At age 17 I bought my first guitar and began a passion for songwriting. I would record songs in my bedroom on a TEAC 4-track Reel to Reel. There were close to one hundred songs written in a short time. Most were learning experiences, and some were actually pretty good. I enlisted a close friend to join me as we got hooked on playing, singing and writing together. That energy launched us into a band with our closest friends. From there my musical endeavors included a duo and then founding an oldies band called Tom Thumb and the HitchHikers, all the while devoting time as the worship leader at a local church.
My most polished songs were occasionally recorded in my friend’s garage. They had a Tascam 8-track Reel to Reel and what seemed then, like a full studio. It cost $25 per hour to record there so it was rare I spent money on such a luxury. I did write and record four songs in that garage that were sold to an independent label. I thought this was easy, and at 21, this was going to be a full-time gig. That happy movie ending was not to be.
I then got married to my most amazing and beautiful wife Veronica, had a son Daniel, and a daughter Savannah. The writing continued, even though my creative environment wasn’t the most encouraging. Playing my songs for the family would not bring much feedback. I pushed on, thinking I’m going to have something worth saying someday through my music. I was determined that the dream of hearing my songs recorded and performed by professional artists was going to be fulfilled.
There are turning points in our lives where events somehow motivate us to take urgent action. Mine was a benign tumor that appeared in my jaw and needed to be removed. A violent surgery was in front of me and a long recovery afterwards. The possibility of never singing again loomed large. At 68 years old, I decided my dreams were now or never.
To enhance my voice, I sought a local coach named Jenna Laurise to instruct me on how to get the best results possible. My first request though was for confirmation that my songs were worth recording. She was adamant that they were totally worth the effort.
Surgery dates were closing in, so I sought out a very talented producer, Cliff Goldmacher, to help me navigate the complexities of recording an album with the quality I was hoping for, and in a timely manner. He had a roster of studio musicians that were beyond top notch. In my life as a musician, I have been around a lot of really great artists, but these were on another level altogether. I hired Cliff to record My Old Guitar and test the process. It came out so well that we partnered for six more of my songs. I’m grateful for all the genuine support these creative geniuses provided me as a newbie to Nashville.
I was able to accomplish the recording of this album while I was recovering from my surgery. It was such a blessing to have something to occupy my mind during a very difficult time. This was my beautiful diversion. I am doing great now with my new normal.
My story would not be complete without mentioning that on this musical journey there was a life-changing encounter with Jesus. He took me to a deeper emotional place in my writing that has given me different insights into our life experience. It is an eternal path for which I am extremely thankful I went down.
The songs I have chosen to record are obviously special to me since they span the spectrum of my musical life.
Sitting on a Beach in Kauai was the first song I ever wrote seriously, back in 1972 as a senior at Westchester High School. I wrote it with my close friend Randy Apprahamian. We took our guitars to Hawaii one summer because we thought we would look pretty cool. While in Waikiki we met two girls that were from LA and we fell pretty hard. We had planned to go to Kauai for three days and we promised to write them a song. We got back and took them to the beach at sunset with champagne, and played them this song. They cried, and then we cried cuz we never even got a kiss. Sad.
My most recent song is My Old Guitar, which is about my long-time love affair with my writing partner, a Guild D25.
Dear Mama was written during my struggle years coming to grips with God in my life.
I am the One is a special love song about being vulnerable and admitting us men aren’t the best at relationships. Tim Sharman and Spencer Crandall added some great melodies.
The Journey Home is my favorite child. It took over 25 years to finish. It is a trilogy, taking you from a deep personal loss, to the moment leaving Earth on the way to Heaven. It is my personal vison for that glorious arrival.
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