Bartman

About me? Well... Born on Garland Texas in 1968, I've been playing music since I was in first grade. I saw Elvis Live From Hawaii on TV live as it happened in 1972 and decided I wanted to be a musician for the rest of my life. My life is not over yet so we will just see how the "rest of my life" part goes. Chances are, by the way things look now, I just might. I used to spend hours listening to all of my Mom's Beatles albums when I was little and was blown away. They are a MAJOR influence in my music. I always loved my Grandfather's Big-Band Records too. Loved Johnny Cash when I was a little kid. Johnny was just cool to me, that guitar sound and him wearing all that black. Years later I heard he used to have alter call at his shows. Now thats real cool. I also grew up watching HE-HAW. I think between the two, thats where I got my "Twang" in my music.I Picked up my first "ELECTRIC" guitar at a little record shop/music store in Carrollton Texas that my Aunt used to take me to in the late 1970's. That was probably about 78' or 79. The place was called "Happening Sound Shop." Mr. Bill was the owner and called everybody "Gold Dust." He was a neat guy, Reminded me of Mr. Rogers. ...Really!! I had my first acoustic guitar given to me by my aunt by that time. It had only one string on it. But, I could play "Smoke on the water" baby! In 1980 I got a fresh pack of strings and a pocket Beatles Songbook from Arnold and Morgan Music in Garland Texas and never looked back. By 1982, I recorded my first album as a session player for a guy that was an instrumental piano player at the age of young age of 14. Hey, I made $50 Bucks! From about the age of 15 and on, I was hanging around the legendary Charley's Guitar Shop. I remember the Weller's use to be stashed behind the water cooler. Throughout my life, I have had the opportunity of jamming with and personally learning from legends and masters of the art like Smokin' Joe Kubeck, Doyle Bramhall Sr. (Big Doyle), Mark Pollock, Sam Meyers, Curly "Barefoot" Miller, Guthrie Kennard, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Kim Davis and John O'Daniels among others including the Late Great master himself, Stevie Ray Vaughan. The list could go on. But MY SPACE would probably start charging me for the server usage at that point. I look back on those times now with fond memories. And I pay my respects to them today every time I play because there is a little piece of each one of them in every note I play.After Playing as a professional musician for a while, I started doing Professional Audio after I came back from Europe. My music teachers had always told my parents that I had an extraordinary ear for music as a child. Ray Wylie Hubbard would sometimes hold the sides of my head, look up to the sky and shout..."GOD has blessed these ears!"Well, it was really starting to pay off now. I had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest musicians in the world. A lot of them you know of some you don't. Some of them are in my friends list. Give them a listen. You will be glad you did. A couple of my favs are Kevin Welch and Michael Fracasso. And of course, Ray Wylie Hubbard.This all sounds great... But something was always missing.In 1993, I married my best friend in the whole world, a beautiful redhead named Jill. She is my Princess and my gift. Not a day goes by when I do not tell her I love her and how beautiful she is. Don't tell anyone, but she is really the superhero you all know as "Supermom". Her cape in hanging in my closet right now. In early 1995, I found out what was missing in my life. I felt God drawing me closer to him. I accepted Jesus in a little Church in Minden Louisiana. There was a great Man of God there pastoring that Church that told me "Son, you ain't gonna go to hell for cussin, drinkin or smoking." And he showed me in the Bible that it was true! There was nothing in this world that I could do or had done in the past to keep me out of Heaven as long as I believed in Jesus with all my heart and believed he was the Son of GOD that came to die for me and rose again. As I see it, My Mother's and Grandmother's prayers all those years really worked and God had a really good plan. My life has never been the same since. It has been a long road of ups and downs but I would not trade those "lessons" for anything.Today, I work as a Market Sales Coordinator for a Fortune 500 company. I play guitar to a few thousand every week Live and on broadcast TV for Dr. Lawrence Kennedy and The North Church. I am also a Touch-Pastor over Audio and production there.What do I think? I believe that "Religion" killed Jesus. Yeah, I know... but sometimes the devil uses "religion" to get what he wants. Little did he know though, he did not "take" Jesus' life. Jesus laid it down willingly for one reason... because He loves us. I like to tell people, "I do not have religion, I have a relationship." Religion is "Mans search for God." I already found him.I love politics. I have mostly conservative views and Low tolerance for stupidity or double standards (especially from liberals who claim to be open minded thinkers but they really are not), I never have been able to figure out why they march in protest against war saying, "stop killing our children" when they are the very same ones that march in favor of killing innocent babies in the name of "CHOICE." Those baby's did not have a "CHOICE" or volunteer to put their life on the line like a soldier does. Thats about as smart as a screen door on a submarine. I will tell you what I think whether you like it or not. Some call it boldness. Some call it judgmental. I call it telling you the truth. I love all of you! And may God bless you all.