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All About the Music
I have always been a big Music Lover, from the days of HEE-HAW learning the Hand-bone tothe early Break-Dancing days when Turbo and Ozone was terrifying the scene. I was around the age 13when I was dancing and I must say I was pretty good. ? LOL I can only wish that I could still movelike that. All the while I had Long hair and was a rocker @ heart and soon my life was going tochange….
The band Motley Crue came out and I was so taken by the Wild and Free Lifestyle they portrayed andall I could think about was “I want that Lifestyle right there!” Though I wasn’t sure where Iwould fit into that scene. One of my brothers (Tony) best friend (Wesley) came over one day andbrought his guitar with him and he was playing the songs I had been listening to on the radio! ManI was blown away!! I thought that was the coolest thing I had ever seen, that is what made the rockworld seem real to me. And I felt that if I worked at it I could reach that goal, to be a guitaristin a rock band. The first songs I learned was Smoke on the water and Iron man, I had learned themon one string and later on added the right chords.
My best friend at the time was Lonnie Cogdill and we went everywhere together. He knew how to playa lot of country songs but he loved Heavy Metal. He was a guitarist/singer in a local Country bandthat played a few festivals around town. He could also play drums and bass so we would always jamwhen ever we could. I liked country music more and more as he was still into the heavy metal. So hewould teach me the country songs and I showed him the rock songs and that was how I learned thebasic chords and feel.
I got a pretty high list of songs that I had learned with Lonnie and Wesley and was looking to findthe right group of guys to jam with. But first I needed to get a guitar. I had been learning toplay guitar and I didn’t even have one. I’ll talk more on that topic later. I was then at the ripeold age of 16.
Lonnie, Butch, and myself was hanging out at the Mall (only thing to do back then) looking forsomething to get into later that night. Basically watching the cars cruise the mall. (Round andround) Then I noticed a truck parked outside of JC Penny’s. I was walking over to the curb to askthem for the time. But before I could ask them, the driver asked me for the time! A cruising carpassing by yelled out the time. And we laughed and I walked back over to Lonnie and Butch. Theywere trying to catch a ride to Rene’s Party Shop (A local pool hall). The truck that was parkedwas fixing to leave and butch asked them for a lift over to Rene’s. They pulled in and said “Whereis Rene’s?” Rene’s was not more than a mile down the road. So the diver said “Yes”. The driver whoultimately ended up being my wife, Samatha.
Meeting Samatha
Butch noticed the driver right away and went running around to the passenger side yelling “Hot dogI get to sit next to the driver!” Sheila (the passenger got out to let Butch in) meanwhile, Sam(Samatha) got out of the driver seat and asked me to sit next to her. Butch was surprised when hegot in on the other side to find me already sitting there. LOL Lonnie jumped in the back of thetruck and off we went. That was when Sam and I had first met. She didn’t just drop us off atRene’s; she hung out a while and we got to know a little about each other. When she got ready toleave her truck wouldn’t crank. The battery had run low. Butch was eager to go party and wanted toleave, but I wasn’t going to leave the girls there by themselves. So I waited a little while andseen a friend (Del Wallen) driving by and I flagged him down to jump the truck off. It started andthey were about to leave so Sam and I exchanged Phone numbers and said our good byes, when we heardButch say to Sheila “You ain’t gonna give me no sweet tongue before you go?” She replied “Yea”.Sam and I just laughed and told her that I would call her tomorrow. I did and we’ve been togetherever since. ?
The year was around 1988 and the music scene in Greenwood (as far as I knew) was two main Rockbands which were “Khaos and Seducer”. They had a practice place at the old Train Depot. (It’s torndown now but was in front of the library.) They we’re willing to let a third band practice there toshare the rent. So I was trying to get a group together to fill that spot. I was introduced to afriend of Sam’s from Newberry (Jason Harrison and Derrick Underwood) and went to check thesituation out up there and they liked the style I was playing and they had a guitar (CortEffector). They loaned me the guitar and welcomed me into the band. We really needed a singer and Iasked David Hastings about singing and he loved the idea. So we made the trip up to Newberry twicea week and that was my first Band. We ended up playing 80’s rock and landed a gig at a skating rinkin Newberry. I was playing out and I Still didn’t own my own guitar. We we’re a band for about 4months. I guess the trip to Newberry got old and we fell apart not long after that Skating rinkgig. I was Guitar less again! I was used to having a guitar all the time and learned a lot of songson that Cort guitar.
