Jeff Stigelman

Jeff Stigelman got his first taste of music when he was 4 years old. He woke up from a nap in the back of his dad’s conversion van and heard the sound of sweet country music being played at the community festival. The band was his father and uncle’s country band. Jeff’s first concert was Porter Wagoner, so I guess you could say country music is in his blood.

For all intents and purposes, Jeff is a self taught musician and vocalist. In elementary school he was asked to sing in the third grade choir and respectfully decline stating “It’s not my kind of music.” The music started when Jeff became a trumpet player for the 4th and 5th grade band. At age 14 he found his father’s guitars and asked if he could start to learn. So with the guidance of only a G, C, and D chord from his father, Jeff’s pursuit of guitar glory commenced.

Jeff played on the college circuit at East Stroudsburg University which ended shortly after he graduated in 2003. After a failed attempt at a demo recording in 2004 Jeff stopped pursuing music and focused on his career as a Microbiologist. He moved to Indianapolis, Indiana in 2005 for his job and quickly reconnected with music playing in a two-man cover band at a local watering hole until meeting the other members of what is now the Pissed Off Catfish in 2008.

Jeff is a lead and backup/harmonizing vocalist and plays guitar and mandolin for the Pissed Off Catfish. Notable songwriting contributions include “The Place I Want to Be” which was written after his first trip to Nashville, TN.