I Posted this in the thread about Hammond Organs where a lot of the long time musicians were posting and this thought came to me. Donny suggested i start a new thread for this so here it is. Hope to hear from many of you that have been through the wars as gigging musicians.

Bebop Here,
I don't have anything to add to this discussion about Hammond Organs, because it would just be more of the same with my built in prejudices from gigging for more years then a lot of musicians have yet lived.
Here is what I would like to say. I really enjoyed this discussion and I am sure most who read it did.
Here is what I would like to see.
I would love to read the bio's of all the long time musicians that have been through the wars. We have so much in common and yet we are all so different because even though we lived through the same eras, we all have different life experiences. I would love to read the bios of those who posted in this thread and all the other representative musicians in this forum.
What say y'all. Let's just do it. Who would start?
Bebop

Looks like I'm first ! ok here goes...

Noel Jay Honey....Bio

From the age of 6 years old I would stay with a relative who had an old Harmonium, I was taught a few chords to amuse myself and took to playing it fairly well in a short time, the Harmonium was quickly replaced by a Lowery Holiday organ and after 2 years of learning on that I was then sent off to learn piano, the piano training continued for 7 years, at the age of 15 I became interested in Hammond organs and by chance a local bar let me play their Hammond T202 on Saturday mornings, after 6 months I was asked to play during weekend opening hours for a small fee, at age 17 I was approached by an agent to play Hammond T500 in a large seaside complex in Southsea, UK which continued for 2 years when I was then offered a position as organist in a travelling circus which I toured with for 3 years.



On making enough money touring I returned to my home town and bought a Rhodes 73, a
Solina String Machine, Clavinet D6 and a Korg 700s and became a freelance keyboardist
doing sessions and gigs around the south coast. I just about covered every type of gig back then, playing a piano concert one night then a rock band gig the next, a reggae band the next night, a Beatles tribute band finishing it off with playing sing-along's in a rest home.

I started doing a bit of teaching too and got introduced to the Yamaha electone completion which I entered and went all the way through to the UK finals coming 5th overall, also in the same year I got voted best keyboardist in my home town of Portsmouth UK. My workload flourished but female intervention saw me teaching more and dropping gigs to just 2 or 3 a
month for a few years, my interest suddenly flared up when I encountered a Roland Pro E
arranger and the possibilities of arrangers to replace larger bands and went on to gig in duo's using a succession of arrangers and formed a successful Dinner Dance trio which has been going for 16 years now currently using a Yamaha S900 and a Roland FP4 piano.



Wanting to hone my jazz skills recently I enrolled in a College course to study improvistion
and jazz theory, I now have more jazz gigs than anything else and am slowly making a name
for myself locally as a jazz pianist with a full diary and have just landed a top jazz gig in
October at the Carlton Intercontinental Hotel in Cannes, France...

Music has taken me many places and I'm still as enthusiatic about playing as I when I first encountered the Harmonium...ok must go now as have to rehearse for tonights jazz gig.

Rgds

Noel J


[This message has been edited by pasadoble (edited 04-24-2010).]

Don't know if it counts as long-time or not, but it's been a long time for my age. I've been playing professionally for 27 years, and I turn 32 tomorrow.

It all started with ice cream buckets and tin pie plates. That was my first drum kit. Worked out well, because my dad loved dessert and I loved banging on the containers the dessert was in. Even then, apparently my dad and sisters were paying attention to the noise I was making, because they entrusted me to be the drummer for the family band at age 5.

My dad had a country Gospel band that toured churches, festivals, county and state fairs, in the dakotas and surrounding states. It was he, my sisters, and a couple local guys. Gradually, it became totally a family band, when my sister learned to do left hand bass, and I started playing drums. I can just about imagine how the studio engineer felt when he booked a family band to come in and record a 10 song album, and what he got was 15 year old keyboard/piano players and a 5 year old drummer.

This is one of the tracks from that album. www.roryhoffman.com/little.mp3

We did on average 1 album a year for the next 5 years. We were weekend warriors as it were, with me and my sisters in school and dad having a ranch to run. Sometimes during the summers we would go out for slightly extended periods.

Over the years I was teaching myself to play other instruments, and as my younger brother started taking up an interest in drums, I moved on to playing lead guitar, banjo, harmonica, sax, some fiddle.

My other influence groing up apart from country and gospel music was old-time polka and waltz music. That was a big deal with my granpa, great uncles and some other friends of my parents.
My dad bought some recording equipment for us to use at home, and I decided I wanted to learn to use it. So, at age 12, I created a tape (for my grandpa) of me playing a bunch of the polkas and waltzes that I always played with him. I did all the instruments, recording, mixing, myself. Grandpa started showing friends, who started wanting copies. Eventually a radio station up in North Dakota which did a Sunday afternoon polka show got wind of it and asked for a copy. At which point a lot of people wanted copies. Then a record store in Dickenson North Dakota asked me if I might want to put a few copies in his store to sell. So at night when I was home doing homework, I was making copies of my old-time cassette to put in the store.

In junior high and High school I started taking up an interest in jazz. Everyone else in my family thought I'd lost it. Jazz chords just made no sense to anybody...except me. I really traced the jazz heritage. At first, I didn't really like anything but old Dixieland music, because it sort of reminded me of sophisticated polkas, what with the horns and banjos. Then I really latched onto the bigband swing stuff, and later kept progressing as my brain wrapped around this whole jazz experience.

In college I studied piano and saxophone. I lasted 2 years. I was set to transfer from a local school in SD to North Texas to get a jazz studies degree, but fate had other plans.
Over the summer of 1999, I attended the Christian Artist in the Rockies Seminar. It's a national event with workshops, clinics, and competitions. I entered the piano competition, the general instrumental competition with guitar, and a Christian rock band I was playing with from college at the time also entered.
The rock band took 4th in the overall band competition, I took second in piano, and grand champion instrumentalist with guitar.
Those accomplishments got me some notice, and I met someone who wanted to help me produce a record in NASHVILLE! WOW!

in 2001 I made my first trip to Nashville to record Blind Faith, a guitar and piano instrumental CD with a lot of Nashville's finest session guys backing me up. I soaked up everything I could absorb..
One of the people who was largely responsible for helping me fund that project decided we should try to build a studio ourselves back in South Dakota.
And Depot Music was formed.
in 2003 I self-produced my second record, "Fishin'", and played a lot of the instruments myself and hired friends and aquaintances from across North and South Dakota to do instruments I couldn't or didn't want to play. That's the thing with the Dakotas, you have to cover a lot of territory to find enough REALLY SKILLED musicians to do a top-shelf project.

I stayed with Depot music until 2008. During that time I won Musician of the Year twice with the Christian Country Music Association, got to perform on the Ryman stage, appeared on GAC tv, toured the country from Cali to New York to Texas. And produced a few records for other clients in our studio.

in 2008 I decided I had to make the move to Nashville once and for all and see how it would work out. Kind of got tired of being the big fish and needed to test my mettle with the best. And that's what I'm doing. I'm not turnig the world upside down, but I'm earning a living, playing with a few swing and country bands, doing the occasional sessionn, and just finding my way. I'm about at my 2 year anniversary here now and I'm loving it tremendously.

So, there it is, as best as I can condense the major points.
Rory

Thank you Noel and Rory. this is exactly what I had hoped for. It is really exciting to read your bios and even recognize the similiarities to our own. You just made my day and it is only 10 AM. Thank you so much.
I do hope that every one of you will put up your bio here for us to reflect against and for the younger musicians to learn from and dream about. Thank you all in advance.
Bill the Bebop

Happy Birthday Rory,

I started playing Baritone Horn in elementary school. I tinkered at the piano during my junior high and High School years.
I was a singer in a rock n roll band.

I was looking for a job one day and ended up in a Piano Store when I was 21. Piano Man in Catonsville Md was a start in music retail and a start are playing piano in 1986. I have played by ear ever since. I sang in different un-know bands & played some keyboard as well.

I worked in music retail for 22 years for Jordan Kitts Music, Chuck Levins Washington Music & Guitar Center and owned a music store for 3 1/2 years.

In 1999 I was hired by the USA distributor to start demonstrating Ketron X1 products at NAMM shows and did this until 2002. I created a owners video owners manual.

