MY STORY

Continued from the Home Page...

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During the summer of 2024, I decided to give the guitar another go. Over the last 40 plus years, I had become more of a guitar collector that only noodled around the fretboard occasionally, never learning even one complete song in its entirety. 

While doing some spring cleaning, I came across my youngest son's old acoustic guitar he left behind after high school. Remembering my first guitar (pictured on the Home Page Bio section) when I was a kid, I wished I still had it, but unfortunately it became missing in action long ago after I left home for the military. I decided to take my son's first guitar to a local luthier for a setup and repair so I could return it to him in playable condition. After the repair and setup, I took it home and played around on it for a couple of weeks before taking it back to him. The acoustic brought back memories of my youth and had me picking it up whenever I walked by, while my six other electric guitars stayed in their cases not seeing the light of day, confirming my status as a guitar collector, rather than a guitar player.

It was then I realized I needed to get back to my roots and get an acoustic before I took another stab at learning guitar again.  Not knowing if I would suffer the same self-taught learning results as in the past, I decided to find a decent used acoustic guitar on the cheap before embarking on another music journey.

After a few days of searching Facebook Marketplace, I found a decent used Epiphone J200 for $150 that fit the bill, so back to the luthier I went for another set up and minor repairs to make it playable.

Now that I had a playable acoustic back in hand, I decided I needed to actually make progress this time around and hopefully not let things end in another failed attempt with just another guitar joining the fold. 

I told myself I needed to learn one song in its entirety from start to finish so I could feel I'd accomplished something and show actual progress. I picked the song Conversation with the Devil by Ray Wylie Hubbard since it had a fairly simple lick with a simple three-chord progression. Although a long song, I was determined to play and sing it in its entirety. The lyrics came easier for me since I sang in church as a kid, but I was learning guitar all over again and struggling with the strumming pattern and putting it all together. Feeling frustration set in once again trying to achieve perfection, I decided to email Ray Wylie Hubbard and see if he could give me some advice on the strum pattern. I was actually going to see Ray in concert in Vermont later that fall, as I've listened to Ray Wylie since I was a kid. I let him know I was a fellow Okie looking forward to seeing him in concert and was trying to learn Conversation with the Devil, so I could do it justice whenever I played it.  Not knowing if I would even get a response, I was blown away by what happened next!

Four days later I got a reply from his wife Judy saying, Ray said it will just be easier if he shows you before the concert. I couldn't believe what I was reading! Not only was I going to see him in concert, but I was getting to meet and play guitar with a legendary singer songwriter, and one of my favorite outlaw country music hero's!

From that moment on, I became serious about learning to play. Ray's one little act of suggested kindness through an email put my butt in gear to learn and get past the barrier of frustration that haunted me so many times throughout my life. The last thing I wanted was to show up backstage with Ray Wylie and look like a total buffoon not being able to play his song when I sat down to play guitar with him. I practiced Conversation with the Devil every day for over six weeks, even if it was wrong, prepping for the upcoming 20-minute meet and greet guitar session with outlaw music legend Ray Wylie Hubbard. That was the inspiration I needed to set the wheels in motion and get me where I am now, only a short year later. My playing is not perfect by any stretch, and I consider my singing and songwriting as my stronger suits, but I practice daily and continue to learn something new by challenging myself to play the things I once considered too hard. Ray totally changed my life as far as music is concerned and I am forever grateful to him for sacrificing the time to talk songwriting and teach me a few things before the show. His selfless actions helped reignite my passion to play, write, and sing!

I wrote my first story-telling song based around my experiences with Ray Wylie Hubbard called, The Show, as a tribute to his kindness and the impact it had on me. You can listen to it in the Music and Video Tabs, or read the lyrics in the Portfolio Tab. 

Since The Show, I continue to practice and play every day and I'm always working on new songs. After 40 plus years of bottled-up passion to create my own music, the cork has been popped, and songs have been pouring out of me like a waterfall, and I'm just getting started! I have no idea where this new journey will lead, as I'm still new to all of this and continually learning. After serving 30 years in the military, I'm not necessarily looking for another career. I'm just an old lone wolf having fun writing songs, bringing them to life, and sharing them for people to enjoy. I hope my music inspires others while capturing emotions and bringing smiles to faces through my songs and storytelling. Life is short, so be good to each other, and don't let anyone stop you from chasing your dreams! Hope to see you soon at a local venue!

 

Special thanks to Ray Wylie Hubbard, for getting me out of my rut and into the groove!