My interest in music has been life long, since I heard the Beatles on the radio. It was not just limited to the pop of the day. I loved Rhythm and Blues, Do Wop, anything with a good melody. When I was 14, I set up a bunch of oil drums we had around our rental house along with some baking sheets my mom threw out (as cymbals) up in a metal shed out back. I fashioned a couple of limbs into sticks and wa-la I had my first drum set. A few years later, I saved up my newspaper route money and bought a drum kit (to my mother’s chagrin). I found out quickly you needed to spend some money to purchase cymbals. (The ones I received with the kit sounded awful).

At 18, I was gigging with different bands, none that really stood out. The paying gigs at the time were in country music, so that’s where I went. Because of this, I fell in love with country music. I played drums and sang lead and back-up for eight years, all the while wood shedding with guitar, and writing songs. I was playing in Alaska, when I received a small inheritance from my grandparents. I promptly went down and purchased an Auto-orchestra. (an instrument that allows one to do a one man show). I left Alaska, came home (Portland), and practiced with the new machine for three months. I learned how to kick base while playing guitar and singing.