My first live show was at a club that was intended to be a strip club, but they couldn't there "stripper" license in time for the opening night. One of the owners was a friend of my Dad's. Pops told him that I had a band and was available, so we hustled around and got a PA pieced together. We agreed to do the show for the "exposure" and was glad to do it. We were gonna be stars right? It was myself, Greg Anthony on drums, Terry and Kim Nichols on guitar and Mike the Monster McClung on bass. We all had our cowboy hats and boots and were ready to take over the world.

   We got there and got set up...just in the nick of time too. It was a little bar in the woods of Alabama just off hwy 278. The only people that was there was my Dad, a few of his friends, and a couple drunks screaming FREE BIRD!!! Man, I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket back then...Still can't much! it was all going well, we were rockin' their faces off, and playing the Fireman every 20 minutes just for good measure. Bout the time we took a break one of the guys in my band wanted to play acoustic and sing some original songs he had written. Now I couldn't sing much at the time, but he couldn't sing A LOT! A couple of songs were cool, but after the 10th or 11th it was wearing on even me. The club owner come over and not so politely told me we were through. The funny part of this is that the guy who fired us has known me since I was born. He's still one of our family's dear friends. 

  It sucks when your playing for free and still manage to get fired...but we did! 

People always ask me how I got into the music business. Well...let me tell you that story!

I have always been interested in music since I was a child. My Dad drove a truck when I was a kid and several of his buddies played music. They would get together a couple times a month and cook some food and play music all weekend. The other Kids would be out terrorizing the neighborhood and I would be in there hoping someone would lay their instrument down for a second so I could "play" it. Eventually one of those guys decided to give me a guitar.

Later on a couple years later my Dad bought me an electric guitar at a pawn shop. I think the brand was a Cameo. Not very expensive but it had this sweet whammy bar on it! I got a few lessons from a teacher in Albertville, Alabama. Enough I could play a few chords. I never did more than pick a little bit for myself and family up until I was about 21. And then...

I was walking into a gas station in Leesburg, Alabama one day and a guy named Mark Wallace was walking out. Mar was a drummer and had been playing in bands since high school. He stopped and simply asked, "Can you sing?". I said I think I can. Now, I don't know if he knew I played a little or someone had told him I played and sang, but he asked just the same. After I replied that I could sing he invited me to try out for lead singer of the band he was in. I went by and sang a few songs, they hired me, and I've been in a band ever since. 

Stay tuned...Next monday I will tell the story of my first live gig. "Seemore's" the strip club.....