My musical journey began early on when, as a 5 or 6 year old, I watched and heard my father sing The Kingston Trio’s “Tom Dooley” and Marty Robbins’ “El Paso”, while another fighter pilot played guitar. From then on, I ached to play guitar and sing, and to reach their level of skill. Later, in High School in South Carolina, three friends and I formed a band, even though I did not own a guitar of my own. We played, or tried to play, music from bands such as The Animals, Hendrix, Cream, Beatles (of course), and others; however, after hearing “Deja Vu”, by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, I became a huge fan of Neil Young’s music–to my ears, it was the best around. I still feel ”Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” is one of the best albums ever. That basis of western-style folk music, modified by hard rock, and influenced by Young’s style of country rock has guided what I prefer to play and sing. My band experience has included that initial one in High School, another at the Air Force Academy, later bands in Northern Virginia, Germany, and, now, Retrospective. Although I mostly listen to, and play, country-based rock, I also enjoy genres as diverse as Jazz, Blues, Hard Rock, Country & Western, and even some Pop; these influences are clearly evident in my recommendations for the tunes Retrospective performs.