Shhhhh. Don’t tell the guys, but I wasn’t born in Oklahoma. I didn’t even graduate from high school in Oklahoma. It will be our little secret.

I was interested in drums from a very young age. You know, the kid who is always banging on things. My parents decided they’d better get me a drums set before things started to break. In 1971 they bought me a Ludwig Ringo Starr copy set. It was the only set I owned until about 3 years ago when I bought a Yamaha.

I learned to play drums by listening to my dad’s Dixieland and Big Band records. Buddy Rich was my favorite. Then I discovered Led Zepplin and it was rock and roll all the way! Fortunately, our house in New York had a basement where I would put on the headphone and play along with my records. Since I never took drum lessons, this is where I did my learning.

I went to the University of Tulsa and heard about a campus band named The Spud Boys who needed a drummer. This was the first band I ever played in. I’ve never been so nervous in my life as I was on that first gig! My time at TU was great fun and the Spud Boys had a lot to do with it.

Shortly after I graduated I joined The Ushers. This is where I first met current MLCB guitarist Hayden Burlingame and formed a musical partnership that lasts to this day. In 1984 we all quit our jobs and hit the road. It was the rock and roll education of a lifetime! Over the next 5 years we grew to be one of the most popular bands in the 5-state area. (You can check out Hayden’s bio for more information on The Ushers.)

When the Ushers didn’t become famous (not for lack of trying!) we eventually disbanded. Since that time I’ve been in and out of various local bands including The Werx, The Cactus Slayers, The LocoNuts, and The London Squares, always playing drums and taking on more vocal responsibilities with each band.

Of course life went on during this time and I got my Masters Degree from TU, met and married my lovely wife Tamra, built my career in training and organizational development and spent time in my other passions; golf, tennis, fitness and travel. A year ago my step-son gave us a beautiful granddaughter.

My last band broke up when Hayden joined the MLCB (who can blame him!) so I focused my attention on my other passions. Then I got the call form the MLCB and, as you might imagine, jumped at the opportunity. So now I’m singing backup vocals and playing percussion with a great band and a great group of guys. And I have to admit it’s nice not to be sitting down hunched over a drum set 3 hours a night!

See you at the gigs!