When I left my home in upstate New York in 1997 with the intent of traveling across the country in my low mileage Voyager mini-van "camper," I had a brand new Rand McNally Atlas, a couple of original songs, three chords, a capo and a vague plan. I followed a circuitous route, hitting several festivals that I had always dreamed of attending, (Kerrville, Merlefest, etc.), some great new festivals, (Suwannee Springfest), and hitting up old and new music friends for "bed and breakfast" along the way. In order to get more comfortable with my new instrument, the guitar, I played every open mike I could find, and while in Colorado, designed myself a T-shirt to commemorate my "Open Mike Tour" - complete with a pocket full of monopoly money!
Heeding the advice of my well-intentioned friends who told me "don't quit your day job," I took time out from my busy "tour" to gain some interesting employment, including demolition and renovations at Yellow Sulphur Springs, a historic Inn and health spa in Christiansburg, Va., and teaching tourists the fine art of equitation at Grand Cypress Equestrian Center in Fla. near Disney World.
It was during this time that I experienced a creative "spurt" of songwriting inspired by my travels and travails. Now, 100,000 miles and two transmissions later, I am happy to announce the arrival of my first CD of original songs, "Paradise Motel." The CD was more than two years in the making, and included a cast of thousands and a budget of hundreds. I hope you enjoy these 13 (lucky) songs, including four of the six VERY lucky contest entries that allowed me to perform on the very stages of the festivals I had only dreamed of attending a short time ago. Finally, my overactive imagination has paid off! (Seriously, I'm really not sure where some of these songs came from, I just know they're mine.)
The CD was recorded, engineered, and co-produced by the ever patient Jim Bickerstaff of Gravity 783 Mobile Recording Studio with an assortment of wonderful musicians and harmony singers, including the now famous "Our Little Town Choir," as directed by Hampton Dempster. During the "graphics" stage of the production, a sticky situation arose when I thought, "who needs a computer," and proceeded to create the original artwork myself in the classic "cut and paste" style, using round edged scissors and dollar store glue, (think Captain Kangaroo goes tramp art.) The final product bears absolutely no resemblance to the very nice original photograph of me taken by Eddie Ledbetter, who also did all the graphics setup, other photos, website, and plays a mean banjo.
Special thanks to everyone who helped or just listened along the way....you must be part of some strange, vague plan!
When I left my home in upstate New York in 1997 with the intent of traveling across the country in my low mileage Voyager mini-van "camper," I had a brand new Rand McNally Atlas, a couple of original songs, three chords, a capo and a vague plan. I followed a circuitous route, hitting several festivals that I had always dreamed of attending, (Kerrville, Merlefest, etc.), some great new festivals, (Suwannee Springfest), and hitting up old and new music friends for "bed and breakfast" along the way. In order to get more comfortable with my new instrument, the guitar, I played every open mike I could find, and while in Colorado, designed myself a T-shirt to commemorate my "Open Mike Tour" - complete with a pocket full of monopoly money!
