My mother was a very keen music fan. Even in my pre-school years I remember listening to her records with her on her tiny Hi-Fi set. She collected 45 RPM 7 inch singles. In those days the “singles” had picture sleeves which added to the fascination for me. Her favorites were Hank Williams (Senior, that is, not his less talented offspring) and The Everly Brothers.
I developed a sort of record buying fixation and I would convince her to purchase a new record every week. This was a big thrill to me. We would walk down to Red Owl each week and I would scour their small record rack. Red Owl was a grocery chain but the store two blocks from our house had magazines and records as well.
I got my first guitar at the age of six and this interest in recorded music only intensified.
I so wanted to make records that I would ask my mother to write my name on the label of a record (one I was less fond of) just to see what my name would look like on a recording.
My career choice was thus made at a very tender age. This is probably inadvisable but my passion was pretty intense and those embers still have some glow left.
I have since made and played on many records including 45s, LPs, cassettes, CDs and MP3’s.