I have been playing the piano and organ since the time that the United States declared its independence from England. I originally studied under J. S. Bach. After successfully helping him complete Toccata and Fugue in D minor I began to grow restless about starting my own compositions. I then went to the Americas to start a new life. While in the Americas I studied folk music. I went on to later play piano for silent movies all across the nation. After great success in that field I taught Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Stevie Wonder, Liberace, Elton John, and many others how to play.
Bands played in: Vienna Boys Choir, The Rockin' Bach Trio, Iron Butterfly
Time in Ares9: I have played with Ares9 since October 2003.
Influences:
(In no particular order)
J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Handel, Brahms, Mozart, M. Jane, Al Cohol, and S. Tim Ulants
Favorite album or works:
(In no particular order)
Live Peace in Toronto (The Plastic Ono Band)
Hands of Jack the Ripper (Screamin' Lord Sutch)
As Nasty as They Wanna Be (2 Live Crew)
The Beat Goes On (The Vanilla Fudge)
American Idol: Greatest Moments
Glitter (Mariah Carey)
Time, Love and Tenderness (Michael Bolton)
A Star Is Born (Movie Soundtrack: Barbara Streisand)
The Wiz (Movie Soundtrack)
Double Fantasy (John & Yoko)
The Transformed Man (William Shatner)
Mr. Spock's Music From Outer Space (Leonard Nimoy)
Urban Chipmunk (Alvin and the Chipmunks)
Working Class Dog (Rick Springfield)
No Strings Attached ('N Sync)
To the Extreme (Vanilla Ice)
In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy (Pat Boone)
A New Day Has Come (Celine Dion)
Celine Dion en Concert (Celine Dion)
Chante Plamondon (Celine Dion)
Colour of My Love (Celine Dion)
Du Soleil au Couer (Celine Dion)
Falling Into You (Celine Dion)
Let's Talk About Love (Celine Dion)
One Heart (Celine Dion)
These Are Special Times (Celine Dion)
Sing Like Celine Dion Vol. 3 (karaoke) (Celine Dion)
Town you consider yourself from: Originally: Sighisoara, Transylvania Most of my adult life: Leipzig, Germany
Hobbies other than music: While much of the world sleeps, I emerge from my cave. I like to dine through out the night. I enjoy a good impalement from time to time. I like to arrange stakes in various geometric patterns. The most common pattern is a ring of concentric circles in the outskirts of a city that is my target.
Why you joined the band: When Iron Butterfly broke up it left me stunned for while. I tried to remember what Bach said about what to do in those situations. I couldn't think of anything of any relevance so I called Elton and Stevie to see if they knew anybody looking for a pianist. They said that they couldn't think of anyone offhand but they said to look for young guys. Being as that I'm now 573 years old everyone else is younger. I finally called my last resort, Liberace. Liberace told me of a band in Kansas City that was forming. I walked in to audition and got down to business and we've been playing together ever since.
What brought you to Kansas City? I was born in November of 1431 in the Transylvanian city of Sighisoara. My father was living in exile in Transylvania. I have an older brother, Mircea, and a younger brother, Radu the Handsome. My early education was left in the hands of my mother, a Transylvanian noblewoman, and her family. My real education began in 1436 after my father succeeded in claiming the Wallachian throne by killing his Danesti rival. My training was typical to that of the sons of nobility throughout Europe. My first tutor in my apprenticeship to knighthood was an elderly boyar who had fought against the Turks at the battle of Nicolopolis. I learned all the skills of war and peace that were deemed necessary for a Christian knight. In 1444, at the age of thirteen, I and my brother Radu were sent to Adrianople as hostages, to appease the Sultan. I remained there until 1448, at which time I was released by the Turks, who supported me as their candidate for the Wallachian throne. My younger brother chose to remain in Turkey, where he had grown up. My initial reign was quite short and it was not until 1456, under the support of Hunyadi and the Kingdom of Hungary that I returned to the throne. I established Tirgoviste as my capitol city, and began to build my castle some distance away in the mountains near the Arges River. Because of my actions while in power I was later exiled to Kansas City, Missouri. They called it the most foul place in the world.
