I was born and raised in Willcox Arizona. At the tender age of five my parents moved us to Kayenta, AZ. They were in a country band there with the chief of tribal police, two teachers from the high school where they both worked, a jeep tour driver and the owner of the Best Western Hotel and jeep tours of Monument Valley. My mom fronted the band and it was called Bonnie and the Westerners. I went to all the rehearsals and decided then and there it was going to be my future. Of course my father was begging me to have a plan B but I was hooked. and I reminded him that if he wanted me to do anything other than music, he should not have brought me to the rehearsals and show or bought me my first acoustic guitar.
Years later I was singing in school talent shows and was the bass player for a school rock band that never got a gig because the front man was too shy. At the age of 19 I got my first job playing in a band that actually got paid. Herb Bates and the Country Blue Boys. We played Fridays at the American Legion in Safford Arizona and the occasional bar gig or wedding.
I moved to Tucson in 1982 and started my lifelong journey playing bass in country bands such as Garry Rust and Rust Country, Wade-N-Highwater, Girls With Guitars, John Chastain Band, Desert Reign, John Hawk Band, Midnight Rodeo, Marnie Chastain Band, Kevin Pakulis Band, Scotty Freel Band and many more.
I delved into the blues/funk scene with Sam Taylor, Heather Hardy, Peep Show, Mitzi Cowell, Bryan Dean, Connie Brannock and Mama's KItchen Sink, Desert Divas, Lisa Otey, Tall Paul, Tony Uribe and more.
I started writing Americana/Folk and have enjoyed a wonderful second solo/duo career with some of Tucson finest such as Bunny Kirby, Amber Norgaard, Nancy McCallion, Heather Hardy, Beverly Seckinger, Tammy West, Jess Hawk Oakenstar to name a few.
In 2012, after a few wonderful years of participating in the Tucson Folk Festival, I was asked to headline the festival on a Sunday night. I had a wonderful band of premier Tucson bandleaders, songwriters and musicians called the Angel Band consisting of Heather Hardy, Beverly Seckinger, Gillian DeLear, Mitzi Cowell, and Bunny Kirby and they agreed to play the show with me. We raised the roof and blew the doors off. No surprise with all with these kick-butt women on stage.
Heather and I have opened for America at the Fox theater and I had a fun gig recently opening for The Carlile Family Band at Monterey Court. Brandi's niece Caroline, nephew JayJ and brother Jay, who also plays harp and sings harmony for Wynonna Judd.
I now enjoy a somewhat quieter phase of mu musical journey with two monthly church bands (Amber Norgaard, Ralph Gilmore, Danny Krieger, Casey Hadland, Jay Trapp, Stuart Oliver) and occasional calls from venues to play solo. I occasionally play a gig with Melanie Morrison as a duo called The Cactus Wrens. My newest endeavor is a wonderful acoustic funky and fresh duo with the multi-talented Connie Brannock in The Queen Bees Duo.
So far, so amazing!