I understand it was very cold the day I was born. That probably explains why I have such a thick skin. Now for the rest of my story.
The first thing I remember of significance was when we moved to Old Hwy. 16 in La Crosse. I'm like 5 at the time. One of the very first few days after moving in, I was out playing in the yard, and coming up our driveway I saw a Mother and a little blonde girl. Leisa Hecklebeck. A goddess.

I remember the feeling to this day. For that day, at 5 years old, I knew what love was. Well, not really, but it sure felt good whatever it was. I cherished that little girl. She was my first real friend. Lucky me. I learned so much from her. She made it fun to be fair, and to share. She taught me about putting someone elses wants before my own. And how to hold hands. I'd walk her the quarter mile back to her house every day and give her a kiss on the cheek.

As near as I can remember it was the summer of 1963. In the fall, I would start kindergarten. I kissed her cheek everyday until we moved to Waunakee, WI in 1966. One minor event took place that winter of '64. February of 1964. An up and coming musical group named The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show this particular Sunday night. I watched because I was waiting for Topo Gigio to come on. At 6 years old, I had decided what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It was as if I was switched to auto-pilot. My lifes course was set. Let's recap: First girlfriend, Beatles by age 6. My life rocked!!! In fact, everytime I see the footage from that Ed Sullivan Show, I go back to exactly how I felt that night. Lying on a green rug in front of the old black and white tele, pounding the floor like Desi Arnaz hammering the conga on Ba-ba-loo. I still get goosebumps! The folks started getting for me guitars for Xmas. Every year they would get better and better.

The first song I ever learned on the guitar was "Little Red Riding Hood" by Sam The Sham and The Pharohs. Very cool. I don't remember what the second song I ever learned was though, but that was the first.

I had a really great childhood. Another really significant event from my childhood was when I was 8 years old, and we're living in Waunakee, WI. I remember my older brother Dennis, my younger brother Glen, and myself all got brand new, shiny bikes for X-mas. I think it was 1966. I remember not seeing my Dad that much at that time because he worked third shift at U.P.S. in Madison, WI. That's back when the mechanics had to work outside even in the dead of winter. I still get ver-clemped when I visualize my Dad laying on his back, under a U.P.S. truck, in the snow, no gloves, 30 below. Just so we could have new bikes. I love you Dad.

I was mostly into baseball when I was young. I didn't really get serious on the guitar until I was between 6th and 7th grade when I hooked up with two guys named Brian La Rue and Shawn Martin. Shawn's brother George played alittle bass, had him a small system, (George was my older brother Dennis' age.) Shawn's Mom had an off brand electric guitar under her bed that she sold me for 15 bucks, Brian got him a Ludwig drumset, (almost like the one Ringo used to play), and we were jammin'. We'd jam Grand Funk Railroad for hours. We were Grand Funk man!! What a time. I remember Shawn's Mom always had Hershey's w/Almonds hidden in the pans in her cupboards. On Sundays she'd whip up the most kick-butt sloppy-joes and we'd play hearts and Shawns Dad, George Sr. would let us drink a beer. Ahhhh, the "high life!!"

So we started getting better but somehow we lost our drive. Playing Grand Funk all the time was getting old and I was starting to write songs. As a matter of fact, one of the songs I wrote way back then will possibly be on a future CD. "Dreams Tonight" is the name of it and it still rocks.

The name of my first "professional" group was SKY PILOT. Don't ask! It was before I realized that I was an Atheist. We did some school dances at La Crescent MN H.S. It was big time. I did a guitar solo and everything. That band consisted of Brian LaRue on the drums, Archie Skemp on the bass, and Mark "Boz" Boswell on guitar. Mark had a vintage Vox Super Beatle amp, and a hotty sister named Collette. I remember him because his catch expression was the word "dyno". Every freakin' thing was "dyno!" We had fun didn't we boys. Love ya...

That was early high school, which wasn't so bad 'cuz I hadn't yet discovered how fucked up some grown-ups can be until high school. What kept me from going totally insane in was playing the baritone horn from 5th grade through my junior year. Shawn and I would trade off playing first chair parts. That was very cool because during those early years when Bob Erickson was the conductor, he let me into the band room before school to listen to Pink Floyd albums on the quadraphonic system in the band room. The other really cool thing that happened was one spring for our concert, we did selections from "Jesus Christ Superstar" in which I got to bring in my Ibanez and my Peavey Roadmaster stack. Fuckin' sweet!!! Instead of books I'd carry Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, KISS and whatever else records around and my home room teacher Jerry Bertleson would let me play them after attendance was taken. I always marched to my own drummer so to speak. Some of the shit I saw some of the teachers and administrators do to other kids who insisted on living outside of their rules would be in prison today. They left me alone pretty much 'cuz I never caused any trouble, just for myself mostly. I just had other plans that's all.

