Music is oxygen, it’s life sustaining, it’s spiritual nourishment. Without it, some of us would wither and die. I was raised in a house full of it. I had an older brother and sister who exposed me early on to the songs of the 60s. My dad was a guitar picker who never missed a chance to jam with like-minded folks. He made sure I knew Hank Williams, Roy Clark, Flatt and Scruggs, et al. We seldom missed an episode of HeeHaw. Of course, I was immersed in the music of my generation as well – Led Zeppelin, The Guess Who, CCR, The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Eagles, R.E.M, David Allan Coe...too many to name. Any money I got my hands on in my youth I spent on albums. I was, as they say, “Eat up” and I’ve never gotten over it.
Life proceeded accordingly, a Marine Corps enlistment, college, and a move to Memphis, TN, for employment. No matter the circumstances, they were always set to a musical soundtrack and a passion for the written word. Somewhere mid-stream, I decided to pick up a guitar and try to divine her mysteries...yea, right. And since I’d been gathering words all my life, I thought I might try to put some of them to a tune. Eventually, I struck up a friendship with a fella named Rick Rough who was doing a similar thing. With the help and patience of Bryan Hayes at Farmhouse Studio in Moscow, TN, we made some music under the name Slowfire (slowfiremusic.com).
Not too long ago, my wife, Kendra, and I relocated to the hills of Southwest Missouri to be among family, old college friends and new ones as well. Here in the woods, I’ve continued to string some notes and thoughts together. With the expertise of Jeff Smith at Studio 2100, we've recorded a lot of them. It's so much fun I almost feel guilty.
People often ask me about my musical influences. I’m always a little reluctant in responding because I know I will fail to mention someone important. But, if I were forced to offer who some of the major players are, many would fall under the umbrella of what was once labeled as “alternative-country,” but now broadly termed “Americana.” Bands such as Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, Son Volt, Whiskeytown, Drivin’-n-Cryin'. And then there are the singer/songwriters, troubadours and barstool philosophers that I speak of in reverent tones: John Prine, Bob Dylan, Loudon Wainwright III, Ryan Adams, Steve Earle, Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, Kathleen Edwards, Todd Snider...how much time ya got?
