I am 29yrs old and ever since I was 15 I've been in a band some way or another.
When I was 15 I worked for a band called Johfra. I set up the light show and worked
the lights while they were playing. I also helped set up and tear down the big stage.
It was with this band I got (stoned) for the first time then sat down behind the drummer,
Larry Hall, and that's when it hit me this is what I want to do: Play Drums.
For a year, I secretly practiced on my bed with one pair of sticks and a walk-man playing
with anything I could get on tape. On my 18th birthday, my grandfather bought my first set of
drums: a five piece set called Mirage. You have to understand something before I go on; for
the past 17 years my family (which are all musicians) did everything they could to keep me
from this lifestyle.
After turning 18, I threatened to move to Orlando Fla., which is about 5 hours from where
I live. So they, my family, came up with a plan to get me to stay: they helped me get a new truck
and the drums. Plan was I'd have to make payments, that meant I'd have to stay and keep my job.
Well, I fell for it. I'd knew it at that time, but hey I got a new set of drums. Who could bitch? In the end it was a good thing. I played for 3 days before I had to get me a double bass peddle. 3 weeks later I played with my first band.
Even though it didn't last very long, it was through that band I met my life long friend, Jtk, the best
bass player whom I've ever had the pleasure of playing with. Our guitar player is still a very good
friend of ours. The three of us, and a variety of singers, formed a band called Electric Ocean, or EO
for short, and we were off.
Continued