For the last 7 years I have been leading (paid position) a contemporary worship service using my Ketron SD1 and a Baldwin L.

I have an Audya arriving over the next few days. I think the best of my original music is yet to come.

------------------
http://www.esnips.com/web/SongsfromDanO



[This message has been edited by DanO1 (edited 04-26-2010).]

Dan...good luck with your new Audya, I know you'll make it shine!

D.

i took weekly classical clarinet lessons from age 11 to 16, played in hs band,and doodled on our baby grand, untaught. swapped clarinet for sax, played a few jazz gigs in college then put the sax away at 21 and did no music except piano doodling, and sitting in on vocals at little Long Island cocktail bars.
At the age of 35 I rented a loft in Manhattan at 14 E23rd st. which began as just a place for amateurs and semi-pro jazzers like myself to jam, but amazingly starting in 1975 grew into Jazzmania Society, one of the major venues on the Loft Jazz scene of the 70's, and had a 10-year run. i freelanced on sax and vocals until i moved to Miami in 1993, and opened MoJazz Cafe on Miami Beach in 1993, which ran 5 years. i started using arranger kbd in 2000
and worked solo gigs, then i met my percussionist Madafo in 2003 and we've worked as duo since. If you go to my site
at http://myspace.com/momorgen and hit on the bio link, you'll see my entire history as a presenter and musician. the guys who set it up didn't lay it out well, and it's very run-on and a pain to read, but it's all there.

------------------
Miami Mo

The Story Behind Keyboard Capers


To how Keyboard Capers came about...
I would like to introduce myself and tell you how I set up a Keyboard User Group for Wiltshire, England.

As a child I took an interest in the piano that my Father used to play. And I had a Grandfather - Ivanhoe Lancelot Keeping - who could play 21 instruments. He formed a trio with Violet Carson and went on and became one of the founders of the Black and White Minstrels Show. Over the years of growing up, it was my Grandfather who taught me to play, Classical, London songs and Musicals, all by ear. Then my Mother decided that I should go to Piano lessons, where this Teacher started me on Three Blind Mice, and I gave up. As time went on I got married and had two sons, and my eldest son, I put through Piano lessons, and he went on to form a group and played two keyboards, and this group got well known in Swindon, Wiltshire, and ended up playing on the Zebrugge and Rotterdam ferries.

In 1992, I was bought my first Keyboard as an xmas present, so I decided to buy myself a book and taught myself music. I don�t think that was a good idea for me, as I seemed to have lost my ear playing now. Over the years I upgraded the Technic keyboards, and now I have the KN7000, yet though this instrument has more realistic sounds, I would go back and prefer my KN2000.

However, after upgrading on these instruments, I now have the knowledge of what they can all do.

It was the challenge for me to discover and get to the bottom of ALL the things that each of those KNs that I owned could do, because I am driven to know how everything works - the need to conquer and understand the technology.

Because these Keyboards are so expensive, they are nice to sit down and play, and I found that getting into the sequencer, composer, sound edits, etc: you can go on to make your music sound even better. This practical knowledge was invaluable for when I had the opportunity to work in a music shop. This made me realise that there must be a lot of people out there that purchase these keyboards and once they have them out of the shops, they did not seem to have the after service.

I was invited to a Venue at Newbury race course, where I was introduced to the KN6000, and while I was there I met some lovely people, and also this gentleman that was telling me that he played round his local pubs, but did not know anything about the functions of his KN5000. I invited him and his wife to my home, where I showed him some of the things that he could do, and now we spend about an hour a week on the phone, where I tell him what buttons to press.

This made me consider whether a keyboard group was needed locally, so this is where my idea of setting up a group for our area came about. I advertised through my local newspaper, on Radio, and in the Tech-Plus mag here in the UK.

At the time I thought I had a big enough house that I could accommodate these meetings. However, after receiving seven phone calls, all of whom indicated a good level of interest in meeting up with like-minded people, I had to telephone round for a Venue. I came across a Community Centre, which is not far from me, and we were offered fortnightly evenings. It took some time to settle people in, and I drew up a list of what they would like to do. I had many telephone calls after that, where more people wanted to join. We now have had in excess of 50 members over the 10 years it has been running.

We intend to expand this particular concept of Keyboard groups across the U.K. primarily for the benefit of Keyboard Owners everywhere. And we anticipate affiliating keyboard clubs to "Keyboard Capers" and provide specific benefits for them to do so. However, that is all in the future and in the meantime we hope our guidelines " 10 essential ingredients" are useful and perhaps it will give a feel for the kind of thinking that will go into the whole concept.

You see 'we don't sell people keyboards - we help each other learn to play them.'

Yours musically

Midge
(Keyboardcapers)
www.keyboardcapersclub.com

First job...an officers club in Fairbanks, Alaska, playing Les Paul tunes (age 11).

At age 15, playing behind touring bands who came through Lexington (Jerry Lee Lewis, B.J. Thomas, the McCoys, etc.). Was house band player, and the only one who could read (music and English, probably). Directed the group of partial house players and some of the road guys (as many as were sober enough not to fall off the bandstand). Played behind Little Enis and the Fabulous Tabletoppers-the house band and well-know regional act). Did Dick Clark Caravan of Stars tours in the summer. A jazz sax guy (Duke Madison)took me to NARCO, a Federal Drug Rehab center in Lexington where I had the great honor to play with the cream of the jazz community, who, sadly, were also hardline druggies...in and out of the facility several times a year.

At 16 I went to California with my family (they spent the previous three years in Turkey and I stayed by myself in Lexington).

Got a house job and met Louis Belson and "Pearlie May", who got me a part-time gig on the Steve Allen syndicated show. Met Ella, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Oscar Brown Jr, and hung out at Shelly's Man Hole and other LA spots, where I heard the greatest selection of talent from the saddest, most bitter collection of geniuses you can imagine. Sadly, I was too green behind the ears to even appreciate what I heard (Monk, Lionel Hampton, etc.) Became forever hooked on Jazz, but thankfully, never got into the drug scene, except for an occasional joint or two.

Had discovered women and whiskey and was afraid I couldn't maintain that lifestyle, so I headed back to Kentucky. Highlights include playing with Roland Kirk, Jack McDuff, a house job with Winston Walls, etc.

Made some choices. Wasn't interested in the "He Haw" concept, and turned down an audition (Really stupid idea, I thought). Also wasn't not interested in a shot at the Brenda Lee band and Exile (a "Vanilla Fudge" kind of college band that made it big in (UGH) country).

Always worked days as a college professor and corporate communications officer; usually playing 6 nights a week, too.

Still work 4-6 jobs a week, but now, with no alcohol; preferably not in bars. Have worked over 53 years or in excess of 20,000 gigs with 9 total weeks off for vacation (usually re-locating), and am not even thinking of stopping.

I've been able to keep working because I have played bass, upright, guitar, B-3, piano, arranger, tenor banjo, drums in the jazz, rock, Brazilian, big band (and yes, Mason, EVEN COUNTRY) styles. Now, I'm a "society player", concentrating on jobs for the State Government, Local Government, colleges, Jazz Arts organizations, horse farm owners and non-profits.

I think I'm the luckiest guy alive. I played mostly what I wanted to, and was able to support my family on the income. Made my choices and wouldn't have had it any other way.


Russ

Sorry, folks...did this Saturday in a hurry while packing up for the gig...double post!


R.



[This message has been edited by captain Russ (edited 04-26-2010).]

