WELCOME TO TEXAS - We moved to Texas in Sept of 68 and I was sent to school at Alamo Heights Jr School. I had discovered that Texas had paved roads and everything and was nothing like the stereotype of Texas that a boy from Iowa had imagined. Still, this was a real culture shock. Everybody dressed and acted different and at this school everybody was either very rich or very poor. I was neither and didn't really fit in here. There was no middle class except for a very small minority. After getting picked on by the local Mexican gangs and ignored by the rich kids like the Cavenders, I simply kept to myself and kept practicing my guitar. One day in gym class this big guy and his friend came up to me. I was sure I was going to get my ass kicked. It turned out that this guys name was Bill and his friend was a guy named Phil Moran. They said they heard something about me. They heard that I played guitar and wanted to know if I was any good. Knowing that I could still get my ass kicked, I said I was, hoping they would spare my life. I knew that if I said I wasn't, they might turn me over to the Mexican gang who played circle push with a new white guy victim everyday. Bill and Phil suggested we get together for a jam over at Bill's house. They were trying to get a band together and were looking for a guitar player. We met on a Saturday for a jam at Bill's. He played bass and was actually pretty good. I don't remember just what it was that Phil did, but he was there and into it. Nothing much came out of these jams as Bill's dad gave him a hard time and he finally gave up his bass for playing on the track team at school. He sold his bass to Phil and we just kind of hung out together with the idea of getting something going sometime.

THE DEERFIELD INVENTION - Phil Moran and i became pretty good friends. He felt pretty much out of place at this school like i did and we had a lot in common. We hung out together and discovered the world by way of records from the DOORS and others. Phil didn't really play any instruments nor did he discover that he could sing but he was really into the band thing. Our interest together was just mostly about things musical. I was still hoping to find a band or something and just kept practicing my guitar. One day Phil introduces me to this guy named GABE who was a singer and had a band already in place. Gabe was a real slimeball but i didn't really know this at the time. It really didn't matter either considering that i was still real new to Texas and didn't know that many people. Gabe invited me over for a tryout since they were looking for a lead guitar player. Phil and i went over one day and met the guys. It turns out that i got the gig and plans were made for regular practice sessions because they had some birthday party gigs coming up. Unfortunately there was nothing for Phil to do and he soon quit coming along. We still hung out at school but for now my interest was to have this band thing work out. We decided to call ourselves 'The Deerfield Invention' which was a twist on the name of Jeff Sime's group back in Iowa. (Sorry Jeff... life's a bitch). I remember there was a guy named Jerry on guitar. His brother Brad on drums. A bass player i don't remember and Gabe on vocals. We played a few partys and did songs the best we could. One night Gabe decides to quit after doing one of these partys and left us high and dry. That's OK since he was a real control freak and a general slimeball. It did mean however, that we would have to find a new place to practice. We decided that we would continue on with the band but we needed a new lead singer. One day at practice, Jerry shows up with this girl who says she wants to be a singer. She was in high school (a real older woman). She was kinda pretty too. I don't remember if she could sing but details like that didn't really matter because none of us could sing even though i tried my hand on a few tunes. Welcome to the band. We immediately learned some Jefferson Airplane songs and did our best at learning other popular songs of the time. Things were pretty happy for awhile. We did a few parties and played at the Jewish community center even though none of us were jewish. Eventually, Jerry and Mary decided to quit since they had been fooling around and it didn't work out. This pretty much gutted the band since they were key members. For about 8 months we had a real thing but could not recover after this. So I returned to just hanging out and practicing again. Phil and i spent alot of time together again and some major events for us going to the Mule Stall at Alamo Heights stadium after football games to see bands. The regular bands there turns out to be a who's who of people that would later become famous or nearly famous in the years to come. Bands such as FLASH with Chris Geppert (Chris Cross) or Chris Holzhaus, the Perron brothers, Van Wilks and too many others to mention. I was definately awake and paying attention.

