Conversation so far:
how did Steranko learn about illusion?
By his account, Steranko learned stage magic using paraphernalia from his father's stage magician act.
where did he perform his illusions?
Up through his early 20s, Steranko performed as an illusionist, escape artist, close-up magician in nightclubs.
When did he get into music?
Steranko, whose first band, in 1956, was called The Lancers, did not perform under his own name.
what name did he use if not his own name?
he used pseudonyms to help protect himself from enemies.
Did he get into trouble?
At 17, Steranko and another teenage boy were arrested for a string of burglaries and car thefts in Pennsylvania.
what kind of music did he play?
The seminal rock and roll group Bill Haley and his Comets was based in nearby Philadelphia and Steranko, who played a Jazzmaster guitar.
Did he ever go back to being an illusionist/magician?
By the late 1960s, Steranko was a member of a New York City magicians' group, the Witchdoctor's Club.

Question: What did he do before forming his own band?
Self-contained rewrite: What did Jim Steranko do before forming his own band?