Captain Russ, that is some story and some resum�! My hat's off to you- and yes- I can well understand that you consider yourself the luckiest man alive...but there had to be a whole lot of talent and discipline and good karma involved in that too..congrats

------------------
Miami Mo

Thanks to Dan, Mo, Midge and Russ for sharing some of your history with us. It is really exciting to learn about the people we have been inter relating with all these years. I was amazed at how little we know about each other.
I hope that many more of you will share with us here in this thread and keep this thread just for Bios,
Thanks to all who have shared and those that are right now putting their bios together to post here.
Best to all,
Bebop

My story is a lot different from these, and not nearly as interesting.
I started playing trumpet in Junior High School (remember that?) because my cousin played trumpet. By my sophomore year I was first chair in the Oklahoma all-state concert band.
My mother always played piano and organ so I fooled around with those instruments growing up also.
When I got to college, I played trumpet in the ROTC band for the first two years. Since I was a basketball player I couldn't play in the University band because of time restraints. College basketball is pretty rough and I lost my front teeth. The trumpet was never the same after that.
My sophomore year, my roommate, who played guitar and sang, asked if I knew a bass guitar player. He had a dance to play for in two weeks and it paid $50. apiece.
I told him sure I could play bass. I called mom and she sent me $50. I went to the pawn shop and bought a used Silvertone bass and amp for $45. Since I knew music theory, all I had to do was figure out which strings and frets went with which notes.
To shorten things a bit, I learned enough to do the dance, paid mom back, and I was hooked forever. I played bass and a little drums with that same group for the rest of my college days. We traveled all over the state playing proms and dances.
Right before graduation, a band back home was going really well and they offered me a job, but it was to play organ. Called mom again and I went to the music store and bought a Lowrey on credit. I knew only enough to get started but picked it up pretty quickly, song by song. I could play in the keys of C, F and G. If they called a long in E, I pressed the foot level that ben the note a half step and played in F. (Primitive transposer). I also did some songs on trumpet when needed (I Feel Good, Papa Has a Brand New Bag, etc.)
For Russ, at this time, I had yet to play or really listen much, to a country song. I could read anything written for right hand because of the trumpet history and I knew how to make chords with the left. I made myself learn to play in the other keys asap.
I was making about $40. a week at the Oil and Gas Journal as a writer, and about $75 on Friday and Saturday night. However my wife at the time "made" me turn down an offer to play with Freddy Cannon.
I soon dumped the Lowrey for a B3 and leslie.
My daytime career started doing better and I soon moved to Arkansas as Advertising Manager for Murphy Oil Corp.
In my spare time I played organ for parties and dances and soon had most of the the prime society jobs in a semi-small town.
After five years there, I quit and purchased a small newspaper and later an advertising agency.
In the late seventies I sold out and decided to become a musician full-time, at least until the money ran out. By then I was working two music jobs, one solo and one with a band. We backed up just about all the name artists that came through town. It was good experience. I had a few offers to join some of them, but none of them paid what I was already making!
An agent I ran into got me a job with a year's contract in Bossier City, LA. I packed up and moved and have been here ever since.
I did own my own nightclub for about 10 years, but for the past 15 have made a fair living "just playing".
I told you it was boring.
DonM

This won't be as interesting as the rest above me.....

I started study of the accordion at age 12...
I actually excelled quickly as an accordionist...guess I had good teachers..

I really did have great teachers....
My teachers actually prepared me to also teach after my schooling..

I did not play in High School bands..
I mostly played sports and dated in High School..

After graduation (high school)..I went on to college (Villanova, Pa)..

Don I also played basketball, but still have my front teeth...

I started to play accordion in local bands..."top 40 bands"...
Now they call the tunes "standards"...

After college...I started my own Contracting business (Construction..not hits)...
and continued this as my "day" job to date..

In the mid 60's I worked for Hammond Organ,
in sales , and performed (played) at exposures..
(term used for demonstrations)..

I also did home demos to sell Hammond organs...
Talk about back breaking ..

After my stint with Hammond ..I worked for Conn Organ,
as a teacher, accordion and organ..

When Disco came about, I stopped playing gigs with the band..
actually I quit playing jobs for about 5 years.

In the Early 80's, I opened my first of several musical instrument stores..
.specializing in keyboards..

I also started to work as a duo,
with some of the prettiest girls, you ever want to see...
and they could sing..

I have enjoyed working with "girls" for the last 25 plus years..

The last 7-8 years I have worked with the popular Jersey shore band.."Just In Time"..


I only have worked with a couple folks that were more famous than I...
and of course , I helped make a few more famous too..

Thanks to Don and Fran for sharing their Bios. I have really looked forward to learning more about these two really accomplished musicians, and I was sure not disappointed
We all hope to hear from many more of you too. We all are interested in what makes you who you are. How about sharing with us. Your bio can help many of our younger people that are still laboring to find their way.
Thanks to all in advance,
Bebop Bill

Well mine is short but messed up...at the age of 5 i had to speak 4 Languages and listen to 5 different
types of Music, reason: Turkish heritage, born in Yugoslavia (Macedonia), all Albanian neighboors,
at home we spoke Turkish, in school Macedonian and Serbian and outside with friends Albanian too.
Then i also lived in Turkey, Italy, Germany and now finally in the USA since 1997 when i came here.
I lost my parrents, both in the same day in a car accident when i was only 4, i stayed with my uncles.
Same goes with the Music, we listened to all, at the time they were very different not like right now.
I started playing Kawala (Flute) when i was 5, by accident, went with my grandma to an open
Fleat Market (Bazaar) and i saw the guy selling them and i started screaming i want one, she wouldnt
get one and i became more stubborn and crying and the guy let me play with one...once i started
playing (never touched one before) i gathered crowd around, it was just plain hearing, creating tunes,
it wasnt just awfull blowing...while the crowd gathered my grandma had no choice...she bought it.
Then i got sick everybody in the house, my uncle was a drummer...then i started bugging them more,
wanted a Gaida (BagPipe) and learnt that too...finally at the age of 11-12 i started playing parties on
a Clarinet and Sax while i had a Darbuka and Accordeon as Accompainment. Till the age of 16 i was
ok and then suddenly asked the Accordeon guy to let me screw around with his Accordeon and that
was it...my life changed again, next two weeks i was trying to convince my familly to buy me accordeon
which it didnt happen...had to learn on other peoples instruments that too and later on i went straight
to synths, abandoning the Accordeons all together...that was all till 1993 somewhere when i got into
Programming, everyone was just trying to play music and i was the only one screwing around with
the machines what can they possibly do at the time...and here i am at SZ today, still doing the same.

A little of my influence: ... at the time i was strictly playing our music till like i was 15 then i suddenly
started listening to Classic Rock, Oldies and some electronic, i liked Ofra Haza at the time too...
In the begining of 90es i got heavilly in love with Jean Michel Jarre (still today) and then the Techno
era started and i got carried with it...till late 90es when i got back to Rock and older stuff.
During mid 90es i produced, programmed, worked a lot of European TECHNO/DANCE/TRANCE
music (which i still do today) and also for a lot of Ethnic bands as Greeks, Turks, Arabs, Yugos,
Bulgarians, Caucasus, Indians and few others...but while doing all this i started slowing down on
laying live and less and less time for ACTUAL MUSIC PLAYING...untill recently, i started listening
and playing some BoogeyWoogey music....
I never took a single class for music in any instrument, all self taught...finished Sound Engineering
which in my opinion has nothing to do with music itself at all.

Thanks for your time reading this.

1-I started my first band in grammar school, four flutaphones, three humazoos and me on drums and humazoo. We played at the graduation, the song was Begin the Beguine. We changed tempos from Latin the 4/4 upbeat, the flutaphones took the Latin part and the humazoos had the 4/4 upbeat part.
2-My first guitar was bought at age 15. We were three singers, one harmonica player and myself on guitar. Since I did not play that well I would turn the guitar over and use the back to play a drumbeat.
3-I was 23 when I played my first pro job. Bass, sax, drums, piano and me on guitar. There was no need to turn the guitar over any longer because I knew a lot of chords. The job was at a German Ratskeller (spelling?) As we walk out with our instruments I can still remember the manager saying, �This is the worst band I have ever heard�. Ouch!
4-In my later 20�s and early 30�s we played in restaurants and clubs. Lead singer playing bass, drums, accordion and me on guitar.
5-In my later 30�s I took the place of the lead singer and played as a trio.
6-The accordion player was then replaced with a young inexperienced organ player, he used a portable Hammond B3 organ. The sound of the band was full, on occasions we added a sax.
7-Everything went straight up from this point, more jobs, better pay and we started to earn a solid reputation.
8-Played through the catering circuit in Manhattan and long Island in New York. Played for the Mayer of New York, Terrace I the park, the World�s fair restaurant, and the Playboy Club � we were even fortunate enough to play on TV for three different occasions. (Cerebral Palsy) We were hot and playing in the best places. The best job I ever played was at a hotel in New York. I booked the job by phone. Everyone in the party we were playing for was black. I knew their love for music and I was hoping we could satisfy them. A great sax player, my young now experienced Hammond B3 organist, a wild drummer and me on lead vocal and guitar. We played � they showed their appreciation � then we played even better. Humbly I have to say we tore the place apart.
9-In 1984 I moved to Florida which 20 years behind the times. A guitar players were hired as the 6th or 7th musician. I purchased my first Yamaha keyboard, a Psr55 if I remember correctly, I was on my way to be coming a one-man-band.
10-The keyboard history goes from that first keyboard to the Kn7000 to the Tyros 3. At first I connected my guitar to the keyboard using a Midi Wire. I was able to play my guitar and have the chords triggered on the keyboard. As I improved I began to leave the guitar home. The rest is history, weddings, anniversaries, private parties and condos � ending with Nursing Homes.

