As a recovering musician I feel conflicted about posting this, but here it goes.
My journey into music was piano at age 6. By age 8 I was fully capable of reading music, and playing everything from Beethoven to The Beatles.
Things changed my sophomore year of high school when the Air Force Band of the West played at our high school auditorium. I was directly in front of their guitar player. They were great and I was mesmerized. That very evening I told my parents I wanted a Fender Telecaster and a Fender Princeton amp. Within two weeks I had both, and the process of relating my piano playing to guitar. The transition was fairly smooth. I literally spent every waking hour playing guitar.
I was asked by a friend of my dad’s, who was an amazing steel guitar player if I would be interested in joining them for a “jam” session. I couldn’t say yes fast enough. The “jam” was a huge success for me. Now, these were all 40-50 year old men that had been playing for years, and me at 15 years old.
While milling around after the “jam” I was approached by another band leader. He asked if I would be willing to join his band. They were all 35-45 years old. He informed me that they were on the Texas bar circuit, and good money ($100.00) night could be had. They were playing about five nights a week. I told him I didn’t know if I could get into the bars he said he’d take care of it.
That stint lasted about a year, until after a gig I was approached by a talent scout for Moe Bandy. He asked if I’d be interested in doing sixteen gigs in Florida. I was floored, but open to the idea completely. The pay was $400.00 night, room and board covered. I accepted, then found my self in a rehearsal studio for nearly two weeks. Then the gigs started. We played everything from small halls (500 people max), to festivals (10,000 people max). I was elated. Nothing says authentic southern Texas music like Moe Bandy. He was such an unassuming gentleman.
Now I’m without a gig and back in Texas. I saw an ad in the newspaper that David Allan Coe was playing a political benefit the next Saturday. They were set up on a flatbed trailer, hundreds of people milling around, so I went behind the trailer and took a seat on a bale of hay, hoping if they took a break I could meet DAC. About 45 minutes later he trotted down the steps and sat on the same bale of hay I was on. We made some small talk and he mentioned he was down a guitar player that night. I told him I could fill in if he liked. He laughed his ass off. I then told him my last gig was with Moe Bandy. He said OK, come sit in with us. I killed it. After the show he asked if I wanted to do 12 shows in Texas. I said hell yeah. He then told me that his last guitar player was Warren Haynes. At that time the name meant nothing to me. Anyway Mr. Haynes is now with Allman Brothers Band and Government Mule.
I’ve played a handful of shows with Collin Raye and Chet Bollinger (songwriter for Kris Kristofferson, Janie Fricke, and Johnny Duncan (RIP)).
I can’t consciously listen to today’s country. Bro-country isn’t for me. If it’s not hard country I want nothing to do with it.
Marty Robbins was a gift to country music.
Sorry I was long winded, but I was proud to be a part of real country back in the heyday.
I’ve recorded my own album in 1999, it’s all original, easy listening acoustic music. I play 6 & 12 string guitars, as well as mandolin. It’s been used as background music on PBS History Detectives as well as VH1’s Behind The Music.
