My grandmother (Nora) was the organist in her church. Every Sunday we would go and I would hear her play. I realized I wanted to play piano and in third grade, my mom and dad bought a piano and got me started taking lessons.  My first 3 years of playing piano, I was a student of Professor Halstead who taught at the University. He made me practice scales, figure control and hand position.  I never learned one song from him.

 

I really wanted to learn Boogie Woogie, so my mom found Ms. Tuba. Her idea of Boogie Woogie was Moon River.  During my second lesson, I stopped at the bridge. I was lost. I forgot the song. I had the sheet music in front of me and Ms. Tuba pointed at the note and said start here. I had no idea what she was pointing it was at that time, she realized that I did not know how to read sheet music and was playing by ear.

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I moved to Santa Barbara in December of 1969 to attend Brooks Institute of Fine Arts in Santa Barbara, CA. During the 2 ½ years in School, I played with different bands and found myself practicing Blues piano.

 

I started a band China Cat in the Mid 70’s. During the 80’s I was setting in with a number of different blues bands including Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan. In 1982, I bought a 5’3” Krell Baby Grand and played it throughout the years. I was a solo pianist and gigged at private parties for years in and around Santa Barbara.

 

In 1995, I ran into Sky Ferguson and Richard Moore at a

 

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