Thanks for allowing me to share it brought back a lot of beautiful memories.

Thank you Bebop, John C.

Wow two more really interesting bios. Nedim and John C. Guys, I really enjoyed reading your bios. they all trigger so many things in my life that start to come back into focus. I am really enjoying reading your bios from every one of you. I am thankful to each of you for taking the time and trouble and memory searching to share with us. You are all great folks.
I am sure there will be many more of you fine people that will yet share with us. I am looking forward to reading each one.
thank you all for your dedication and commitment to making the music world a better place for everybody now and those yet to come.
Best to all,
Bebop Bill

I started playing the accordion at the age of 8. When I was 14 the studio where I took lessons paired me up with a couple of their guitar playing students to play a gig for someone that called the studio asking for a band. That was the start of what evolved into a 4 piece group. One played guitar and sang, one played bass and we added a drummer. We played weddings, proms, anniversaries, bowling banquets, lounges, etc. almost anything you could imagine. We took second place on the Morris B Sachs Amateur Hour. That was the 50�s version of American Idol which played out in black and white on TV in Chicago. The guitar vocalist and myself even hooked up for a period of time with a couple of country boys and played at a road house bar for several months on the weekends. This experience forced me to develop some improvisational skills because these two country guys would sing a chorus or two and then turn to me and say �take it Gene� and I�d have to run with it. We had fun for a while but these guys were married and in their thirties and Ed and I were in our teens. They liked to flirt with other women and usually got in trouble with their wives. The bar actually began to stock milk for Ed and myself. However, after witnessing a couple of bar brawls, we decided to quit that gig and focus on more normal gigs. Over the years Ed sang and played guitar, I played Cordovox and we used a bass player and a drummer. The rhythm section would change from time to time. They seemed to be less stable, especially the drummers. After synthesizers came out, I bought a Yamaha DX7. For a while I took both the Cordovox and the DX7 on the jobs but soon the group told me I could leave the Cordovox home. I added a Roland D50 and that worked well with the DX7. More recently, it got a lot harder to get 4 piece gigs so Ed and I began using a Roland rhythm machine and became a 2 piece group. People liked it. Then, a few years ago, while on a cruise with my wife I heard one of the entertainers playing a Solton X1. I talked with him on his break and investigated further when we got home and learned that the Ketron SD1 would be coming out soon. I waited until it was out about 10 months and bought one. It�s been terrific and people seem to like it a lot. I�m looking to purchase an Audya probably within a year. Ed and I are now in our 60th year of gigging together and have each raised our families and made many friends in the business. We have a bit of a following and have played several generations of weddings and anniversaries for various families. Along the way, I�ve been involved in the music ministry at my church. We were always just weekend warriors with the music. We both had full time jobs to support our families. (I had six children) The music was a great supplement to our incomes and a great release from the normal tensions of the week. Ed and I will probably continue to gig together as long as the Lord allows.

Gene

thanks to Gene for sharing your bio with us. I see that many people started out playing an accordion or also played one. It seems to be a common denominator like arranger keyboards are now.
I wonder when Nigel or DP and some more of you well known synthzone musicians will share your bio with us. c'mon guys we are waiting for you.
thanks to all,
Bebop

Started performing when I was in Junior High School in choirs and musicals. Joined my first rock band when I was in high school...the first gig was a dance marathon playing the guitar players electric piano.

Concentrated mainly on choir and musical productions through graduation (78) and then attended a local Community College in Pittsburgh majoring in performing arts. Focused on music and acting, continuing to perform in musicals and play in the jazz band along with my music and acting courses. After graduation in 1980, I joined a popular Pittsburgh based dance band called "The Core." Traveled on the road with them for a few years as kb player and co-vocalist. We played the College circuit through PA, OH, IN, MI, etc and had a lot of fun.

Returned to College in 82 pursuing my Business Admin. degree while playing bass in a rock trio and playing clubs at night while in school. I also did part time jingle work for an advertising agency during these years as well. Interned and worked at KDKA radio-Pittsburgh as well during this period.

After graduation in 85, I was hired into management by General Mills and spent the next ten years working in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Left GM after 10 years and started to build up my music business by starting the NH thing. Along the way I also formed my own quartet, which works a few times a month.

Fast forward to the present. I've performed well over six thousand gigs and entertained close to half a million people in the last 15 years. I adore what I do and who I do it for and hope to continue for many years.

------------------
Bill in Dayton

[This message has been edited by Bill in Dayton (edited 05-01-2010).]

Hi Folks � I have immensely enjoyed reading about so many of the talented musicians on this forum. It�s very interesting to see how we all ended up on SZ� I�ll try not to bore you too much, but here�s Saxxman�s life story.�

My Dad was an old �nickelodeon� piano player, an absolute monster. He could play anything without the music and he had a great stride style of playing. Dad had been classically trained and he and my mom and aunt even had a show on the local radio station (playing piano, steel guitar, ukulele and singing). About the time I was eight, my cousin was taking piano lessons from a nice lady and since my Dad worked at night my parents sent me to my cousin�s piano teacher (got a free ride courtesy of my uncle each week). That worked for a year �til my uncle passed away and then my piano lessons ended. By then I was in the 5th grade and when the band teachers came to our school I wanted the drums but my Mom said �get a sax�. So I played a year on sax. It was a natural fit for me and I was able after a year to play w/my Dad � quite a novelty for the relatives. In the 6th grade, the county wouldn�t loan me the sax for another year so my music classes ended. During the next two years, I discovered my Dad�s accordion and fell in love with it. I played it every day all summer long for a couple summers. I picked a sax up again in eighth grade when the band leader was trying to build up the band and he put me in the junior band. So I played through high school and was lucky enough in my senior year to hook up w/a pianist and a drummer and we started �The Three Aces� (our phrase was �Call Us for a Full House�)..haha. We played the American Legions and Elks clubs for three years ($35 a night). I should point out that throughout my childhood and teen years, my Dad worked 3-11 at the local Celanese textiles plant. He would come home every night at 11:30 and start playing the old upright piano, which was directly adjacent to the wall where my bed was. So I was treated to �standards lessons� several hours a night. Due to hearing my Dad�s playing into the very early AM hours night after night, I learned the melodies to just about any song you can imagine�. You name it� from �Tammy� to �Winchester Cathedral�. I entered college as a physics major and took sax lessons from the music faculty and concert, marching, and jazz band as electives. Since I commuted to school and the music classes were my best shot at getting a few �A�s�, I spent most of my idle time practicing in the music department (bathrooms and practice rooms)�.turned out I must have been practicing a lot more than the music majors. When I took my jury, the faculty asked me why I wasn�t a music major and I said �I never really thought about it��so they convinced me that music was much better than physics (it was certainly more fun!).

I earned a music education degree and taught 6 months (finished the year for someone who was very sick). Decided I liked playing much more so I enlisted in the Air Force as a musician. What a gig! All I did was perform with 40 other folks (most of) who loved music as much as I did. For five years, I probably wore out 100 pairs of blue jeans riding all over the countryside in our plush Greyhound bus and playing �Hearts� and �Spades�. Did that for 5 years until I had a falling out with my band director over me wanting to arrange �A Child is Born� for our Xmas concert. He initially said �no� til he heard the chart and then changed his mind. But in the meantime I had visited the computer programming school on base and took a battery of tests. Next thing I knew we played �Child is Born� but I was pulled kicking and screaming from the band. So that started me down the path to spend the rest of my life as a computer geek. I lucked into a commission in 1979. I�ve worked as a programmer, analyst, requirements manager, staff officer, and tester of automated systems since 1977. But the computer interest was what got me so entwined into the technologies we all enjoy on SZ. I got into PG Music�s Band-In-A-Box early on (early 80�s with my Apple II) and have stayed with it as the capabilities have grown. I�ve also done my part to keep the music keyboard business alive. Since the 80�s I�ve owned a Fender Rhodes (suitcase), Wurlitzer portable, Korg EPS string keyboard, several Korg synths, and two Roland U-20�s. Got my first arranger over 10 years ago (PSR-1000) and have loved them ever since.

