I got my first guitar at the ripe old age of 12. It was a Sears Silvertone acoustic & quite a piece it was. About a year later my Dad hooked me up with a local guitar guru for a few lessons. Unfortunately, my patience for learning to read music faded quickly, & my teacher decided it best to end the endeavor. I progressed on my own for the next 3 years playing along with LP's by Jerry Reed, Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Eric Clapton, & some others. Eventually, I hooked up with some other fellows from the neighborhood to form a top 40 club band. At the time, our lead singer was the only one in the band old enough to drive. We would load all the equipment we had into my Dad's Plymouth & head off to the local VFWs, American Legions & Fire Halls. We became Local "Child Stars", As we came of age, we played the club circuit for another year or so, Then went our seperate ways. I continued with several other bands over the next 15 years.