biographical info
I live in Grand Forks, British Columbia, right down on the US border. I've been writing songs since 1969 when I got my first guitar at 15.
I'm an Army brat, grew up on bases in Kingston Ontario, Calgary and Camp Wainwright Alberta, with a few years in between where we lived like civilians in a house Dad bought in Chilliwack British Columbia. In the summer we would come to Grand Forks to visit grandparents and cousins, and I call Grand Forks my home town.
I've worked as a section man on the Canadian Pacific Railway, pulled boards on the green chain for Pope And Talbot, loaded boxcars and driven a boom boat for MacMillan Bloedel on Vancouver Island...but for the most part I've been self-employed all my adult life, doing things like carpet cleaning, delivering flyers, painting houses, washing vinyl siding, roadside sales...whatever it takes...
I have three kids and three grandkids. By rights I can’t brag about how they’ve all turned out, but I do anyway.
To date I've written about a thousand songs, many of whose tunes I've forgotten, so now when I perform I'll sometimes just speak them as poetry, with other songs mixed in which I accompany with my guitar and sometimes harmonica.
I've recorded a number of CDs. The one that people seem to like the best so far is called The Ladies Of Summer.
As far as my goals for my art: I just want the listener to feel some of what I feel.
influences
The Beatles/Lennon
the rest of the British Invasion
Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed
Warren Zevon, The Beach Boys
Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell
Neil Young, Leonard Cohen
Lucinda Williams