I use the name Tramp Swan in honor of my dad when I express my music. It's an honor to do so. His formal name was Charles Edward Swan, but lots of folk knew him as Tramp. He was born in Beardstown, Illinois (so was I) and that's his final resting place. He was a freshwater commercial fisherman and a riverboat captain. He married my mother, Mildred Alice Bray, from Jacksonville, and our family lived in Beardstown until I was in the fourth grade.
My first guitar was a Stella. My mom bought it for me. I learned to play from my grampa, Albert Bray. He played the banjo. He told me that until I could play the Steel Guitar Rag, I was not a real guitar player. I still can't play that song as good as he did.
I also learned to play by learning theme songs to tv shows I watched. Bonanza. Batman. Gilligan's Island. Deep, meaningful songs.
Early on I decided to learn Bob Dylan songs. He wrote deep, meaningful songs too. His songs had the power to change the world but that isn't the real reason I set out to be the next Bob Dylan. I chose to play Bob's song because I can sing better than him. And I wanted that comparison. Marketing, ya know.
But I did try to write songs that would change the world. And guess what? Despite writing many songs, none published, the world did change. Dylan grew older and so did I. I realized I was old when I decided that the current music scene wasn't really music. It's thump, thump and thump.
I put my guitar away for a while, so I could raise my kids. But I'm playing again, and I'm enjoying it.