a trip down memory lane
A Nostalgic Journey with Family, Friends and Fellow Performers
It's daunting to imagine the road I've traveled over the last 50 years. I am a better singer/songwriter for the years relocating numerous times with my family from California to Ohio and places in between. I am grateful to many fellow artists I've known along the way and friends, especially Richard, who have shared the road with me. I am eternally indebted to my late wife Kathy who faithfully attended my performances during our 24 years of marriage. I also thank my family and fans for supporting me throughout my journey. I certainly thank the many businesses, organizations and private parties that invited me to entertain. On this page you will get a small glimpse of the stopping points I've enjoyed and will remember always. For high school classmates, the photos may be cringeworthy, capturing hairstyles and fashions from the late 60s. For Dayton-area residents, images of my old performance venues will return them to the days of lounge bars and familiar restaurants now relegated to memories. These life segments continue to inspire my songs and influence my craft as a professional musician.
my father's dream
I grew up in a house filled with music and it has remained a natural element of living. I recall my father and his bands practicing and my sister playing her Elvis Presley records in her room. Then there was my mother working around the house with music on the radio or her Hank Snow records on the phonograph. I fondly remember my dad turning as he walked out the door dressed in flashy country and western clothing, buckskin jacket with the fringe, carrying his guitar saying, “You boys be good now for your mom!” My father wasn’t a singer, but he was a darn good guitar player. He chased his dreams performing on stage with the likes of Merle Travis, Billy Strange with hundreds appearance on TV and at radio stations. Of course, that lifestyle meant taking the family on the road with him. My brother and I went to at least 20 different schools in 12 years.
the "garage band" days
As teenagers, my brother Bill and I lived in California at the time when the music scene was primarily instrumental groups like the Ventures or surf bands and even The Beach Boys. Before their rise to fame, The Beach Boys performed for a Sadie Hawkins dance at my junior high school. Everything changed when the Beatles came along and soon after Dad moved the family to Germantown, Ohio. It was during that time that my brother and I formed and played with a band called “The Ivonti’s” which saw several members come and go and eventually we became “The Sounds of Night”. We practiced in garages and basements and actually became pretty good, playing at Germantown Weekend Dances upstairs above the DP&L Building, at high school homecomings, sock hops in Germantown, Eaton, Miamisburg and Carlisle, plus at county fairs and festivals. Our band won several battles of the bands, and the record we released of two songs my brother wrote, “Hey Girl” and “Lantern of Time,” were played on the radio. “They weren’t hits, but we enjoyed bragging rights."
discovering my voice
My brother Bill was a natural athlete and a really talented musician and vocalist. He was the apple of my father's eye and we both dreamed of music stardom. When he and I played in our bands, I preferred to be in the shadows. Lacking confidence, I was content to just play bass guitar and was drafted into learning/operating stage lighting and sound systems. So, Bill was the rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist. In 1973, I purchased a Gibson 12 String guitar and started teaching myself to play. Inspired heavily by Gordon Lightfoot, Jackson Browne, and Jim Croce, I also began writing a few songs and singing them when no one was around. One day, during a visit from my parents, dad asked about the guitar case in the living room. I told him I was learning to play, and he asked me to show him, so I sang "It Never Rains In Southern California" by Albert Hammond. When I looked at him, he was crying, so I stopped. I said "Dad, if it's that bad, I'm sorry I made you cry". He said, "It's not that. It's just that you have a beautiful voice, and I didn't know I had a son that could sing so well". I was more than shocked to my soul, and it provided the necessary confidence I needed to eventually move out of the shadows into the light as a singer/songwriter and vocalist. And the rest, they say, is history.
breaking Away from playing bass
I’ve formed and played in a number of bands and endured a lot of no-shows from other members. This eventually led to inevitable band breakups and repeated frustrations. Most disappointing was discovering the bands I played in weren't interested in working on original material. I recall one band "The Country Express" and one of our performances in Miamisburg, Ohio, someone in the audience asked for the song "Rain" by the Beatles. Our guitar player/singer Pat Palmer said he could play the song, but he didn't know all the words. I spoke up and said I know the words, so we played it and that was my very first public attempt as a vocalist. Afterward, the applause from the audience planted the first seeds of courage.
totenko: right place, right time
In early 1973, I had all but given up on being in bands. On a Saturday afternoon, on a lark to perhaps soothe our frustrations, my musician and friend George Schrafenberger and I met at my home. George was a 12-string acoustic guitar player and lead vocalist, while I played the bass guitar and sang harmony. We were amazed at how good we sounded as a duo and, in no time, had three songs down. Ironically, two days later George told me to meet him at the Totenko Restaurant where we were to audition before Mr. Tanaka for a three-month contract. Stunned was an understatement. We played the three songs, and he hired us to start right away. If he'd asked for more songs, we would’ve been in trouble! George and I had managed to prepare 25 more songs in just three days so we could start on schedule. We ultimately ended up playing at Totenko six nights a week for three years. No one knew that during the week George and I were putting in a full day at our"real" jobs at Dayton Showcase Company. We were young and had the energy to pull off both. Those were great times, and George and I developed a wonderful following. It was a very sad moment for me when George told me he’d decided to join the Dayton Police Academy and would be leaving the duo. I remained at Totenko as a featured performer, which helped to jumpstart my career as a soloist.
all hail the queen
I had snagged tickets to hear my favorite group Queen perform at the University of Dayton concert arena. Queen had just released their Album “News of The World” and they were coming to Dayton, Ohio!. Unfortunately, I had to leave the concert early to set up to play at Dominic's Italian Restaurant. Dominic’s was a very special place, open late and served great food. Several songs into my first set and in-between songs, one of the servers came to me saying, “They’re coming here for dinner!” I asked who, and she said, “Where did you just come from?” I responded, “No!” She said “Yes” and a short while later, a rather large entourage walked in. It was Freddy Mercury, Roger Taylor, Brian May and John Deacon each with two gorgeous groupies. I was speechless. Brian May seemed to like my songs and gave me thumbs up several times as the group dined in the private area next to the stage. I managed to get each of their autographs on the concert program I had purchased. Needless to say, it's famed and prominently displayed in my studio.
Having Fun Hanging Around
The manager of "The Brewery" in Troy Ohio, loved to hear my 12-String guitar. I absolutely loved playing there. I remember the stage was upstairs suspended like an Island, overlooking the downstairs bar area! The several months playing there are among my most favorite memories!
Sharing a Dressing Room
It was an honor to share the billing with "Big Red" while I performed for months at George Rudin's Tropics in Dayton. It was a great place, but didn't have multiple dressing rooms. To my chagrin, I ended up sharing one with "Big Red." I couldn't say anything. The lady was as star, always funny, and she could embarrass anyone! Needless to say, I was an easy target. Venues misspelling my last name has been a life-long issue... but at the Tropics I didn't complain a bit and still have the canvas poster!