Biography

I got my early musical education sitting in with musicians in the bars up on Forest Avenue and Harding Road here in Des Moines. Rose Marie Webster, Luther Allison, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee were some of the people I bugged till they let me play harp or a little guitar with them.

I gigged around as a solo act until I joined The Wapsie River Band in 1980. I barn stormed the Midwest with them for ten years. Quite a few of the songs I’ve written were inspired by those times of playing biker bars and dives.

In 1990 I went back to playing solo, opening up for Lyle Lovett, The Band, The Austin Lounge Lizards, Dan Hicks, Jerry Jeff Walker, Norman Blake, Steve Forbert, Leon Redbone, and countless Blues acts that came through Iowa. This coupled with a weekly gig at Flanagan’s, enabled me to record a couple of cds on the Hot Fudge label. I was also a part of the trio Two Bobs and a Babe which included Hot Fudge label-mates Bob Dorr and Molly Nova.

My music is Blues/Folk based but depending where I’m playing, you might find me covering a Jazz standard, Robert Johnson, Lyle Lovett or doing a set of my own tunes. My finger-picking guitar style can be traced back to my high school years of listening to Hot Tuna, Doc Watson and all the Blues, and Bluegrass albums I could get my hands on. Myslide playing was influenced by Johnny Winter, Lowell George and Ry Cooder. For slide I use a ’29 National and for most of my regular guitar work I use a ’35 Epiphone archtop. Mysongwriting has been heavily influenced by the Texas songwriters and tends towards self-deprecating humor.

This year I’ll be playing festivals, bar rooms, restaurants, churches, private parties from here to Rabbit Hash, Kentucky. Mostly I’m still a solo act but I also play guitar for The CJC Big Band, and The Party Gras Classic Jazz Band. My songs can be heard on KUNI and KFMG radio. My music has appeared in several Public Television projects, which have received EMMY, and other awards.

I’ve been a member of the Central Iowa Blues Society and have participated in their Blues in the Schools program. I also take on a limited number of guitar students.