| Although these pages are filled with
memories, it's really not just about the past. I have for too long
kept these things inside myself and in boxes, drawers and
even in stacks of papers on shelves. I hope to bring them
into the light of day and share them with anyone interested. They
will serve as the foundation of the future. I look forward to
getting out and playing my guitar again and with your help, I hope
to play better than before. Hey, we're all in this thing together.
Mixed in with all this personal trivia is as much or more about
family, friends and local music history. Did you know Terry
Luttrell of REO Speedwagon and later, Starcastle, sang and played
rhythm guitar in the Champaign group, Terry Cook and the Majestics?
Well, it's true.. . and I was the lead guitar player. There's more
...
I used to wonder about players who no longer play. How could
they not? What would make them quit their talent and hard work? I
could never stop. Right?
I now realize life just happens, not always a conscious decision you make.
After a period of time , it's not easy to get back into the swing of things. In this town,
rich as it is with good players, you're toast if you're out of it for more than two years
and I dropped out for much longer.
I returned from a five year New York experience in the fall of
'99 to find I had lost something in my inner being. I was unable
to break into anything meaningful in music and it carried over
when I returned. I had played for so many years and was relatively
known in central Illinois. I didn't realize how that build up had
worked to give me the confidence and support I needed on stage. I
seemed lost for a while.
During this time I aged and what hair I had left turned a
silver-gray. The death of Beatle, George Harrison made me
really stop and think. The media was filled with stories from
other musicians talking about the man, his music and how it
affected us. Most of them were my age with the same effects of
aging. The talked about the music... and it is about the music.
It's been hard but I am ready to look forward. |