While doing the computer thing with the Air Force I got lucky enough to work in a recording studio in Oklahoma City (performed on several gospel and country albums) and in Germany I met up with some American jazzers and we formed a trio which became popular in several of the local communities. Since retiring from the Air Force, I have been working as a computer systems test engineer and playing my sax and keyboard on the side. My networking is finally starting to pay dividends and I am getting a fair amount of work although it still has to be balanced w/my day job.

It�s been a great ride and I have loved it. On a sad but current note, the Horizon oil spill (I fear) will be a huge tragedy across the southeast and we are counting the days until the slick ends up soiling the most pristine, sugar white beaches I have ever seen. If that happens, I will likely get a host of cancellations for beach weddings that I have booked through October. I may end up with a couple years of �serious practice time� while we hope for the beaches to recover.

Thanks Bebop and those of you who have added your stories�it�s great to read about SZ members and to spend time with something other than �today�s reality news�.

Best wishes to all for a prosperous and highly musical summer 2010!

Randy

Thanks to Bill and Randy for sharing their bios. These are really great to read, study, and learn from. I am thankful to everyone of you that have posted your bios here. I am sure many of our zoners are also. I would still hpe that many more of you would yet post your bios here to share with us all.
You weekend gigs are over now, it is Monday so start scratching your memory and type us up a bio and thank you for your time and efforts,
Best to all, Bebop Bill

c'mon people. Who will be next? we are waiting?
there are many, many of you that have not been heard from yet. why is that? C'mon lets get on it.
thanks
bebop and everybody else waiting on you

I quite agree Bill ! it seems that after 2 weeks we have have stopped at only 13 members who actually have a long term mucial background which I find incredible...we must be the elite 13 !..

Was a great idea to bring this about and learn a bit of the background from the people behind the writing, it pulled up a few surprises but odd that some people are reluctant to divulge their musical heritage...perhaps this will prompt a few more additions..

Noel

Yes Noel, I am totally surprised too. I wonder why our pro's are hiding from this thread?
what's that old expression, uh? Oh yeah, All show and no go!!
Well all I can say is that a lot of people have just lost credibility with me, and maybe with a lot of other forum members. So be it.
Screw it. I am done with this thread.
happy Daze to all,and thanks to the Elite 13 who are really obviously Pros
Bebop
OK< I guess it is not yet over as some more people are posting bios now. I just thought 2 weeks was a long time with no more bios.
At my age you just can't be waiting forever
thanks all
Bebop

[This message has been edited by BEBOP (edited 05-10-2010).]

Bebop, I think that's a little unfair. May I respectfully submit that it's up to the individual to determine what and how much of his personal history he is willing to share with a group of strangers. I'm not sure that a person should lose all their credibility because they don't choose to share on the level that you want them to. I found the bio's that were submitted, interesting, but I don't think we need to shame or express disgust at those who choose not to. JMO.

chas

With what I consider some terrific backgrounds and great stories here I've been reluctant to post. My story doesn't hold a candle to the great talent here who have told their stories. Mine is more of the approach it's never too late to do or try anything in life.

I started taking piano lessons at age 11 for a couple of years. I never excelled at it and had to be pushed to practice. I had this habit of telling my folks I practiced when I didn't, it was easy to fool them, I'd just move the books around the piano to look like I had been practicing. That didn't last long since when the teacher came to the house every week he could easily tell I hadn't touched the piano, every week there was a ruckus when the teacher showed up. I quit at age 14. Somewhere around 17 years of age I loved what I heard people like Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman doing, so I got a bit serious about learning piano. I wanted to play like Emerson or Wakeman. I stayed home and practiced most weekend days when my friends were at the beach or skiing during the winter. I also went to work at the local Steinway and Hammond Organ dealer got my hands on some very nice instruments I would have never been able to play otherwise. I did make a lot of progress in 4 years, but I got caught up in life and took the wrong path and for the next 15 plus years took a path that nearly cost me my life. There were a number of factors that set me straight and at 32 I put my life back together. I re-entered sales this time around working for a national company and had a succesful career that put some nice things in my life, Hammond B3, a Samick 6 foot grand piano, plus a string of other instruments. Once I purchased the Samick grand I started playing/practicing again. Fast forward to 2002 when I purchased a Clavinova CVP107 and discovered how much music that an arranger could make. I started recording CDs and handed them out to friends, a number of people asked why aren't you out playing every weekend? Because I have a day job. (but I'd think to myself well I can't play like the pros so I'll just play for my own enjoyment.) One day about 4 years ago a friend who's a pro musician and a booking agent needed someone to play piano solo ala wallpaper music at a Christmas cocktail hour. I took the gig and enjoyed it. So my first paid gig in public was at 55 years old. Shortly after I found SZ and have been visiting trying to learn all I can from those who have done this for many years. I have taken many of the suggestions and put them to use, except maybe for someone who suggested that I play gigs for no fee. NOT going to happen my time is more valuable and I'm not that needy to have to play for the bubble. I know I won't be able to quit my day job until I'm ready for retirement from the 9 to 5 routine, but I'm having some fun playing 2 or 3 gigs per month, more around certain seasons of the year. I'm having fun and it proves it's really never too late to try something even though the chances are I'll never be in the same musical class that many of you who visit here are.



[This message has been edited by Stephenm52 (edited 05-07-2010).]

good bio rory and all of you. enjoyed the im little but im loud .a jimmy dickens song.its late tonight. so I will later post my bio. its not exciting as some of you. but I have 59 years behind me. maybe some of it would be of interest to you all. look for me in the next day or so....Joe Lee

Yep, totally agree. And it puts off those who may have been thinking they would post something...

Wow, what a negative attitude from Bebop. Taking his bat and ball and running off home.

Oh well...Saved me some time

Dennis

Hmmmmm ......

Wonder why this reminds me of past times at another part of the SZ forum?

Hmmmmm .....

Cheers
GJ

Can't remember a time when music didn't obsess me...

My first lucid memories are being allowed as a young three year old to operate my grandparents' 78 after I showed them I wouldn't ruin the records or the needle! Old English bigband records, some Ellington, Basie, Paul Whiteman, things like that. Strangely, I come from a family of almost non-existent musical talent, apparently I had a great-great aunt that was a concert pianist, but the rest... nada!

My family had a record player, and upon reflection, a nice enough modest collection of records, but I just don't ever remember them playing them much. It was always me who fired up the LP's. My mother was into Sinatra, my Dad light classical, or easy listening, but my favorite set of records was one of those Ella Fitzgerald singing the Rogers and Hart collections. Nelson Riddle at his finest...

I pleaded and begged my parents for piano lessons from about six, but it wasn't until I was about eleven before I got my wish. One year of strict (and I do mean strict!) classical made me convinced that wasn't what I wanted to do! Then a move to a mobile home for a few months while a new home was being built, no room for a piano, so I got an nice little 48 bass accordion fro Christmas. What an eye opener! All of a sudden, the circle of fifths made SENSE! The relational aspect of chord changes made sense! I started playing by ear, and the chord changes seemed logical. I was soon doing garden parties, sing-alongs, Morris dancing, ceilidhs and folk music and anything I could do (at twelve!).

Then we moved into the new house, got a nice baby grand, and it was time to get a teacher. After my year at the hands of the martinet, I knew I wanted something different, so I talked my parents into lessons from a local cocktail pianist who also had decent classical chops. Best move I EVER made! Comping, reading fake charts, playing by ear, all those things classical pianists have no idea about... this guy taught me it all, and my ear grew by leaps and bounds...

Then at fourteen, something new. I wanted to play a horn (English brass bands are a way of life over there), started on trumpet/cornet, then moved to baritone euphonium after a couple of months, got decent (played in the County Band and with the National Youth Band a few times) and stayed therer a cople of years. Then, I decided to get serious about the horn, and was advised that basically, not a lot of pro euphonium players , and perhaps trombone was a good move. So I moved to that, and started to get REALLY good (played principal t'bone at county, national brass band and local orchestra level) so, to my parents' dismay, decided to pursue it as a career instead of medicine or the law! Yeah, I never said I made GOOD choices!

