65594302

I am a 44 year old guitar player/vocalist from Charleston SC Music has been a major part of my life since I was a young boy. My father got me a Ukulele for Christmas 1964 and I can remember that I couldn't keep my hands off of it. I banged around on it till I was 5 years old.My defining moment on wanting to be a lead player was when my mother brought home Elvis' Golden Records on vinyl (way before 8 track tapes or cassettes,lol) in 1968. I remember playing the record for the first time and then "Heartbreak Hotel" started,I was mesmerized by the guitar work by Scottie Moore(didn't know his name then)especially that first lead ride. That was the moment that I KNEW I had to learn how to play like that.that WAS my defining moment. It wasn't long before my Mom and Dad got me a 15 dollar Silvertone acoustic from the (then downtown Charleston) Sears& Roebuck store. It came with a 45RPM record with 1 lesson teaching you how to tune the guitar,how to play "On Top of OleSmokey",and a chord sheet. I didn't get my first electric till I was 12 yrs old. It was a red and white Silvertone Dan Electro twin pickup model,no case. I paid 15 bucks for it,the pickup selector switch was broke. So,I got my Mom to ride me over to the(then new,what was then)Radio Shack to get me a switch,of course it wasn't the right kind of switch,but I had a drill motor,bits,soldering iron,solder,Dad's voltmeter,a curious mind and a lot of determination. I got that bridge pickup working !!!! I didn't have an amplifier though,but my little stereo had a one eighth inch mic input,hummm ?????? That took a broken guitar cord,a broke microphone,pocket knife,solder and tape to fix,and I was rolling !!! What was cool is that if I cranked the stereo up wide open it would get pretty distorted. At that moment I was really about as happy as a kid could be,I did it all by myself!!!! I then snagged the old record player with the built in speakers and jammed along,it had a 16rpm setting so even then I could slow down faster stuff and learn it. The one half pitch wasn't quite right though but I still managed to use it though. I managed to progress very quickly and just practiced all the time. I played my first gig when I was 15 and had a garage band throughout High School. I got in a variety band when I was 19 and I have been working clubs,parties,events,large venues ever since. I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to work with a LOT of very talented people(too many to name here)in many different gendres of music. Everything from doing a show with an Elvis impersonator in front of a couple of thousand people,opening for Jason Aldeen and Steve Holy in separate shows for packed houses at "The Plex",opened for the Charleston Symphony at Riverfront Park July,4 2006, in 1988 I got in the top 40 Country with Teresa Layne Moody (Tell Me Another One,it got down to 38 and I'm proud),played Southern Rock,Classic Rock and Country with the absolutley amazing "Sons of the South"(I have done some gigs with these guys recently and just had a blast),Beach Music with Gunz, Blues and Jazz with Nature Boy Nick and Mic Meteor,Traditional Country with Country Addiction,Metal and 80s Glam Rock With Screamon' Gene Clifford in Stashbox. I also had the privilege of workin with Bill Pickney and Harriel Jackson of "The Original Drifters" One of the nicest compliments I ever got was the first night I ever played on stage with Bill Pickney,when we finished the set he walked over and said "Man,for a white boy,you can sure play the blues",it still warms my heart to think about it and his passing away last year was a great loss to all of us. Harriel Jackson is a magicial performer and he told my good friend Chris Trimmer(played Drums with The Original Drifters,Delbert McClinton,Bonnie Raitt,The Tams,The Kingpins)"That boy can play the hell out of that guitar,he has got my personal endorsement" Chris told me that Harriel dosen't hand out compliments often so I am humbled and very thankful for such nice words from an old Pro and friend like Harriel.Thank You Brother.I almost feel a little jealous at the resources young musicians have at their disposal that they take for granted today.I am happy for them though cause I am using those same tools to continue my musicial education too.lolAll of you that have helped me and Katrina since the wreck on 11/19/2006,you know who you are. We Thank YOU and LOVE YOU very much!!!!!!Last year I started up an Amplifer Company called FatKat Amplification and I build and sell Boutique Custom Point to Point Hand Wired Guitar Amps. Look in my Albums in my pics to see them. Ye Ole Music in North Charleston is the exclusive dealer for FatKat Amps in SC. Go see Michael Davis At Ye Ole Music and try out a FatKat Amp today !!!!!