Music was always the one thing that stayed the same. Thanks to the many school choirs and chorus programs in various school systems, I ldeveloped an ear for melody, harmony and expression, which would become the very foundation of my life in the years to come.
In 1967, my senior year in high school, my family moved to Gainesville Florida.
I joined a school sponsored Folk band, ("We Seven" with A.J. Coles, his sister Ann, the late Honi Combs, and Larry Lipham, whose family owned Liipham's Music store, the gathering place for area musicians.
It was a perfect time to be starting out on a music adventure path in the world. Folk-Rock was beginning to take root, especially noticable in the neighborhood band :Mudcrutch". Tom Petty, also a senior at GHS, liked the sound of the Rickenbacher 12 string used by Roger McGuinn and began focusing on combining the fine harmonies and sweet melodies of the Byrds with an edgy rock flavor which insiped the rest of us. Still does, to this day.
The 40 years between then and now are filled with many, many wonderful, fun, crazy and sometimes unbelievable stories.
I like to think things through, sometimes for a very long time. Sometimes I am impulsive. I love people, especially children and old crinkely folks.
I have 3 kids, Norah, Joseph and Emmalee, each one incredibly magical, amazing and precious. If I've done anything worthwhile in this life at all, it's because of them. I still miss Norah and Joseph's dad, Bob, and know he is proud of our kids, and watches over us from heaven.
I have 2 grandchildren, Tristan and Georgia. Norah is an awesome mother...much beter than I will ever be. Tristan melts my heart and little Georgia is already a natural singer/ dancer at 2 years old! Joseph is a talented artist / skateboarder and Emmalee is a poet, among other amazing things and is in her first year studies at Warren Wilson College in Asheville.
Music is the foundation of my life, it's the Truth.....I have lived a life of music, every day is a musical to me. I love the boys in the bands I've been in and am specially close to my many women musician friends/sisters.
ARLO GUTHRIE has been one of my major roll models/teacher. Sarah Lee Guthrie,(Arlo's daughter) is a a true vocal wonder, her husband Johnny Iriona good match,respected musician who has taken time to encourage my daughter Emmalee on the guitar. Olivia, their daughter is precious, Abe, Arlo's son, is one of the funniest people I've ever met, not to mention extremely talented.
Another early influence, both musically and in Life-Matters, is MELANIE. I remember how blown away I was by her album "CANDLES IN THE RAIN". I heard "LAY DOWN" somewhere "up North" where I was playing, and immediately had the band (Warm) learn it. We were the first ones to do that song at The Attic in 19?? and everyone thought it was me on the radio singing it when it finally the charts in the South. I was tempted to tell folks that it was indeed me, (*grin*) but told the truth so that others could hear more of Melanie's amazing music.
"Lay Down" was an epic song of the times then, and it is every bit as appropriate today. I encourage everyone to revisit the inspiring world of Melanie's Music!
I play solo mostly these days but can pull a band thing together quickly with the help of my genius friend Mike Edwards. My band is sometimes called Kitty West and Her Clean House....so once in awhile I HAVE a clean house. I love playing with the girls....we are called "The Strawberry Cheesecake Gospel Goddesses, someone came up with that name when we couldn't figure one out for ourselves, and it stuck.
I am spiritually awed by all of creation, impressed and grateful to the max by our Great God! I wonder how someone can be against abortion , pro war and for the death penalty all at the same time.
I enjoy laughter, sunshine, oceans, trees and flowers, wobbly kids and silly jokes.
As a child I was always in trouble for "not paying attention"......I always wondered what that was all about. I've paid so much attention thru the years, I should OWN attention by now.
ONE OF MY DISORDERS IS MY HOUSE.
Now that Emmalee is settled into college,I am giving up living in houses. It just costs too much. I understand camping better than housing. Keeping only what I can fit into my car, I'm going on a QWalkabout, a Bilbo Baggins Adventure, to the Left Coast to meet my new granddaughter Georgia, and spend time with Norah and Tristan....and hang out with Joseph a bit on the way.
I am a friend of Bill W., thanks to David Crosby.
I was in a convent boarding school the first 2 years of high school, then went to a public school right outside of Wash DC which scared me to death. I thought I didn't have any friends that year but 30 years later met Barry T who had been there all the time! There were a group of kids in that school who had a band called The Nighthawks. They are sill together after all these years.
Moved to Gainesville Fla, 1967, Tom Petty was in my class, his family's back yard adjoined my family's backyard. My father thought Tom was a loser. My father was wrong.
I lived at Creem Mag for awhile on Cass Ave in Detroit, Lester Bangs liked to go to gigs with my band because my band was so terrible that he thought we were doing it on purpose. He would hide under tables and scare people, then pass out in any car in the parking lot and we'd have to find him when it was time to go home. It was funny to see how "balanced" he was represented in
Had lots of fun with
The Headrest in Atlanta was a blast, 2 stages, continuous music. Players from all over Atlanta would blow in after their own gigs, jump on stage and somehow manage to keep riffs going as the other musicians handed over their instruments...I've never seen anything like it! "Skinnerd" boys had to borrow guitars from my guys for their audition, they were poor then. They aren't poor now. I still miss Ronnie. Sometimes hear from Ed King still, but rarely. We remember
I have countless memories, many, many wonderful people who influenced my life, David Gerichten, Jaco Pastorios, Al Kooper, Tim Hardin, Lee Houskeeper, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, The Byrds, Flying Burritto Bros, Cream, Bono, The 4 Tops, Temptaions, .....the list goes on forever. I am impressed with so many bands today and believe music is one of the GOOD things in this world.
Support Live Music. Revisit some of the music that inspired a whole generation (and then some), like Melanie, Youngbloods, Arlo, Traffic, Cream, C,S,N&Y,Al Kooper, Leon Russell, Bonnie Bramlett, etc.
Support Life. Be nice. Mind your manners. Do your best. Be patient..with yourself and others. Speak he truth. Feed the hungry. Defend the weak. Laugh heart-ily. Love One Another. Live Peace from the inside out.
"There is a very important component, to have passion, to have a dream, to have a purpose in life. And there are three components to that purpose, one is to find out who you really are, to discover God, the second is to serve other human beings, because we are here to do that and the third is to express your unique talents"
................Deepak Chopra
Forget practice. .....It's SHOWTIME!
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