Went to Music College and got a Bachelors in performance trombone, with a minor in piano, but all strictly classical. England really only had one jazz program back then, most were strictly classical, But, in the end, I feel that was the best thing, as I have met FAR too many jazz college graduates that are absolutely MISERABLE unless they are blowing bebop (not you, Bebop! ) and can't stand regular pop and rock... At least college gave me the technique to play what I wanted, without shoving one form of music down my throat!

Anyway, out of college, looking for work. Like they say, not many trombonists with a beeper! Wanted to go into keyboards but broke, so I got a bass and pl;ayed bass for a year to make enough for my first organ. Played around the Clacton, Frinton, Ipswich area (East coast holiday area in England), and finally had enough to buy my first Hammond. Thenb started playing organ in rock and jazz bands. Did a few stints doing the Butlins type things... great fun! Played Deep Purple and Zeppelin, Faces and rock things like that at night, but did all the cabaret backing gigs too, so a wide range of music to cover. Loads of fun.

After that, moved on to the Mecca circuit, played Sheffield, Northampton, Coventry and finally a decent stint in Nottingham in a ten piece. Three or four nights playing top forty (and in England, top forty was anything from the Sex Pistols to Dolly Parton!) and one night doing all ballroom standards. Nice big rig by then... Hammond, Farfisa, Rhodes, Yamaha electric, Oddesey, Crumar Orchestrator, and a CS60 polysynth. Makes my 45 lbs. G70 look like an S910!

After that, a stint for Cunard playing the Carribean, more top forty and ballroom dancing, another ten piece, and there I was 'discovered' by some New York types. After my contract was over, was invited to go up there and get into the recording scene. Like they say, if you can make it there...

Got into doing some session work, and also worked with a pretty busy arranger, and made aliving either on sessions or I would also copy parts for his arrangements. String charts, horn charts, very occasionally orchestra. Back then, no computers. All session charts were written by hand, in ink That was a great apprenticeship for learning how to arrange. Then, through him, I got into Musical Directing, funk bands, mostly. I was having a lot of fun, but basically treading water economically. But I got to play with quite a few of my heroes, doing sessions on commercials, industrials and the odd album.

But I'm a farm boy at heart, grew up the countryside of Northamptonshire on a small farm, and never REALLY was comfortable in the Big Apple. Used to live on 52nd St. (funny for a Billy Joel fan!) and round the corner from the Brill Building, etc., but knew it was time to get out of the city and go see America, so I got in with a road band and toured a bit. After a year or so, ended up playing down in the Panhandle of Florida back when this was Spring Break Heaven! More pretty girls and great bands than you could shake a stick at, and a nice local community of players that didn't have the big city hustle and backstabbing habits I had seen so much up North...

So I settled down. Did a stint in Mobile and met my wife there, moved back to Ft Walton. Went to Memphis after Hurricane Opal wiped up out. Came back. Went to New Orleans, did about a year on Bourbon Street with a ten piece, loads of fun, but the big city thing again... moved back to Destin. My wife passed away in 2001, and that was no picnic, but music keeps me going...

So here I still am... I play as much as possible. Do quite a bit of local and national session work through a studio that opened here a few years ago, have my own production studio at home, and also do a fair bit of local mastering work and pre-production work. But my love is still playing live. Got to admit, the vast majority of my work doesn't usually involve machines, although for the last seven years or so (up until early 2009) I was doing a reasonable percentage of it as a duo, and used the arranger quite a lot. Last couple of years has been a lot more live band, and I have to admit, it's a LOT more rewarding, musically. I always prefer a musical conversation with a human being rather than a machine!

So, here we are up to date... still playing, still recording, still obsessed by music. Some things never change!

Great Bios Stephen and Diki. I really enjoyed reading your bios as I know many other zone members will too.
Diki you really have gone full circle around the horn so to speak. I was especially interested in what you would write to share with us.
NEXT_____________????????
Bebop

We are still missing Donny DNJ! Why is that??
Bebop


[This message has been edited by BEBOP (edited 05-12-2010).]

Who?...

I�m really not a big fan of detailed info on the Internet but I�ll try to keep this vague as possible just so no one can say I didn�t post anything.
Born in Coney Island New York 1952 into an Italian immigrant family my father who played Trumpet in the Italian Navy in the 1930�s & thru WWII, a prisoner of war by the Germans twice and escaped then made his way to Brooklyn where he met my mother. His musical knowledge was the start of my musical career of which at age 7 he thought it was time for me to play an instrument of the Piano or Accordion�.I chose the Accordion to make him happy and play all the great old Italian songs like , Malafemina, Santa Lucia, Lady Of Spain, Granada, o Solo Mio etc..so I started to take lessons at the conservatory of music locally for $12.00 per month once a week. Every night after dinner my dad would sit with me for a half hour practicing scales, songs, theory etc, etc.. I got yelled at, punished, and all due to my stubbornness to learn versus going out and play with my friends. But I persevered and started to like it and get very good at it�.at 10 years old I played my Accordion at a backyard family party and someone asked me to play Malafemina, which I did & when I was done he handed me $10.00..WOW!! I thought to myself ten bucks just to play a song I do all the time?..�hey this music stuff could be a good thing�! In the years to follow what I learned playing the Accordion would be the foundation for my love of music and making people happy doing so.
At 12 years old I saw the Beatles perform for the first time on the Ed Sullivan show I sat with my dad so excited & this made me think of trying other instruments, so I bought an old set of drums and self taught myself to be a Rock & Roll drummer, followed by bass guitar, I bought a Hofner in New York City like Paul McCartney�s, and a six string electric also a Rickenbacker�now I had the fever. But my love for keys was my foundation so I bought my first Hammond M100, followed by a B3, and so many others like a Vox Continental, Farfisa Compact Duo, Juno, Crumar, Rhodes, & more.

In my school days I made sure I was in the Band & Orchestra and took Music as a major throughout my time in school, I learned to play Alto Saxophone, Tympani & Percussion instruments, and performed in the All city Big Bands, even doing a concert with them in Carnegie Hall too, many recitals, and Music for Stage plays too.

I played and filled in for many local wedding bands when I was 16 and formed my own wedding band at age 17 taking all the knowledge I learned from the old timers I performed with and made good use out of it, learning the business from the real pros, and paying my dues year after year�.After a stint in the US ARMY 1969 when I returned I also formed a few rock/pop bands and played Keyboards in clubs all over the NYC tri state area. I also performed in shows for the big New York AM Radio stations like WMCA Good Guys, WABC who sponsored many of our shows all over with top bands of the time period. Many of the Vocal Doo Wop groups like the Mystics � #1 song Hushabye� 1959, Drifters, Johnny Maestro, Passions,Motown's Marveletts, and so many other groups that didn�t have a band to back them up so I was offered to be the musical director for many of the big oldie shows to back them up with my group.
I even also did a 6 month stint Sponsored by WCBS FM Radio & Holland America Cruise Lines performing Rock & Roll Doo Wop cruise shows all over the world. After my ex wife passed away which was very sad at a young age,I persevered and while on tour in NYC gigging in a Greenwich Village night club show I met my wife now of 27 years & has been my trusted loving partner and manager to this day.

When Arranger KBs came on the market and 1970's Disco Fever was upon us & Dj�s started to undercut the Bands, I needed to figure a way to keep working to amke a living so the early Arranger KB gave me an idea to do it all myself. Being also a singer I had all the tools to create a solo act that would keep me working and most of all SOUND LIKE MY BIG BAND�.in the coming years work for the band dwindled down but my Solo career skyrocketed. As technology increased so did my solo act until present where I still Sing & create that Big Band sound and make people dance every night in many ways musically & put smiles on their faces. I also opened two weekly Social Ballroom dance clubs which are very successful & fill a void out there for dancers. I couldn�t think of anything else I would want to do in my life. I was blessed with music & health, family & friends & I'm very grateful for that. There's much more to tell but for now I hope you enjoyed the read.

Thanks

BTW...Now if anyone sees my father whos almiost 90 yrs old tell him the lessons didn�t go to waste!



