Who Am I?

I'm a little lost on which is stranger: The fact that I'm writing a bio or the fact that somebody may want to read it. It's seems such an odd endeavor.

I play guitar on purpose: my parents recognized that I was a loner as a teen and made a successful attempt at getting me a friend/hobby by offering to get me guitar lessons. This happened - I think - when I was 13 years old.  Well, I did take a liking to the instrument.

My Grandpa Frank gave me my first guitar. It's still a very big part of  my life. I've written many songs on it. It's a blond Penco. I believed it kind of a Gibson copy. I am informed that Penco is (was) a Guild company.

I write songs by accident. I hit my head a lot by accident too. I think there may be a correlation in the midst. I really like Steve Earle a whole lot. "Guitar Town" was on my stereo long before any Dylan. Ev'ry critic is always saying how "Dylanesque" I am. That's cool, 'cause Dylan's cool. But I also think it's a major cop-out for the critical types. Calling a singer-songwriter Dylanesque is a bit like calling a priest Jesus-esque... doncha think?

Waylon, Willie, Merle, Cash, Hank and Hank Jr. are all early influences.

Growing up I heard a lot of Polish polka music.  I had cousins in a polka band.  My parents also love the Everly Brothers, Elvis P. and Buddy Holly so I was exposed to all that great rock n roll.  So it only stands to reason that my first albums ever were Back in Black and High Voltage by AC-DC.  As it only stands to reason that by the time I was 12 I was gone on Willie Nelson.  The first concert I ever went to was Willie and Family.

In the first writing of this bio I mentioned that my hero is my Grandpa Frank. He died on Thursday April 16, 1998. He was the best person I ever met or knew. I still think about him all the time.

I'm an independent recording act. I tour. I make a lot of phone calls and a great veggie sandwich (not saying I'm a vegitarian, but damn, tomatoes, cheese, spinach, avocado, and alfalfa sprouts on bread is good eatin'). I burn out from time to time but I'm still here. I believe people should be allowed to do whatever they like as long as they don't harm others living things and I believe in myself. I am grateful that folks like what I'm doin' and encourage me to do it. I'm grateful that you're reading this.

I think dogs are cool. I like old better than new most of the time. Blue is my favorite color even though my psychic friend said red. "Desperadoes Waiting For A Train" by Guy Clark can make me cry.

I drove an '89 Chevy Astro Van for 8 years and it broke my heart but it suited my purposes so I lived with it. There was a Toyota update in August 2003. The same month that marked my fifth year as a full-time touring musician. I dig it.

I'd like to own a Martin guitar someday or maybe an old Gibson like the Beatles used. For many years I performed on the Takamine guitar that my parents gave me for Christmas in the early 1990's. In April of 2003, I picked up a Taylor. It's getting character with each passing gig.
 
I played acoustic for four years before owning an electric guitar.  The first song I ever learned to play on the electric was "Sweet Home Alabama." I owe a lot to my Lynyrd Skynyrd years. Did I forget to mention, I also love the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Neil Young, John Prine, The Band, The Black Crowes, Ricky Nelson, Todd Snider, and a number of others.

The man who taught me how to play guitar was Gary Szwajda. He taught me "Sweet Home" before I owned an electric and before I knew who Skynyrd was. He recognized my love of the songwriters like Willie Nelson and Steve Earle and wanted to get me into Dylan, The Beatles and rock music. Skynyrd was the gateway drug he used to turn a teenager obsessed with country music onto Dylan. Gary was a huge influence on me.

I'm an openly straight, white hippy suburbanite male from an unbroken home, who was raised Catholic but I'm getting over it.  I recommend that you try it before you knock it. I think hugs are better than handshakes most of the time.  I think honesty is the best policy even though being honest has not always proven to be in my best interest.  I hope that that won't always be the case.

I dig what I do.

This is the edited version (I'm also long-winded). Enjoy the rest of the page. Thanks for visiting and  - as Grandpa used to say - may the good Lord take a likin' to ya and be kind to your four-legged friends.