Photo credit: Aaron Rappaport
Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
This of course depends on whether I’m doing my “band” or a cut down acoustic version. With the band, it has been a rented Sprinter – it’s comfortable and keeps us all together; with the acoustic group it’s whatever minivan is available at the rent-a-car. ?
We did have a “incident” with the Sprinter a few years ago. The group didn’t all arrive at the same time and a road manager drove the vehicle to the airport (La Guardia, NYC) to pick them up. Well, somehow he went into the garage, not knowing the “height regulations” and just about took off the air-conditioning unit on top of the vehicle. We had to gaffer-tape the thing together for the entire tour. That was a “thank God” for insurance moment.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
Are you kidding – cheaply / healthy – we just try to stay alive and hope it never catches up with us further on down the road (age wise). It’s tough; we’re very happy that catering helps out for the gigs and so the main meal, other than that, is breakfast and it’s pretty hard to mess up bacon and eggs. ?
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
It used to be quite a few, especially the “G” and “D string; I don’t know the exact number, my recollection regarding that is – it never happened at a good time. More recently it hasn’t happened that much. I am fortunate to have an “artist sponsorship” with GHS and the cost has been minimal.
Where do you rehearse?
In the recent years of performing and doing “live” shows I was blessed to have had the church to be my rehearsal space. During most days I could rehearse my band and we knew we wouldn’t be bothered. Over the years – I’ve done it all – from commercial studio rentals to a room above my garage.
With one of the commercial spaces (years ago, and I mean years ago) my band got behind in our rental agreement and our instruments got “locked up”. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place – we couldn’t work to pay the rent and we were in trouble. Finally, a significant person in the music business managed to get things worked out – but it was touch and go for a while.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
The first song I wrote was called “The Ballad of Johnny Collins” – it was about a Civil War little drummer boy; I can’t remember the song now.
So I guess the first song I wrote that I remember is called “Sad Memory” about a college girl that I thought was “the one” – but wasn’t. Here’s the last verse:
How can I forget those nights when she’d kiss me soft and true?
And whisper words only lovers know – I love you, Oh, I love you …
Well I’ve made up my mind, I’ll find a new girl who’ll love tenderly
Forget the past I left behind now, It’s a Sad Memory, A Sad Memory
Describe your first gig.
Oh man, you’re asking me to go 50 plus years – it was a high school dance when I was in Jr. High singing “doo wop” songs with upper classman – that’s how I got into the dance. (That was not a paying “gig” but it was the first one.) The first “paying” gig was with the A Go Go Singers in NYC when we did an off Broadway musical review.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
I was the pastor of Calvary Broomfield for 35 years. I enjoyed that “job” although I prefer to think of it as a “calling”.
How has your music-related income changed over the past 5-10 years? What do you expect it to look like 5-10 years from now?
My “music related” income has increased a little over the last 5-10 years; as far as the future, who knows?
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
Success does not depend necessarily on one’s natural talent; if you have a dream – go for it and don’t look back – you never know what can change in moment’s time; work hard; perfect your talent and respect your fans. ?