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 05-13-2010).]

I'm really going to post. I'm just making sure you all don't fall asleep.

Joe

Hi folks. I did not know if I could contribute to this thread as it seemed like this thread was for long time professional musicians and when I started reading everyone's bios that just kind of emphasised the point. But I will contribute as a long time frustrated musician!

I was brought up and still am in the church. I used to sing with my family (5 sisters and 1 brother) all over the UK.

My eldest sister became a naval Nurse at 18 and went off to sea. When she got back she brought a guitar with her. I fell in love with creating music from there and the first instrument I took up was the guitar. I also played the flute for about 4 years but the guitar was my main instrument. As I got better I began to write songs from the age of about 12 and performed original material at church and conferences. But I never enjoyed performing, I loved to write and arrange but I am not a natural extrovert. The guitar was great but it was limiting in that it could not create the sound I heard in my head when I composed. . Unfortunately I also had a love of basketball that became my obsession and I played in the Birmingham Bullets junior team (under 17 squad) and in the UK's west midlands and national league. I was a good academic too and so had to make some hard choices about which direction to take my career. I was a talented hungry basketball player but the game wasn't sufficiently mature in the UK in terms of its professional status to make a living playing hoops. And my parents would never have let me give up a university place to pursue my musical ambitions so I ended up a regular person making a living in the day time and following my musical passion in the spare time that I had. Which wasn��t much as I till played basketball on a semi pro basis.

Anyway, whizzing forward , I blew out both knees playing basketball (who doesn��t ha ha ) I got married to my child hood sweetheart at 24, started a business providing financial consultancy and coaching, had a gorgeous daughter at 30 and unfortunately got divorced at 32, sold my business. I became the Chairman of a charity for separated/divorced parents http://www.sharedparenting.org.uk/ which involves assisting warring families to mediate and where necessary prepare court papers draft statements and attend court which I still run and work in the evenings. For my day job, I investigate complaints made against solicitors. Both roles keep me extremely busy!

I started playing keyboard again when I divorced and rediscovered my love for music!! At 35 I decided to take my music more seriously and started having jazz piano lessons with an old client. Never had any lessons before and could not sight read. 2 years later I passed my Jazz grade 5 music exams! I am 41 now and have been the children's choir keyboard player at my church for the last 4 years. The choir has over 40 young uns including my daughter and all my nieces and nephews. I have to tell you God is really good and the kids are doing really well. The church has membership of over 500 and I keep myself busy musically with other projects.

Music is my passion and I live with the deep regret that I did not follow my calling all those years ago when I first fell in love with music. Diki is right, that the love of music is a calling as many of you can and have testified. You are truly blessed to do this and get paid!!

Still, I am progressing as a musician and working with other like minded people and loving the time I have with the incredible PA1X.

Thanks for reading. I know that there are lots of frustrated musicians like me who turned left in their life when they should have turned right :-)


[This message has been edited by Spalding 4 (edited 05-13-2010).]

My bio is extremely diverse, I've done things many folks only dream of doing, and music has been with me since age 5 when my father brought an old, out of tune, upright piano home. Like any 5-year-old, I was curious and had to plink on the keys. I heard Tennessee Waltz on the radio one day, sat down at the piano and played the song. The next day my mother sent me to a neighbor's home for piano lessons. After six months the teacher told my mother to save her money--the boy will be a piano player because he cannot comprehend the musical notation.

I plinked on that old piano until age 12 when I picked up a guitar. For me, the guitar was a natural and I learned to play several songs the first week. Country music is easy when you only have to learn three or four chords and be able to sing.

My first paying job was at age 17. I was a skinny kid (145 pounds) and in the employ of Uncle Sam's Navy. There were four of us in a rock band, three guitars and drums. We played throughout the Mediterranean area, mainly for free booze, and of course the ladies. Four years later reality struck. I was out of the Navy and had to find a real job.

I went to work for NASA as a sub contractor for a field engineering firm located in the Baltimore area. After four years of sailing around the world, two days after going to work they put me on a plane and sent my skinny butt to set up radar and satellite communication systems throughout the world. The job didn't last long, but I sure got to see and do some neat things while I was there. Russia sent up Sputnik and the U.S. sent up Mercury--the race was on.

When I got back to the states music was still not in the picture--at least not for a full time living. I had a few jobs playing guitar and singing country music in bars on weekends. The pay was lousy, you had to put up with drunks and dense cigarette smoke, but I enjoyed every minute.

Then it happened--I met my wife of nearly a half-century. The first four years were spend moving around the country while I worked for the aerospace industry. We were both tired of moving to a new location every few months. When I had an opportunity to switch fields I jumped at the chance.

The next 15 years were spend working in cardio-pulmonary medicine, a job that often entailed long hours in the operating room, very little sleep and no family life at all. I still picked guitar in the bars once in a while, but one a month was about all the time I had to spare. I finally burned out, was down to 130 pounds and looked like death warmed over. One day I walked into the hospital at 6 a.m., my usual time, and discovered the 5-year-old we performed surgery on the day before had passed away during the night. That was the end of my medical career. I said goodbye to my boss, walked out the door and never looked back.

Lots of other neat jobs during the ensuing year, and when the first arranger keyboard came to the local music store I bought it. I was blown away by the 15 styles and 10 instruments. Within a few weeks I figured out the operating system, contacted some other friends who I jammed with once and a while and formed a 5-piece country band. We played a lot, had a ball, never made enough money to make expenses and we all had day jobs.

I wanted to play more and work less, but at the time I was self-employed, owned a fishing tackle store and had two young children. The economy went to Hell, the store went out of business and I became a full-time outdoor writer. I was one of the few that actually made a good living writing about their favorite pastime--fishing, boating and other outdoor activities. This also gave me more time for music.

Like most folks, I've had some jobs that didn't last very long, but I was never fired from a job. I worked for the Maryland State Police, a major sound and communications company, owned a gas station and taught cardio-pulmonary technology in a community college.

Fast forward a couple decades or so, I'm still playing keyboards and singing, writing less, and still enjoying everything I do. I'll be 70 this Fall, the kids are grown and married, I'm a grandpop, and as stated on another thread, I have the greatest job in the world--I'm an OMB entertainer.

I'm going sailing--it's a nice day to be on Chesapeake Bay.

Gary

I started playing piano aged 8 years old and then because I was growing up in the 60s taught myself to play guitar. I played in a number of rock cover bands starting at age 14. I played for a number of years with a very talented singer songwriter called "Guy McDonough" and arranged and played his songs that later became big hits for a band called Australian Crawl http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nap-gw171dw

After my buddy Guy died in 1984 I helped his brother record some post humous tracks for an EMI album. One song I helped complete had the assistance of Colin Haye from "Men At Work" who sang harmony plus the first verse that we were missing. That Men At Work vocal sound is very easy to pick Too Many People

After that I went through my punk/New Wave period playing 7+ gigs a week with a band called "The Name" opening for acts like INXS and The Divinyls http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum35/HTML/001385.html

After 3 years of playing 7 days a week I became burned out and moved on with my career in video games that relocated me to Los Angeles. Although I didn't play live for a while I did do some recording with a close friend Chris Wood who played guitar Cantus Firmus.mp3

After having a break from playing live for over 10 years I returned to playing again with a local classic rock cover band around Los Angeles and Ventura Counties ( http://www.redrhythm.com ) and still play with them 10 years later. Occasionally we play Las Vegas for corporate gigs there ( MGM Grand, Paris, The Bellagio and Caesar's Palace ).

Oh yeah did I mention that in the mid 90s I started a website for electronic keyboards called http://synthzone.com ... maybe you have come across it at sometime.



[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 05-13-2010).]

Sorry, never heard of it. Probably didn't last long, uh?

Taike

------------------
Bo pen nyang.

And in the beginning there was an old 'joanna' in the house. Well, not just any old 'joanna', it was a well maintained and tuned John Brinsmead upright.

My aunt was a soprano in the chorus at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and, although she wasn't a pianist, she used the piano for voice scales, etc. At the time she was selected to sing the part of Annina, Violetta's maid in the ROH's production of La Traviata, with Violetta being sung by Maria Callas.

My dad had been a first tenor with the London Welsh Male Voice Choir, and a cousin had been principal organist at Handsworth Cathedral, Birmingham. So it's fair to say there was music in the blood.