With nothing really to do, Lonnie was wide open with the country band. I was just hanging around atthe Train Depot practice place trying to get into the Greenwood scene. All kinds of Musicians wouldhang out up there because there was nothing to do in Greenwood then either. (Cruise the mall, andyou see what that got me! LOL Sam)?. I was looking for rockers everywhere I could and a friend fromSchool (Steve Morse, not the one in the band Kansas) was the walking Band encyclopedia. Heintroduced me to another world of rock and metal music. Steve Morse was who introduced me to DavidHastings (singer in first band). Steve Plays bass guitar and knew music history like no other. Westarted jamming and he introduced me to quite a few other people wanting to be in a band. BillyHead was another up and coming guitar player that loved metal music. So instantly we got along andstarted working on material. Lonnie told me about a drummer (Chris Bowie) and we all got togetherand filled the third spot up there in the Train Depot. Seducer was the main people up there incharge of the rent and who practiced there. So they were like the Boss. LOL Anyway we practiced upthere according to the others schedules because they had seniority. I’m not sure what happenedabout 3 weeks in our practice got bumped because Khaos wanted to practice and something happened,either they had a party or fight or something and the practice place got Trashed (holes punched inthe walls and everything was a mess) but we got blamed for all of it! Needless to say we didn’thave a practice place no more. Not long after that Khaos broke up. Seducer ended up relocating toCharlotte NC and releases a few more CDs. I couldn’t seem to get our band together so we fell apartabout as fast as we started.
My First Guitar
Sam has always supported my love for music, and she bought me my first guitar (Ibanez RG160, fromNewell’s Music). I was in there and looking and the Manager (Tim Goldman) was really impressed onhow much I had learned without even owning a guitar, not to mention Lessons. He called over theowner (Michael Newell) and he was taken to me as well. I got the guitar/amp package and went onhome and didn’t see daylight for several months! About 4 months Later Michael Newell asked if Iwould be interested in teaching. I told him that I would love to be involved in that side of themusic business. So I worked there and took lessons for 2 months and was teaching starters to beginwith. My skills really blossomed and I was getting calls from local bands needing a guitarist.Working at Newell’s really put me in the hot seat.
Steve Morse called me and asked me, “If I would like to check out this rock group looking for abassist and guitarist?” The Bands name was “Mid-Night Prowler” (Larry Leek- Drums, Pete Rowland–guitar/vocals) they have had a few guitarist that they were trying and I think they we’re reallystoked about Steve. We all hit it off musically and started learning songs left and right. Wepracticed over at Larry’s house he had a shop out back and we could jam up until 10 pm. We learneda lot of the newest songs and did some classics but were all Rock music. We played the songs byRatt, Poison, Queensryche, Ozzy, And Many others. I was learning a lot of songs teaching, and itkept me up to date with the new groups/songs. Seducer was playing a show at a local club out onLake Greenwood, and we were invited to come open the show and that was our biggest gig so far.Seducer was a lot heavier than we were and playing harder hitting songs like Metallica and Pantera.I had no Idea who was in the audience and would affect my life for the next few years.
Kyle Harrison was a good friend of Trip McNeal (guitarist of Seducer). He was out that nightwatching the show. Kyle is a Graduate from G.I.T. (Guitar Institute of Technologies). That campusis in L.A. California, where he lived out there working on projects for years. Needless to say- heis a Monster guitar player, and he told me to call him, that he had some techniques he wanted tointroduce to me. The G.I.T. method to soloing and understanding the Fretboard was instrumental indeveloping my style. He was working on some songs and taught them to me so he could work on someHarmonies. That information couldn’t have came at a better time. I was now teaching 5 days a weekat Newell’s and that G.I.T method made learning songs a lot easier, especially the Modern rocksongs of that time. Kyle was a huge influence in my life and he opened my eyes to the fretboard ina way that I may have never have made the click on my own. He also took me to a show where he wasopening for an Idol of ours and I got to meet Yngwie Malmsteen. Not just meet but hang Backstageand jam on Yngwie’s guitar right before he went on stage. That will always be a Highlight in mylife. Kyle’s project is “Trampled Underfoot” A real ear burner. GREAT GUITAR WORK!
Atalaya
Chris Long told me about a band he was in and I went out to see them Practice one evening. He wasplaying in a band called “ATALAYA”. Chris Long-Guitar, Jay Davis-Guitar- Robby Price-Bass, MikeFoster- Drums, and Tim Barrett on vocals. I walked in and listened in a while and was really takenby the singer in the group. On there break, I got introduced to all and Tim came over and mentionedthat he seen us (Mid-Night Prowler) the gig that we opened up for Seducer. Atalaya was playing alot of classic rock back then (Skynyrd, 38 Special, Bad Co., etc…). I liked the songs a lot. Mybrothers listened to that kind of music and I was no stranger to the titles they were playing. Iasked if I could come out and jam with them on there next practice and every one said that would becool. I brought a small practice amp and was playing at a low volume, so I wouldn’t bother thempracticing and I really liked soloing over that style. That music fit like an old pair of shoes.
