November 11, 2004.
80 Grit Was
started by Glenn Alonzo
and myself in 1998.
I met Glenn through a mutual friend on the USS Kitty Hawk while stationed in
Japan and deployed to the Persian Gulf. I didn't even have any drums at the
time. We had a few months on the cruise to work out the logistics of getting me
some equipment. It would come in the form of an emergency trip home to see a
sick family member. I bought a set and had it shipped.
After a rather rocky
start (I hadn't played drums in years) and an endless search for a bass player,
we were playing the base club on the weekends. It was great and we were building
a fan base rather quickly. We also attracted some more musicians who were a
little more dedicated to playing more often.
Rick Johnson joined the band in 1999 and brought a family atmosphere of the band. He also added to our setlist, which I deemed a plus. I was the first to transfer back to the states and civilian life. We still keep in touch and are planning a reunion tour.