So once I'd had enough of high school. Come to think of it, I thought my high school education was really shitty. I think I should sue somebody. I think they had alot of inept suits running the show while I was there 'cuz I didn't learn a goddam thing. They were working on a new way of doing things back then and I still don't think they have it right. My real education came much later from a prostitute in Hong Kong. (Or was that Ernest Hemmingway?) But first...

Whilst later in H.S. I did get some rockin' and rollin' done. I had a band called DIAMOND. Pretty original huh? Greg Heupel, Todd Gregory, Steve Smith, Greg Wuensch and myself. We did the usual bar gigs. The usual bar songs. The usual bar chicks. Mmmmmm-donuts. Greg W. is my neighbor two doors down this very day. Steve Smith was always cool. I saw Greg one last time in 1996. He tried to sell me MY Hiwatt Custom 50 which he'd stolen from me years before. Enough said about that. And Todd? I'd give my left nut for that boy's talent today.

Left for California in late February of '79.

Started out in San Diego, stayed with my brother Dennis, his wife Jan, and my little nephew Charlie for three months. Worked at the scuzziest fuckin' Burger King in this galaxy. It was my honor and priviledge as the new meat to clean behind the deep fryers. I can't go there right now, I just ate.

L.A. was where I wanted to be, so I packed my pile, bought the $10 bus ticket with my last $20 and was a little mid-western pup on a big Greyhound bus headed to big, bad, beautiful Los Angeles. Where the air was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. Where pedestrians had the right of way, (if they were lucky.) Where the police actually ticketed you for jaywalking. Talk about freakin' sublime! There's an idiotic law for you. And where the police actually have an armored car with a battering ram on it for those late night crack house visits. Anywho...

I wound up at my Uncle Lee's house in Pasadena for awhile, then I moved in with some guys above a welding shop on Lincoln Ave. We just noodled around mostly, nothing too serious. Then I met a hot babe named Mandy. She was workin' our drummer, a fine Irish lad by the name of Kevin Blackton. I'd hear them goin' at in his room and think to myself, hmmm, I gotta get me some o'dat. I mean she was sounding crazy. So I did. We moved in together shortly after and had a fine time up until I started suspecting her of humping Nick Cassavettes. Yes the actor. Mandy, Kevin, and Nick all attended the acting academy in Pasadena. P-shhaaa!

About that time I started auditioning for bands. The Angry Samoans, who were to become one of the most notorious punk bands of the day. They wanted me but they didn't want any kind of lead soloing in their music. I peed on their floor (only because they asked me to) and that was that. Now that's REAL PUNK!! Then came LIP SERVICE. A real band. My first all-original-goforthedeal original band. They had auditioned something like 49 (so they say) guitar players by the time I came along. I brought in my Peavy Roadmaster Stack. (Now I drive A Buick Roadmaster car. Irony? You decide.) They were just going to run through a few of their songs, and give me a nod when it was time to blow. We launched into the first song and blow I did. (So to speak.) Before we got through that first song they were shoving a contract in my face saying "we want you in the band." Life was starting to rock again. So I joined up with them. They were recording a demo at a record production class held on the second floor of KRLA Studios. It was a 16 track facility and a class put on by producer John Sisti. In this class was the most beautiful Japanese girl I ever saw, in fact she was the only Japanese girl I ever saw. Lana Tani. She was assigned to mic up my speaker cab. So, of course being that she had a really beautiful ass, it took her a little longer than usual to get that mic just right. hehe. Anyway, salivation aside, I approached her about a date in the parking lot after. She gave me her number and we were together for nearly 4 years. Now the fun part of this story.

Our first gig as Lip Service was October 11, 1980 at the Hong Kong Cafe in China Town. Of course all the students from the class were invited to our show, and of course I was well into Lana by that time. Well it seems that somehow, when I left Mandy's in Pasadena, to go play with Lip Service in Santa Monica, Mandy apparently wasn't paying attention when we broke up. I mean, how could she miss it? I was moving out! Bags were packed. Wouldn't that make it pretty clear? Well, not to Mandy. See, I didn't tell her about the gig thing. And so...We're all sitting there having dinner in the cafe before the show. Danny Gayol the drummer (who later played with The Bodines and Robbie Robertson), and his girlfriend. Peter Crawford & his girl, and Stuart Deal, Peters brother and his lady,(oops, the secret is out Peter and Stuart are brothers), and Lana and I. And in walks Mandy. She was steamin'. Thinking somehow she's still my girlfriend. Now bear in mind this is a couple of months later, after I split. "Can I see you outside for a moment?" She looked hot though. She always looked hot. She snarls, "I think we have something to discuss!" Danny says under his breath, "uh-oh here we goooo." And away I went with Mandaroo yanking me by the arm all the way out the door and 4 blocks back to the parking lot where she's parked.

