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.....I WAS BORN INTO A MUSICALLY ORIENTED FAMILY.
I BEGAN MY OWN MUSICAL JOURNEY AT THE AGE OF FIVE, FIRST ON DRUMS, THEN ON TRUMPET. MY FATHER BILLY ABERNATHY, A WIDELY KNOWN JAZZ TRUMPET PLAYER AND EDUCATOR GAVE ME THE NECESSARY EXPOSURE TO JAZZ AND THE BIG BAND SOUND. THAT EXPERIENCE SPARKED AN INTEREST IN SEEKING MY PERSONAL ASPIRATIONS IN MUSIC. I STARTED BY PLAYING SEVERAL LOCAL TALENT SHOWS.MY FAMILY MOVED BACK TO CHICAGO WHERE I ATTENDED HARLAN HIGH SCHOOL. IN CHICAGO, HANGING WITH MY FATHER, I HAD THE CHANCE TO MEET SOME OF THE VERY BEST IN JAZZ. I AUDITIONED AND WON AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF THE FIRST EVER CHICAGO ALL-CITY HIGH SCHOOL BAND. I WAS ONE OF ONLY THREE BLACKS TO MAKE THE ORCHESTRA.THIS OPENED A DOOR FOR ME TO ATTEND TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY WHERE I WOULD STUDY WITH EDWARD LOUIS SMITH, ANOTHER JAZZ LEGEND.I CHOOSE TO LEAVE TENNESSE STATE AFTER THREE YEARS AND RETURN TO CHICAGO IN ORDER TO ATTEND THE CHICAGO CONSERVATORY. MY DECISION TO LEAVE TENNESSEE STATE WAS REALLY BECAUSE OF BOOKER LITTLE. I WAS BLOWN AWAY BY HIS SOUND.HE WAS EDWARD LOUIS' COUSIN AND HAD GONE TO THE CONSERVATORY TO STUDY WITH SUMMERHILL.IT WAS 1968,AND NEXT IT WAS BARRY GOLDBERG WHO OPEN MY EARS TO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. IT WOULD CHANGE MY APPROACH TO MUSIC FOR AWHILE. BARRY HAD A VISION OF STARTING A BAND. A BLUES BAND WITH TIGHT HORN ARRANGEMENTS. THE "ELECTRIC FLAG" WAS THAT VISION. IT TURNED OUT TO BE A MARKETABLE PRODUCT. WHILE I WAS AT THE CONSERVATORY I STUDIED AND PRACTICED. STILL IT WAS DOWN IN"OLD TOWN" AT NIGHTS THAT I WAS LEARNING THE MOST. BARRY WAS PLAYING WITH MIKE BLOOMFIELD, PAUL BUTTERFIELD, SAM LAYAND ALOT OF OTHER CATS. WHEN HE DECIDED TO GO TO LOS ANGELES TO PUT A BAND TOGETHER HE ASKED ME TO COME ALONG, BUT I WANTED TO FINISH THE SCHOOL YEAR. I PROMISED TO MEET HIM LATER.THE 'FLAG' WAS BORN AND THE REST IS MUSICAL HISTORY.I LATER DID JOIN BARRY IN ANOTHER BAND CALLED "RED HOT AND LOWDOWN." WITH A FEW OF THOSE CAT’S FROM THE"FLAG". THEN BAD HABITS AND INTERNAL PROBLEMS MADE ME LOOK FOR SOMETHING MORE. I JOINED PACIFIC GAS& ELECTRIC, A BLUES BAND DOING R&B MIXED WITH ROCK. THIS FORMULA PROVED TO BE SUCESSFUL WITH TWO COMMERCIAL HITS "ARE YOU READY" AND "THANK GOD FOR YOU BABY". THEY REMAIN ROCK FAVORITES AND STILL HOLD A LOYAL CULT FOLLOWING. AFTER ALOT OF TOURING AND A VERY BAD EXPERIENCE IN EUROPE THAT LEFT US BROKE, I HAD ENOUGH.THE PLANE BACK LANDED IN CHICAGO. I GOT OFF AND STAYED, WANTING TO DEVELOP FURTHER AS A MUSICIAN.I PLAYED WITH A POPULAR SHOW BAND. WE BACKED EVERYBODY, NANCY WILSON, GLADYS KNIGHT, THE O'JAYS, RED BUTTONS, DIANE CARROLL AND A VERY SPECIAL ENTERTAINER SAMMY DAVIS JR. JUST TO NAME A FEW.
I DID OCCASSIONAL ROAD TRIPS WITH ALBERT KING, THE MANHATTANS, THE CHI-LITES, THE DELLS AND THE FIVE STAIRSTEPS.I WAS PAYING THE BILLS.THEN I HEARD BOBBY "BLUE" BLAND.AND WAS DESTROYED.I LEFT HOME THAT NIGHT AND FOR THE NEXT THIRTEEN YEARS(ON AND OFF) WAS A PART OF THAT FAMOUS BOBBY BLAND HORN SOUND. I LEARNED SO MUCH FROM BLUE.NOW AS A STEADY MEMBER OF BLUES ICON B.B. KING'S BAND I HAVE TRAVELED THE WORLD, PLAYED FOR HEADS OF STATE AND PLAYED ON SEVERAL OF B.B.'S GRAMMY AWARD WINNING CD 'S. I HAVE RECEIVED GRAMMY'S FOR "BLUES ON THE BAYOU" AND MAKING LOVE IS GOOD FOR YOU" IN THE CATEGORY "BEST TRADITIONAL BLUES ALBUM.I AM BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN PART OF THE B.B. KING BAND THAT WON THE W.C. HANDY AWARD FOR "BEST TRADITIONAL BLUES ORCHESTRA"AND HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS "BEST INSTRUMENTAL GROUP" BY DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE FOR SEVEN STRAIGHT YEARS.IT IS MY PARTICIPATION WITH B.B. ON THE BENEFIT CD" A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS" THAT HAS RAISED MORE THAN $65 MILLION FOR THE SPECIAL OLMPICS THAT IS MOST SPECIAL TO ME.THAT CD ALSO WENT ON TO RECIEVE THE FIRST GRAMMY AWARDED IN THE CATEGORY "BEST CHRISMAS BLUES INSTRUMENTAL SONG".NOW WITH SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR I HAVE JUST FINISHED MY FIRST SOLO CD."ONLY WHEN I THINK OF YOU" MY HOPE IS IT WILL MAKE YOU DANCE AND WANT TO HOLD SOMEBODY CLOSE. LACED WITH A FUNKY BLUES FEELING AND SMOOTH JAZZ THERE'S SOMETHING THERE FOR EVERYBODY. LISTEN AND ENJOY
