I was born June 1, 1950 at a Research Hospital in Kansas
City, Missouri. I'm pretty sure I was an experiment gone bad. In an effort
to hide from the authorities, my parents moved to Rome, Illinois, certain
that we'd never be found with that much corn growing around the house.
Feeling safer in the mid '60s, they moved closer to the big city of Chicago.
To their dismay, this triggered the awakening of my musical genes, while
at the same time, killing all the college/math major/real job/pocket protector
genes!
I played with various bands in and around Chicago, emulating a lot of
styles, but loving R&B...not the good choice for a city steeped in
Blues and Hard Rock. (Even Earth, Wind, and Fire had to leave to get noticed!)
So I moved to LA...met Jim Messina and played in his band for 2 years...during
which time we opened for Little River Band (while they were recording
the US portion of the Backstage Pass Album). Until the end of that tour,
I wasn't aware that they were looking for a new bass player that could
sing and help out with some of the vocals. But I was in the right place
at the right time, and they made me an offer that I couldn't refu...whoops...I
did refuse! See, the Messina band was getting ready to record and achieve
the megastardom that we were certain we deserved...until we all got fired!
So I dug through all the truckstop receipts until I found where I had
scrawled the 13 digit phone number at LRB's management office. Luckily,
they were off the road until April of 1980...and they made me that offer
again. I think I was in the right place at the right time times two!
Since then I've celebrated my 30th, 40th, and 50th birthdays on the road
with the band. Next year will be my 25th as a "LERB". I've lived
through heartache, grief, and joy during those years. I'm proud to put
the Little River Band name at the center of my career accomplishments,
and I never tire of hearing the incredible stories of how the band's music
has impacted so many lives. Thanks for your support, and for your interest
in finding out who we are and where we came from. CYA out there somewhere!
~ ~ ~
|