit and dark synth atmosphere — like a neon skyline where guitar riffs and analog synths share the same glowing city streets.
Listening to songs he helped shape, there’s a moodiness that mirrors the Dark Synth scene of today — think Midnight Danger or Carpenter Brut — artists who weren’t born in the 80s musically, but recreate that era’s electricity as if they were.
Turgon did the same, decades earlier, embedding 80s DNA into music that feels eternal. It’s not nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake — it’s authentic, because he was living it, not imitating it.
That’s why his work feels like it could soundtrack a neon chase scene — a DeLorean speeding down a glowing grid highway under a cyber-sunset. The basslines are pulsing, the guitars soaring, and the synth textures haunting. It’s music that carries both power and atmosphere, bridging two worlds:
Classic Rock Backbone – raw instrumentation, strong songwriting, a human pulse.
Synthwave Shadows – layered textures, cinematic tension, and an 80s neon mood.
In a way, Bruce Turgon was doing what synthwave artists like me are still chasing today: capturing the eternal neon glow of the 80s, and reshaping it for the now.
Faith-Inspired Reflection
The Bible calls us to sharpen one another, not dull each other through envy or jealousy:
“Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
— Galatians 5:26
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” — Romans 12:15
Bruce’s example reflects these truths: he didn't let jealousy dim his contribution—instead, he used his gift to lift a friend’s dreams. A shining reminder that someone else’s success doesn’t eclipse yours—it enhances the light that surrounds you.
What I’ve Learned—Synthwave Wisdom Meets Biblical Truth:
Support is a superpower: You don’t have to be the face to shape the legacy.
Selflessness is strength: Celebrating others often points the way to true fulfillment.
Faith affirms abundance: God’s Kingdom is not a limited space—there is light for all of us.
Role models matter: Bruce’s integrity makes me wonder—did his parents plant those seeds of humility and loyalty? It shows in the harmony he created.
“Walk Through Fire” — Love That Burns Through the Darkness!
Of all the songs Bruce Turgon ever touched, the one that floored me the most was “Walk Through Fire”. The first time I listened, I was undone — tears streaming down my face, heart-wrenching... in a good way. In the lyrics, he writes:
“I can't be sure where your love stands, where it starts or where it ends. I only know my heart, and I would die for you.”
Awww man! Talk about a tear-jerker. That’s not just words — that’s true love. Hearing it, I couldn’t help but think of what the Scriptures say:
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
— John 15:13
That lyric pierced me because it echoes the very heart of Jesus’ love. Christ went to the cross because He didn’t want me to die, even when there was no guarantee that I would love Him back. That’s the kind of love this broken, selfish world has forgotten — a selfless, sacrificial love that shines like neon light cutting through the darkest city streets.
Listening to “Walk Through Fire” reminded me that love like this is rare, precious, and radiant. It’s the kind of love we all long for — a love that says: “I’d lay it all down for you.” That’s the kind of love that Jesus has already given us, and the kind of love we as God’s people are called to reflect in a world that is hopeless without it.
Bruce Turgon, through that song, reminded me of this — as an artist who can capture something so divine in music. And in that moment, it wasn’t just a classic rock song. It was a glimpse of the Gospel set to melody.
A Retro-Synthwave Testimony:
So here I stand at the shimmering edge of that neon highway: the DeLorean engine humming with gratitude—ritual lights along the edge of faith, friendship, and faithfulness. Bruce taught me that thriving doesn’t require stealing the spotlight—it requires lighting others’ paths, singing harmony, not self-praise, and trusting that God’s brilliance multiplies when shared.
There’s room for you, for him, for me—under the same neon sky.
Let’s clap for each other, because another’s victory isn’t our defeat—it’s our symphony.
Final Reflection: A Father Figure in Neon!
On a personal note, I have come to see Bruce Turgon as more than just a musician. To me, he’s like a father figure — someone whose quiet strength and selfless example inspires me to be better. His life reminds me that the “me” life is a miserable one. Chasing only my own glory will always leave me empty, but sharing in the success of others brings joy and purpose.
As Christians, we are called to look beyond ourselves.
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” — Philippians 2:3.
We are God’s peculiar treasure, set apart to shine differently in a selfish world. That means looking to the needs of others, lifting them up, and guiding them toward the light of truth.
Bruce’s legacy shows me how to do that. His selfless support for Lou Gramm and his friends in music is a shining reminder that success doesn’t always come from centering ourselves, but from pouring into others. And when we do that, our lives light up with neon brilliance — a glow that reflects not us, but the greater light of God working through us.
Referencing from Jesus in Matthew 23:11: “The greatest among you shall be your servant.”
It’s a reminder that true greatness isn’t about status, recognition, or power—it’s about humility, service, and putting others first. The paradox of the Kingdom of God is that the highest honor comes through loving and serving others, not by elevating oneself.
In the end, it’s not about me. It’s about others. That’s the breakthrough. That’s the melody. And that’s the lesson Bruce has taught me, and what Jesus reflected. And what we, as born-again believers, should always strive for. Keep shining that bright light in a dark world, neon dreamers, and remember that greatness is achieved through the servitude Jesus showed us!
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