I am a retired Registered Nurse who has had a love for acoustic, bluegrass and old time music since growing up in Wilkesboro, NC with a Dad who played, a couple Uncle's who were professional musicians, one having had the opportunity to play with Riley Puckett and others. My Dad played with bluegrass, country and old time groups and won band competitions at Union Grove and Galax.
I started by always asking for an instrument of some sort every year at Christmas instead of getting doll's and such. Those Emenee plastic instruments really worked too, you played by colors. Then I picked out a Ukelele at the local Western Auto one year before Christmas; I wanted to make certain this instrument had no plastic parts on it:~) My Sister gave me a 33rpm album with booklet that I learned to play with. After that I followed my Father around to whatever jam or joint live music was happening in Wilkes County and the surrounding area. Every time the band took a break from playing I would ask someone to show me how to do this or that on the guitar. My Dad always had some sort of guitar, steel or bass around the house to bang on and I did that relentlessly, along with 78 and 45 rpm records. A Gibson J45 that someone pawned to my Dad came home one day and I latched onto it and off I went. I have played in many bands through the years, from folk to rock & roll to bluegrass. In 1989 I happened to be at Gruhn's in Nashville, mentioned to a salesperson/friend that I needed a dobro to round out my bg collection.
He found me one and I haven't looked back.
