Biodata

From Yokahoma, Japan

To Taiwan

One of my sunsets

Ashley - cheerleader

Ari - Texas A&M U.

Golden Retrievers

2 lefties.....

Nans & Judy on top of Mt Telluride (Co)

On the 7^th day of June in 52, I was born in Yokahoma, Japan. I weighed 7 lbs. & 7 ounces. I was born exactly at 7 minutes after 7 in the morning. I believe it was even the 7^th day of the week. 7 is God's favorite number. God likes to do things in 7s. So I have always looked to 7 as my lucky number. My dad was a military man. Before the Army he was a famous movie star & a published writer. My mom was a piano player. They regretfully have both recently passed away. We moved to California, Taiwan, Virginia Beach, Va., San Antonio, TX, and Dallas, TX. Amarillo, TX and then to Austin.

At age 18 I went to Europe with a good friend. We had our backpacks ready and we would see France, Switzerland and Spain. Hitchhiking in Europe was quite a new experience for me. Hitching out of Paris we passed Paul McCartney in the "Wings Over Europe" lorry. I will always remember that moment...

Back in Austin I would quest for spiritual things. I felt empty inside. I stumbled on a place where I would be spiritually filled. That experience has changed my life totally.

After Austin I moved to San Antonio, then to Pettus, TX, Kenedy, TX and now I live on a beautiful 240-acre ranch in Goliad called the Copper Spur Ranch. Many of my pictures you view on my site are taken at sunrise or sunset over the ponds on the ranch. I love to gaze at the sky's colors on the water.

There is something about water that calls to me. I have lived by many oceans. The Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Sea of Japan and the South China Sea. I have visited the Mediterranean Sea in South France and in Barcelona, Spain. I remember the blue color of the ocean in the middle of it as we sailed to Taiwan. It was the most beautiful hue of blue I have ever seen.

I have scrapbooks & journals in my music room that road map my journey and they hold images of all the people I have loved and still love in my life. I seem to keep everything. I don't want to let go of anything that would give me love and comfort.

My kids are my treasures. They are one of God's gifts to me. Ari Ben is my son and he shines and shimmers with so much love. Ashley is my daughter and she is totally amazing and beautiful inside and out.

My musical influences when I was young were The Beatles, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young,The Birds Bob Dylan, The Grateful Dead, Joni Mitchell and Early Jefferson Airplane and of course the Moody Blues... Lately my musical influences are Shawn Mullins, Shawn Colvin, Jackson Browne, Bebo Norman, Dave Matthews Band and Jars of Clay.

My other passions are taking pictures of the skies. Also I raise Golden Retrievers. On my 50th birthday I sat on a ledge in North Texas at an old rest area in the middle of nowhere and waited and watched the sunset. There was a little river called the White River there. That place is very special to me. It still calls to me to come back and see, and touch, and listen and remember. That experience on the rock ledge has totally changed my life and who I am. I now write poetry and love to read it too. Rod McKuen is one of my favorite poets.

I have two brothers. Bob is a sculptor and Mark is a talented musician and also speaks many languages. Seems my parents' artistic genes got in all of us.

My favorite instrument is the guitar and I play left-handed, but I am in my right mind. LOL! A new instrument I have picked up is an Octave Mandolin. I get great pleasure playing it. Its sound is extremely unique and enhances my sound in my songs.

I am finally getting out of my music room by playing for the public whenever I can. In my music room I wrote and recorded the three songs that have won Honorable Mention in 1998 ("Beautiful Inside"), 2000 ("In Remembrance") and 2002 ("Brand New Morning") in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. It really isn't about winning, but more like a validation of my songs. Somebody thought they were "honorable". I have a studio set up in "my room" and I do all of my own recording and mixing. Getting out of the "room" has helped me meet other musicians and allows me to share my heartbeat with others. It feels good to pour it out. I am shooting straight for the heart of the listener because my music is called HEART MUSIC.

I hope you enjoy this site. I pray you will feel the Spirit that lives in this site.

Blessings,

To California

To Goliad, Texas

Beach friends....

Ashley & Kyle ready for prom

Ashley & Ari

Ari & friend

3 lefties

My octave mandolin