I was Born in Honolulu, Hawaii and in the late 50’s our family moved to Alhambra, a suburb in Los Angeles. So, I’m an Angelino but I say that I’m from Hawaii because it sounds more exotic. You learn that in Hollywood. I’ve always loved singing and after high school, I worked in small bands doing frat parties and wedding receptions while pursuing a degree in Advertising Design and working at a manufacturing job in South El Monte. A friend introduced me to Carol “Skitchy” Washburn, who’s sister Donna sang backgrounds for Hoyt Axton. Back then, we would spend almost every night in Donna’s living room in North Hollywood singing with a variety of friends including Doug Dillard, Claudia Lennear, and other wonderful singers and songwriters. It was quite an education.
One Tuesday night we went to Hoyt Axton’s place in Coldwater Canyon to hang out and play and as we were leaving, Hoyt asked if I wanted to join him that Friday night at the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach. I sang and played guitar and harmonica with Hoyt in the United States, Canada, Germany and England for about 12 years. I also was writing my own songs and shopping them around town until Hoyt offered me a staff writing job for Lady Jane Music (now part of the Universal Music Group). I wrote and co-wrote songs on records by Hoyt and other artists including Johnny Cash, John Hartford & Doug Dillard, Sarah Lee Guthrie, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, Three Dog Night & others (see Discography).
The bottom fell out of the music business in the early 80’s. I think I read that Columbia trimmed its workforce by two-thirds. Interest rates rose to the 18% and beyond. Hoyt focused on his acting acting career (Gremilns, The Black Stallion, etc). My wife Carol and I, recently married and with house payments, decided to change careers. I tried real estate for a year and then followed Carol into Computer Systems and Data Processing. The IT business was far more creative and interesting than I had expected. It resulted in 10 years at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena and 20 years at the Walt Disney Animation Studios. I retired in 2014 and have been writing/recording, and designing/building custom acoustic guitars and ukuleles for private clients since then.
I released an album of songs in 2012 called The Writing Wall:
- Genre: Electroacoustic / Americana / Folk / Blues / Indie
- Record Label: Dawsophone
- Type of Label: Independant
- Website: www.dawsophone.com
- Born: Honolulu, Hawaii. Currently lives in Los Angeles
- CD: “The Writing Wall” released March 15, 2012. All original songs.
- Influences: Anybody with a good melody and a strong rhythmic groove.