Rocking Texas Blues

Born in Houston, Texas, March 6, 1957.

Musical influence – music of the 60s & 70s, Classic Rock, Beatles, Cream, Hendrix, Allman Brothers, Jethro Tull, Jim Croce, Yes, and others.

I began playing music at age 11 in the summer of 1968 on a neighbor’s guitar. I got my first guitar, a Sears Silvertone acoustic for Christmas of 1968. I had been collecting records by the Beatles for a while.  By then I realized that I could play what I heard on those records. In April of 1969 I lost my dad and then began spending all my free time picking out tunes. At Christmas of 1969 mom got me my first electric Ventura guitar, a copy of a Gretch Country Gentleman (like George Harrison’s), and a champ amp. I spent my junior high and high school years playing in garage bands and talent shows. During my senior year at Waller High School, we formed a band with a couple of college students and a very close friend from my school days in Northeast Houston, Tom Kerley. He and I had been writing music for several years, attended summer church camps together and were very close. We even collaborated on some gospel tunes. Just a few weeks after our talent show performance of one of Tom’s originals songs our bass player was killed in a car crash and we were all devastated. I continued to play music with Tom after starting college at University of Houston. Tom had already been at U of H a year ahead of me.  During my first year at college I decided I wanted to play music for God and I knew in my heart he would lead me as to what to do next. So, after attending First Baptist Church for a bit I met Dennis Welch and began a new venture at writing and performing gospel folk/country music with the Dennis Welch band at local churches and coffee houses. In 1980 we opened for ArkAngel at the Pasadena Rodeo grounds. Then, in 1981, Dennis and I recorded our first record at Rivendell Studios in Pasadena, Texas entitled Face to Face, produced by Kemper Crabb of ArkAngel. Not long after that I decided to quit the band and focus on family and church. After many years of playing just in church and after going through a divorce I decided to branch out and look for another band to join. I joined up with a local oldies band playing volunteer college campus functions at HCC and U of H. We still do 2 or 3 gigs a year and in 2006 I started playing with the Texas City Revelators (TCR) formerly One Spirit. On Dec. 16, 2006 I got married to my lovely Alesha who sings like an angel. As of January, 2008, I’ve been honored to have played with TCR at 10 gigs so far which included 3 prisons, 2 churches, Henry Wayne’s club, American Legion Hall, Star of Hope Men’s unit, a festival in Mexia Texas and the very first venue was at the Texas City Recreation Center Summer Concert Series kickoff on June 2, 2006.