Not long after I set in with Atalaya’s Practice, our band (Prowler) started having member problems.We would lose a member here and gain another there. Prowler went through a few guitarist and bassplayers and the starting all over really started getting old. (Stevie Cutter - guitar, JoshBradford - bass, Billy Head – guitar, and others, all great musicians! we just had to start overwith every member) It felt like we may never play a gig again. I opted out for that very reason. Ifyou didn’t know, leaving a band can be like breaking up with a girl-friend. Except there are 4 ofthem you are leaving. LOL
Atalaya had made some changes as well, Jimmy Martinez was there new drummer and they had moved to anew practice place in Ninety-six. I would go over there and listen in at there practice just to bearound live music. I ended up asking Tim if he would be interested in a side project, just to seehow things would work. Tim said he had the time and would love to. Tim and I got together onAtalaya’s off nights and worked on some songs. We kept trying different members looking for theright combination. It ultimately didn’t sit well with Atalaya and they disband not long after. Iguess I’m a home wrecker. LOL! But that allowed Tim and I the free reign to recruit who we wantedto, and practice any night we wanted to. Tim was the sole Owner of the name ATALAYA, so it followedhim around. That’s the reason for the same name thru-out members. And we really couldn’t come upwith a better name. So it stuck…..
Atalaya 1991
Basically the 2 bands merged together forming Atalaya, Larry Leek, Josh Bradford, Chris long, RobbyMinor, and Tim Barrett. The songs were a combination of the bands as well. Classic rock and newrock put together to form a Party Band. We were after the feel of a “Rockin” concert meets the clubscene. We learned a lot of songs and our practice place started to become the local hangout forfriends. Instead of playing shows we started to just play parties and have jams up there in thepractice place. I wanted more than just a Garage band. I wanted to play out in clubs and eventuallytour and travel everywhere. We played out a few times with this set up and played together about ayear or so. I felt that something was missing, maybe just the drive to want more. The band endedup splitting and we all took a break. Tim and I still stayed in contact with each other and he saidthat he still wanted to push forward. “Let’s try some different people and try it again”. I thinkTim said, and I kept my ear to the ground for members. I was still working at Newell’s so findingmusicians usually wasn’t very hard.
Tim and I were looking for just the right people. I had heard about Chris Hinson from other localmusicians, “He was really talented!” So we got hooked up some how, LOL! It must have been Newell’s.We jammed a couple times and tried a few drummers out. We didn’t want to just fill any position. Wewanted everyone to fit comfortably into what we were looking for in this band. We were a little toocareful because we wouldn’t jam with someone, maybe once or twice. Then we were looking for otherprospects. This made it a long process.
Then in 1994 Around July 20, I was working in Newell’s and this guy (Tony Pilot) walks in and saidhe was new in town looking for a band. He had just got back from Dessert Storm and was a Drummer. Itold Him that “I’m getting Married this week-end, can you give me a call on Monday?” Tony Laughedand said “What No Honeymoon?” he could tell that I was real anxious to jam and very serious aboutit. He has been one of my best friends ever since.
We practiced faithfully and started writing songs just about instantly. We filled a list of coversalso to give the listeners some songs that they would recognize. We started playing out and keptthe practices closed to the public. We found that opening the practices just gave friends a partypad and we were a little more serious than that. We did a few gigs around town and set our minds onthe studio. We recorded our first CD “Watchtower” at a local studio here in Greenwood. We recorded9 songs, and man we were so green to the studio, it was nothing short of a learning experience. Notto say the CD was bad. (I’ll let you be the judge of that!) LOL! I may post them up here on thesite. Maybe just a couple of months later Chris Hinson ended up moving to Greenville.
We needed a bass player and didn’t want to wait on finding one. We didn’t want to go into sleepmode for to long, so we asked Chris Long what he’d think about playing bass for us. He knew thesongs, was self motivated (to say the least), and worked with me at Newell’s, so getting togetherwasn’t a problem. What seamed like a quick fix ended up being a Blessing! This format stayedATALAYA for quite a while. Tony Pilot-Drums, Chris Long- Bass, Robby Minor- Guitar, and Tim Barrett– Vocals. This was my family for the next 8 years. We’re still family but then we were alwaysaround. With this Group I got to taste what the music business was all about. We were serious abouthaving fun and we did just that. We wanted to play and people responded to us when we did. I reallymiss those days. It’s like I was a kid and really didn’t have a thing to worry about. Although atthe time it was another story. I know Tony, Tim, and Chris had to keep in check a lot. We reallypushed hard and played a lot around town at first. Then we branched out targeting the bigger townsand hoping to get into a circuit around the south-east. We got hooked up with a booking agent inGeorgia and they started booking us in colleges around the south-east. We played Georgia Tech,Auburn, and Tennessee. We played a couple times in Tennessee, and I must say “the Frat gigs are themost fun you can have with-out umm….. LOL (use your imagination). Let’s just say that they are awild bunch, and had lots of fun.
Jimmy and Dana Storey
Jimmy Storey is Tim’s cousin and he came out to hear us on many occasions. They (Jimmy and Dana)had asked Tim about if, and when we were going to record a CD? Tim told him that we were ready wejust needed the come up with the money. Jimmy set up a Band meeting and offered to back the CD andsome shirts. I was overwhelmed with joy like our prayers had been answered. He had 2 differentshirts printed up for the release of the CD. The Black one was our CD cover, and the White one wasa drawing we had in the jacket with the CD. We ordered 1000 CD’s
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