St. Louis

My Aunt Shirley's extensive collection of honky tonk and country 45's cemented my interest in music at an early age followed by hearing Les Paul and Mary Ford which created an enduring interest in guitar.

The British Invasion followed the surf music wave and then the Bay Area Bands emerged. That exposure broadened my interest to include everything from folk and bluegrass to blues and jazz and when Miles Davis released In a Silent Way my musical perspective was radically altered.

Somewhere along the way, I began to play guitar and during the country rock scare of the '70s, I became interested in pedal steel. With Scotty's Music Store nearby, it was easy to immerse myself in the instrument.

At one point my interests changed and I sold my steel, almost abandoning music altogether. When I became re-involved, I began to play six string in an eclectic combination of many of the genres I regularly listened to, including singer-songwriter material, folk, country, rock and blues. Eventually, I decided I wanted another steel and began to reacquaint myself with the instrument. An accident with a table saw involving my left ring finger precluded further involvement with six string and I was forced to focus exclusively on my steel.

Naturally, I play country music but my rear C6 neck is tailor-made for jazz and standards and my continuing interest in those genres predetermined that I would get invloved with those type of tunes.

Currently, I am playing an Emmons Legrande II double neck with 8 pedals and six knee levers through a customized Reissue Twin loaded with a JBL D130. I regularly use a Hilton volume pedal, Line 6 Echo Park, ElectroHarmonix Holy Grail and an SMS Freeloader from Brad Sarno.