When we got to the parking lot, she slapped me in the face, and I said nothing as I walked away sporting my bird high and proud at her as I walked.All the while she's screamin' some jibberish at me. I tell you it was jibberish man. I go back to the cafe to finish my din and get ready to go on stage for the very first time in L.A.

So we come out on stage, thinking I have the problem solved and I look out into the audience for Lana, you know, gonna throw my style on her, and who's sitting directly across the table from her? Mandy. Who's absolutely psycho by this point. Acting like a child, kicking Lana's chair, threatening to kick her ass. Wheww. That was the most psycho thing I'd ever seen. But ya know I wouldn't change a thing, because she brought me to Lana. Lip Service was together until September of 1982 or somewhere in there. I split because I wanted to do some of my songs with the band and every fucking thing got to a point where decisions were made by committee. And I wasn't on the committee. Fuck that!!

Todd Gregory, whom I mentined earlier, my brother Glen, and I tried to get a thing going again but we were all such broke dicks, and Todd was the only one with a car so that made it tough going. We just jammed, drank beer, and smoked pot. Glen went back home. Todd and I got an apartment. Todd went home. And just before memorial day 1985, I met the woman who was to become the mother of my first two children. Hillary and Raleigh.

Sherry and I met at an intergalactic kegger held at a buds house. I was hot on the trail of another scrawny vixen who wanted nothing to do with me. So taking the hint, I moved toward the dining room of the house where the eats were. It was a bit dark in that room and as I moved toward the table for a handful of vittles, I stepped on someones toes. Of course I starts apologizing in my mid-western accent and the voice that belonged to the toes says, "you're not from here are you?" I said, "no, I'm from Wiscawwwwwwnsin." She asked "from where?" I said, " La Crosse." She said, " wow, I'm from Wausau." We were together until she died of breast cancer April 23, 1990. I see her everyday in our two beautiful children; our daughter Hilaary, and our son Raleigh. XO Sher...Thank you.

I met (my little joy) Amber's mother in February of 1990, just before Sherry died in April. We hooked up in September of '90. We were together for three years and although things got kinda goofy there for awhile after we split up, most of it was good. We're cool now.

In January of 1991, my brother Glen, Todd Gregory, Cory Davis, and myself formed Silent Scream. We had our first rehearsal the night we started bombing the fuck out of Iraq. I think Pres. Bush (41) stopped getting laid by his girlfriend at about that time as well. Coinky-dink? Mmmmm I think not...

We rehearsed for a few months and booked our first gig for June of '91. Cory didn't last too long in the band and we replaced him with Pat Schroeder. We worked Pat in and we played quite regularly throughout the area. Didn't make a penny. But we made a tape and sold it at our gigs. In July of 1995, just before the end of Silent Scream, we had an opportunity to go out with Quiet Riot for three dates. One in Wausau, WI. One in Eau Claire, WI. One in La Crosse. Our hometown. We thought this could be very cool. We'll rehearse our asses off, blow Q.R. off the friggin' stage. Their managers would determine that they were defunct, quit them, and join up with us. Well. The asshole who called himself the "promoter" had his head up his ass. One by one the gigs fell through until the only one left was our La Crosse gig. So we were still psyched. We were going to hang out downtown the night before. Ya know, talk it up. Be rock stars for awhile. You know. Perfectly normal shit. We're just about to head out for a night of drinking and merriment when we hear an announcement on the radio that the "Quiet Riot/Silent Scream Show for tomorrow night has been cancelled. W.T.F.? Cancelled?

Cancelled. We all just stood there looking at each other dumb-struck. I mean we went fucking pale. I suggested that the manly thing to do is go on out and get shit faced, pie-eyed, fallin' down, glassy-eyed crocked. So I did. Nobody went with me from the band. After that I kind of always felt like I was in the front of the boat, rowing my ass off, and I'd turn around and my mates would be kicked back drinkin' a beer. We stagnated pure and simple. Then on August 14th, the final stake was driven through the band's heart in the form of the 1995 MTV special that aired about the Robert Plant/Jimmy Page Reunion thingy. We watched that after rehearsal that night and when it was over, we all kind of just looked at each other and said "what's the point?"

So it was back to what's next?

I took the rest of that year to try to figure out what to do. Before the end of the year I decided that I wanted to do my own CD, my own way.

I buckled down and started to get some gear together. Quit smoking cigarettes. Couponed at the grocery store. (Saved $250 on groceries in '96. Do I have to report that as income? Oh yeah. I'm a "the IRS is NOT your friend" kinda guy.)



I'm sure I'll be adding more as I go. Perhaps there are some gaps that I'll fill in. Stay tuned.

Raleigh and I drove to Texas to move my girlfriend Sarah and her two daughters back to WI with us. She's a wonderful woman. Super intelligent and a fellow Atheist. My dream girl. Wow!!
And my life STILL isn't weird enough.