AC and me - Around 2011?

To understand this story, you have to know a little about my past.

As a child, I could not sing. And, I had the feedback to prove it.

My kindergarten teacher would ask me to do “something quiet” while the rest of the class sang.
In school, guys who played in the band always recruited to join the choir. Not me. Not ever. From elementary school all the way through high school, I had the distinction of never being recruited. Even my brother, who was tone deaf, was in choir for a few years.

While living in New York City, I got the chance to see blues legend, Howlin’ Wolf. Nobody could sing like The Wolf. But, it was the opening act that turned on a light inside me. I’d never heard of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, but I was hooked. That was the music for me! Acoustic blues was the thing, and Brownie played and sang with clarity and tone that was simply awesome. I was going to do that!

On the subway back, I thought about it. Not only could I not play a note on guitar, but I was proven to be a non-singer.

So, I put that idea aside for a few months when I had something like a vision from the heavens for my ears.
While on a trip to visit my tone-deaf brother, I heard John Prine’s first album. It had just been released and I must have listened to it through 10 times that night, and thought, “Great stuff! And, this guy can’t really sing, either.” So, I re-visited some of my old music. I gave Bob Dylan a listen through new ears. Then, Leo Kottke. No one could mistake them for the opera singers my aunt listened to, either.

And I said to myself, “I can do this!”

So, I went and got a guitar and learned a few chords. But, like any other new skill, the road was rocky. I was playing on the front porch at my parents and my dad came up from his darkroom with a big grin on his face. “I heard you playing,” he said, “and it almost sounded like a record.”

Then his expression changed, and he muttered, “Then, I heard you singing.” And he went on his way with a smirk.
Even though I knew my dad was never one to actually be discouraging, I pressed on with the knowledge that he, too, was tone deaf.

Several years passed and I got to play and sing with some folks and never once got thrown out of anywhere. Then, I moved to Atlanta and, with that, I get to the heart of my IOUBIG story.

A guy I worked with, John Anton, knew I could play and one day said to me, “Hey, I found somebody else who works here who plays and sings. He’s pretty good, and he wants to know if you want to get together.”

A thousand thoughts ran through my entire body, re-playing my checkered history in song and my limitid my five-chord repertoire, but the only positive thought I had was the one that came out of my mouth, “What the hey….sure.”

So, John hooked me up with this other guy named Adrian Clift. Now, Adrian could really sing and play some, and, he invited me back to play a second time. Turns out, we got together about every week end for a few years, played a few places, and wrote a few songs. It’s been over 35 years and we still get together every now and then. Adrian gave me the chance to develop some vocal chops, a musical identity, and gain some confidence in my musical abilities.

All that opened the doors for me to have lots of fun adventures, meet some of the best people on earth, and even win the attention of the love of my life (and, after all these years, we’re still married). Without that, I never would have met the folks who run this website!

So, IOUBIG John Anton and Adrian Clift. You guys opened the door for me to follow my musical muse and develop a life-long bad habit that’s not destructive. I still can’t play or sing like Brownie McGhee, but like my musical past, I’ve learned to live with that, too.

It’s a mighty good life!