BIOGRAPHY
The first records I remembered listening to, through my parents, were mostly older country, soft rock, and gospel. Among their albums were recordings by Chet Atkins, Dolly Parton, The Beach Boys, The Ventures, Bread, The Guess Who, Jim Croce, Chicago, The Eagles, and many more. By the time I got my own first rock record, I was very familiar with music. My Dad played guitar with his brothers, and he and my mom sang.
My first rock record was Rock and Roll Over from Kiss, because everyone was talking about them in first grade! I remember the introduction to rock and roll: loud, fast, and fun! A short time after, I acquired A Hard Day's Night from The Beatles from an aunt. (an original issue!) It remains one of my favorite albums. The Beatles will always be my favorite! Suddenly, music was becoming a more important part of my life. I sang at church with my mom, dad, and sister, I could hear harmonies, and I could sing between them.
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My dad enrolled me in guitar lessons, I studied bass guitar first, then moved to guitar shortly after. My teachers have all been amazing and tremendously patient. I try to emulate them in my teaching as well. Between my learning and obsession with the instrument, I was getting better, and I wanted to collaborate with others. Besides the other music, I listened to metal, rock, jazz, blues, country, bluegrass, reggae, r&b, 30's and 40's swing, and anything I could get my hands on! In the early days, it was much harder to maintain a band, either not being able to drive, or finding musicians that were as serious. I was in several smaller projects, but nothing on a serious basis. Then, I met an experienced guitarist seeking a bass player for a band. These guys had opened for big names, some had music already in circulation, and had experience on the east coast. I auditioned at his house, and he said we could meet the other guys tomorrow.
So we became Star Collector. The songs were written, critiqued, and arranged by the band. All four of us wrote, and all four of us sang, so we were able to do complex harmonies and vocal arrangements. From the four song demo to the sixteen song album, we gained notoriety. We were headlining Saturday shows at Ten High and Smith's Olde Bar in Atlanta and played at many clubs in the southeast. The management for Collective Soul and Matchbox 20 frequented our shows. The law firm of Katz, Smith, and Cohen picked us up and pitched us to many different labels. RCA put us in Nickel and Dime studio to record a four song demo. Meanwhile, our independent album release, Songs for the Whole Family, was being distributed overseas, and we would get fan mail from Asia, Europe, and South America! We also got a letter wishing us the best from Andrew Gold! We were also featured on a few other independent album releases. ''Ordinary Day", one of my songs, was used in the independent film "Working Stiff".
In the end, we never got a professional recording contract, but the experience, and the critique from three other incredibly talented musicians was also something I earned, and we still talk and catch up all the time!
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Since then, I have been in several different bands and recorded with various bands and genres, from jazz, r&b, and rock, to country, blues, bluegrass, and folk.
I teach guitar and bass guitar in Atlanta at Jackson's Music in Buford. I have been teaching 20 years plus, and I teach all styles from beginner to pro level. Some of my credentials include teaching home to home in the Brookhaven-Atlanta area, being hired by The Yamaha Corporation to teach the employees of the Motor Sports Division, working with jazz band students at West Hall High School, and teaching special needs students. I presently play guitar and sing in a cover band, Mystery Machine, performing everything from country, rock, and folk, to blues, jazz, and holiday favorites! I also perform solo shows!
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I have been married for 33 years to the same beautiful woman! We have two wonderful sons. The older was the recipient of a scholarship to study jazz, specifically alto saxophone, at KSU, and is an accomplished bassist, guitarist, and percussionist presently playing in my cover band, Mystery Machine, and two other bands as well! My younger son is a high school graduate. He was in band, playing several instruments for his entire middle school to high school tenure. He also plays guitar, bass, and drums! He is presently in the band "The Pendergrass Band", playing guitar and singing!
