I love art. I draw, paint, carve, photograph, create and perform music. I was born on Thanksgiving Day 1953 in
Sparta, Michigan. I grew up in the country, west of town in the fruit belt/dairy farm area. My ancestry is full of
artists, musicians, performers, and many other very interesting individuals. This produced talented and encouraging
parents that let me explore my interests. This family also produced alcoholics and care givers. I have no addictions,
but I am a psycho-magnet. …Go figure! I have 5 brothers and 2 sisters. I am the fourth from the oldest of many
talented siblings. When I was a little boy I would get toys for Christmas and wind up playing with the boxes they
came in. One Christmas my Grandma Cleta gave me a huge box filled with larger to smaller boxes, and spools and
paper rolls that I turned into works of design. That was my best present and a great memory of her! I would make all
kinds of fun things. When JFK was killed I was at home sick from school making an oven out of a box, to cook a sewn
turkey I had fashioned out of old socks. When I got my first drum set it was one that I made out of round oatmeal
containers with pan lids for cymbals that I played with two tinker toy sticks. I always listened closely to my Mother
play her piano and sing. I learned to play it and wrote my first song when I was 8 or 9 years old. When I was in my
very early teens, my brother, Jim, sold me his old Gibson acoustic guitar and I learned to play it by ear and with the
help of instruction books. By that time I had assembled two broken drum sets into one working one. I was doing all of
my other art too. I loved drawing a lot, but music always seemed to utilize all of the arts together into one. I was in
many different kinds of bands over the years. I met many fascinating tortured artists and fun people. I married 3
times and have 7 children: Ian, Chi, Cory, Joy, Tom, Brheanna, and Clara. I have now been blessed with 10
grandchildren, Mia, Nolan, Vaughn, Aidan, Liam, Eliy, Arheanna, Rocky, Dante and Aurelia. Sara (Buckwheat), is
my best friend, always. I felt when we got married, that everything was now the way it was supposed to be. I believe
in Jesus and kindness. I still have my eccentric flair, though it is a little faded. If the arts were like music, most
patrons would want galleries packed only with duplicates being painted. Drinks would be spilled on art
supplies/equipment, then fights breaking out during the 3rd or 4th viewings into the evening, spurred by mating
rituals. Picasso would be asked if he could paint some Da Vinci. If the arts were like music. Today I don’t like most
music because so much of it is not inspired or written from the heart. In Heaven, I doubt the music has to be 3
minutes long, have a hook, be easy to dance to, and is being performed by dancers who happen to sing a little bit. The
world needs art that is responsible, and at the same time, to not be controlled by a few limited imaginations. Maybe it
just needs families to pass it on to the next generations from family members that they will never meet. Maybe it can
be found on a lone web page that few can find, but those who do, can appreciate. I really don’t know.
Some of the gifts that I have been given are on display here.
My Pooka is my friend!
Universal. Ned. Campy.
Lumpy. Engorged.
.......Engorged I'm sure!
Prince: I only have one Prince story. In 2002 I was at The Guitar Center looking for an
acoustic/electric guitar. The sales rep from the Line 6 company overheard my inquiries to the
store staff about their soon to be released line of modeling guitars. That rep said he had just
come from Minnesota where he had met with Prince and tried to deliver this prototype
modeling guitar to him. Prince liked the idea of a acoustic modeling guitar because it would
not pick up the clanking sound of his rings or jewelry against it. He said Prince had played
this one, but wanted to order one with a smaller/thin customized neck. I remember thinking,
"Geeze, The neck on this Line 6 is not all that wide"! He said he would sell this one to me
before the general public could even get one. I said yes, paid the price we decided on, and I
took it home. For the past 3 years it is the one played most often in my performances. So.....it
is really cool, but I have no documentation. It is a great guitar!