That's the background.

Where I fit into all of this was when at about the age of seven I came home from school one day and, for whatever reason, still unknown to me to this day, I sat down at the piano and played the two hymns that we had sung in that morning's school assembly. Not just single-finger, but full two-handed playing. Right out of the blue. You're right, I don't understand that either. But there it was.

The odd thing is, it didn't surprise me. It surprised my mother, though. At that moment she was out in the back garden hanging out some washing, and our neighbour asked her who was playing the piano. To which she replied, "I don't know." She said she went into a moment of panic thinking that maybe someone of a musical bent had broken into the house, only to find her young son sat at the keyboard.

"Was that YOU playing?" she asked. "Well, yes," I answered, as though it was perfectly normal and no big deal for a seven-year-old. I guess the normal parental response kicked in and it was suggested that I should get into piano lessons asap. Thankfully, I was never pushed into it, I think that might have stunted my enthusiasm.

So time went by and I was getting some simple pop tunes under my belt, Answer Me, Softly Softly and the like. Then, in 1956, turning 13, the world changed. I heard a Fats Domino record. Becoming a teenager at the precise time rock'n'roll was born (in the UK anyway) was an alignment of the planets for me.

At the time, I belonged to a Youth Club and as a fundraiser was being held to raise money to build a swimming pool for my school, it was suggested that the club form a 'skiffle group' to take part in a skiffle competition, and if there was anyone who could play an instrument would they come forward and participate. So I stepped up and was conscripted as the tea-chest bass player (sorry, no piano available). So, three kids with guitars, one of whom was Ken Hensley, later of Uriah Heep fame, and we ventured out and promptly finished last in the competition. Harry Webb's (who later changed his name to Cliff Richard) group won.

Undaunted, we carried on and through all the usual personnel changes, it got to 1965. The music had changed, we were a bit older and better - not necessarily any wiser, and by this time we were offered small part in, and to do the title music for a movie, "Be My Guest" (no Fats Domino connection on this one). Appearing in the film as an actor, shortly before his music career took off, was Stephen (Steve) Marriott. In the make-up room he asked if I'd like to join a group he was thinking of putting together. "Nah," says I, "I think we're going to do okay as we are." Famous last words. So that's how I missed out on being with the Small Faces. Anyway our record was in heavy rotation on radio, seven plays a day, so it was all good.

At about the same time, we received a demo of a song recorded in someone's front room with just a piano and an acoustic guitar. We liked it and worked on an arrangement to give it some punch that we felt it needed. Handing this to our A&R man at CBS he said we should record it just as it was. So a date was set and we went into the studio in London to put it down. As it happened, some head honcho from CBS New York was in town that day and he came along for the session.

Now, the studio was located above a shoe shop and complaints were made from below that the bass drum was 'thudding' through their ceiling and could we turn it down. So Mr. Big Shot, who didn't know his arse from his elbow, went off to our A&R guy, who had a short fuse himself, about it. It was explained to the suit that a bass drum was an acoustic instrument with no volume control per se, so turning it down was not an option. Anyway, due to the ensuing row between the two of them, our guy was fired on the spot, and our practically finished single was, let's say, shelved.

Barely two weeks later, some Spanish outfit called Los Bravos had Black Is Black (with our arrangement thanks very much) released and it shot up the charts to become the number three record in Europe that year. Another boat missed.

So 1965 came and went. On to 1970. Some different people in the band and we were now touring the UK and Europe heavily. Getting loads of live radio, 36 weeks out of 52 in '70/'71, on BBC Radio One. We had two more singles released at this time, one on Decca, and one on Philips. Both received very favourable reviews from the BBC's Anne Nightingale who did a review show once a week, but couldn't get the airplay because we were doing so many live spots. Murphy's Law and all that.

Three pretty heady years went by and I joined another touring band, all over Europe again. That was followed by almost ten years of playing in a trio, probably the most stable and subsequently enjoyable period.

Then, in 1980, family commitments took over and I left the scene entirely for almost twenty years.

By now, of course, arrangers had come into the picture and I bought a Roland E38. I credit that little keyboard with rekindling the old flame. My wife, who had been our lead singer in the 1968-70 period, and I just sort of naturally slipped into our comfortable old music niche and, via other arrangers to the present Korg Pa1XPRO, we are working as a duo again. Is there any other way?

If you're still reading this, first of all, thanks, and secondly I hope that all you younger guys find some inspiration out of it. It's a great game to be in. If I had it to do all over again, YOU BETCHA!!

Wow, these are awesome reading bios guys. Thanks a ton for sharing your lives with us. I am super pleased that so many of you are willing to open your play book and let us look inside. it is truly wonderful and I am sure I can speak for everyone that has read the bios to date.
A big thank you to Dony, Spalding 4, Gary, Nigel and 124 for your bios. I am sorry I don't know the real names of Spalding 4 and 124 but I do know a lot more about them now then I ever did before.I feel like I can identify with them and every other person that has posted a bio here. I think we each have a part of our bio that is identical with anyone elses. There is a common thread here that we can all recognize.
Thanks especially to Nigel for taking the time on his birthday to share with us who he is. He is really one of the gang and for those that have never heard him play that guitar, I hope that some day you will get that opportunity. he plays a fine arranger keyboard too, and that suprised me.
OK people we have room here for the next bios so get your computer working and lay it on us.
thanks to all that have posted their bio and also to those that are going to.
Hey Joe, we are waiting buddy
Bebop
PS: Nigel, thanks for sharing your music with us also. it is really an interesting progression you have made through your career. We especially thank you for the SYNTHZONE
Bb

[This message has been edited by BEBOP (edited 05-15-2010).]

YUP, we are sitting here patiently waiting for your bio.
Yes, I mean you, that are reading this right now and have nothing better to do on a casual Sunday afternoon,
c'mon splas a few words on us. I'm sure if you can remember the music you play you can remember a little of your musical history that will prolly just fascinate the rest of us.
We are waiting and thank you for responding.
Bill

I enjoyed music as my main thing from a kid on. My dad had a very good and popular dance band. I saw them perform for a dance when I was 6 years old and I was hooked. My dad who was an excellent drummer, bought me a toy drum set about the time I was in kindergarten. He showed me all the drum beats and I sat in with his band when I was in about 5th grade.

Took piano lessons from a nun in 3rd and 4th grade. That's about all I could take of her as she was quite strict and I wasn't having fun.

Started playing cornet in 5th grade. Started my first dixieland band in 7th grade. Started playing chord organ in a rock band in 8th grade. I was the trumpet soloist and section leader in concert band and dance (jazz)band.

I was a music major at the University of Wisconsin and graduated with a BA.

Worked for Getzen, the company that made trumpets for Doc Severinsen.

Started working in a full line music store which I eventually bought and operated for a number of years while still playing out as I had been for years.

Moved to Florida and worked in sales and instruction in the countries top home organ companies.

When I was working at the music store, the Baldwin FunMachine was very popular. I loved it, and continued in this home organ thing for 30 years. I was a soloist with the organ companies I worked for in Florida. One day I thought what if I ever leave this company? I won't have an instrument. I wished I could get a portable that could do what the big expensive organs could do. Along came my first PSR2000. (This was after having a KN1000, a Roland E35, a KN???, but none of these sounded like the big organs, until the PSR2000, then the Tyros, the Tyros 2, a Midjay,etc

Discovered SynthZone, psrtutorial, etc in about 2000 and the cool community of players.

Since 2005 have been teaching and playing out.

I played drums for a long time in a wedding band when I was in college. Have done solo organ in dinner clubs, etc. I have played in bands doing rock, polkas, (hehe, Wisconsin, you know. You played polkas there, or else Dixe, big band, jazz etc. I also played sax besides trumpet, drums and keyboards.

That's the most of it I guess. And oh, yes, I guess I started playing for dances in about 8th grade

Hope not too many went to sleep on this one



[This message has been edited by Scott Langholff (edited 05-17-2010).]

Thanks Scott,
That is a very interesting Bio you presented us with. It is good to see you have been and are a successful career musician.
We have a lot in common I learned as I read through your bio. I can see that many of us have a lot in common.
Thanks for sharing.
Bebop

Wonder why bebop hasn't posted a bio? Come on, if you're gonna prod everyone else to, then return in kind.