About Me:
Born in Austin, Texas raised in Tucson Arizona and Lexington Kentucky I have always maintained and celebrated my Texas roots. Nearly every summer was spent at the "farm" in Liberty Hill, TX with the armadillo, deer, rattlesnakes, red ants and crawdads. Each year when we arrived, the first order of business was a trip to town for a new straw cowboy hat and a pair of boots. Back in Kentucky I would wear them until I wore them out despite them being very NOT cool!
In our home, I was exposed to a wide range of music including tuning in to the Grand Ol’ Opry spinning the Kingston Trio, Ian and Sylvia, Johnny Cash, J. Giles Band and live jams of old time fiddle and banjo. I played cello in the Central Kentucky Youth Symphony Orchestra and fiddle in the old time jam sessions. In the late 1970s I heard an interview with Neil Young discussing his songwriting and wanted to be a singer songwriter ever since. My primary songwriter influences include Neil Young, John Prine and Townes Van Zandt. My musical influences include "Mississippi" John Hurt, John Fahey and Leonard Cohen.
Once I decided I had put off this dream long enough, I bought a guitar and called up legendary Austin blues man Van Wilks for guitar lessons. After a few weeks, I began writing songs before I even knew the names of the chords I was playing. In fact, I was so green that I couldn't play and sing at the same time! I mastered Garage Band on my iPhone so I could hear my own songs played with lyrics and guitar together. Four years later and half a continent away, it occurred to me that nobody would ever hear my songs if I didn't get myself out and play them for people. From there it took two more years to work up the courage to play in front of people.