MEADOW PART I - It was now 1969 and my folks moved to a new neighborhood requiring that I change schools. I was entering high school and would go to Robert E Lee in San Antonio. This place was much much better than Alamo Heights. At least everyone there was middle class and I had a better time in fitting in. Phil stayed back at Alamo Heights and entered the high school. On the weekends we would get together. By now he had started to make sense of that bass he bought from Bill. For about 6 months we would get together and just jam. At that time I thought that I was a singer and we would hammer out songs by Cream or Hendrix or anything else that we could manage between the two of us. His bass playing was just not that good and eventually Phil would bring on a guy named Terry Lewis who played bass. Phil would do some singing or bang around on drums and we would generally have a good time just jamming around. Terry would eventually give it up for some reason or another so Phil started playing bass again. By this time we were looking for a drummer. During our freshman year we met a drummer named Alan Lovelace. He was a blond likable enough guy and we started practicing at his house. His dad hated us, or more precisely, he hated the fact that his son was involved in a band. We did do several gigs together and for Phil and I, it was a pretty happy time. Unfortunately, Alan was forced to give it up by his dad so we started searching for a new drummer. We were now sophomores in school and one day we met a guy named Steve Stout. He insisted on going by the name "Brillo" since he had a big ol Afro haircut. He was also known as "LightBulb". He played pretty decent for a high schooler and we soon formed a trio. Brillo's idol was Gene Coleman in the local band HOMER and would sometimes act as his personal roadie when Gene would let him. By this time I had bought a better guitar ( a 1962 Gibson melody maker from a pawn shop ) and gotten my hands on a Fender Bassman amp head. Me and Phil each made speaker cabinets for ourselves for our guitars. Phil bought a Fender Showman amp head for his bass. We were on our way. We worked up a batch of songs and starting looking for paying gigs. At this time Phil and I shared vocal duties and we stuck to songs that could be pulled off with a three piece group. I made contact with a guy named Sam Kinsey who ran a teen club called the Teen Canteen. Sam also ran a booking agency for young bands. Soon we were playing little gigs around town as well as at the Teen Canteen on occasion. After about 6 months Brillo announced he would have to leave. Something about the army or moving or some kinda reason. You never could tell. Phil was now going to Edison HS and met a drummer named Mark Overstreet. This guy was a really good drummer. The only problem was, his style was jazz. Jazz as in Buddy Rich or big band style. For about 6 months we played gigs together but it was kinda weird. Imagine playing Cream songs with a Buddy Rich backbone. Mark's playing and bad temper eventually got to us and we started to look around for a new drummer. One day a mutual friend introduces us to a child of 13 who plays drums. Our friend who introduced us claims this guy is great. This guys name was Brian Goldberg. We set up a jam. From the first song a special magic happens. Brian is rock solid and fluid. A true child prodigy. After playing wantabee jazz with Mark, this is like heaven. Phil and I go over to Marks house to fire him. We feel kinda bad but Mark got real ugly about it and Brian was a perfect match. We were now a power trio and we got good real fast. Our band started to get some real respect and we became a regular act at the Canteen as well as regular gigs around town. Soon we could stand up to the best of them in our general age bracket. We were still way below real pro acts like HOMER or GIANT SMILING DOG but yet we were hot at our level. For 2 years until about my junior and early senior year we remained a band and became little minor stars around our high schools. No gas station jobs for us.

MEADOW PART II - The 5th & 6th lineup and years from early 1973 thru late 74'.

STUDEBAKER HAWK - It was now late 1974 and I had been basically just hanging out trying to plot my next move. I worked at the Teen Canteen behind the snack bar on weekends and did a stretch at a music store during the week while attending S.A.C courses. One night at the Canteen the featured band was Studebaker Hawk. I had seen these guys before and knew that they made decent money basically as a variety band. They were decent enough when they were given the chance to play at gigs that allowed a tougher brand of rock. They were basically family men who needed to make money rather than be musical pioneers and try for clubs like the Pussycat. I got into a chat with the bass player John during a break and mentioned that I had been looking for a new gig since Meadow had split up. It was a passing comment on my part. When the next break came around, all the members surrounded me and asked me to step outside. Oh man! What had I done now? As it turns out, they started grilling me about my taste in music and work habits and so on. I'll be damned! This was turning out to be a interview. They finally got around to telling me that the Keyboard player "Ducie" was leaving and they were thinking of adding a guitar player to replace him. They asked if I would be interested in joining if the next rehearsal clicked musically. They were not my idea of a wild renegade outfit but yet they were highly organized, made money and were a step up the respectability ladder as far as local bands went. Rehearsals went fine as I brought a grit and fearless attitude in my playing to their sound. They had always played with a restraint and caution that kept them from cutting loose even though they had the chops to do so if they would only cut loose. Over a period of several months I played with them at their regular gigs such as air bases and weddings. As time when on I persuaded them to take on stronger tunes from the likes of Deep Purple and Allmond Bros. As this change in material started to occur the band started to get increasingly more aggressive and adventurous. This started to show in the clubs as our following started to grow and we actually started to get a little known outside the air bases. When the original drummer left I talked Brian Goldberg into joining. Brian is a remarkably powerful drummer and the new attitude that had been gaining was ready for an all out assault. We worked up a new set of tougher rock tunes and began becoming a regular feature at the local clubs. Things were starting to sound great and I was feeling proud when other local musicians started to show up at the gigs. One night Gene Coleman and Sam Davis show up in the audience. A few nights earlier I had run into Sam and mentioned that I would be interested in something different if the chance ever came up. Sam had conveyed this to Gene and they decided to check me out. They had just disbanded HIERONYMOUS and were looking to get together with some new hot guitar players. I was extremely flattered that they thought I was worth checking out as I had always been aware of Gene's reputation and past band history. They ended up making me an offer to join Gene, Sam, and David Hill in the formation of a new outfit they were putting together. I was floating on air at this chance. The news that I would be leaving the Hawk brought a solemn response but yet the guys wished me well and good luck. I still remained friends with all but Porky who held a grudge. The way was clear to embark on my new adventure with my new "Friends".

PALE WHITE HORSE - For the next couple weeks, Gene, Sam and I would meet at coffee shops and have endless talks about all types of things as we got to know each other. I guess it was their style to have every detail all worked out before even touching an instrument. This style of band formation was new to me as I had always just gotten together and started banging it out. I grew to appreciate the wisdom in doing things this way as all the details fell in place. Everything from stage setup, song selection and stage flow, promotion, advertising, steps of advancement all came into focus. Gene was a long time veteran of the band scene and knew what to do to have a successful outfit. His knowledge and attitude of "thinking big" would assure success even before we even touched our instruments the first time. This left a huge impression on me as I had never worked this way before. I grew to have a great respect for this guy and knew that success was right around the corner if I stuck with him. When we finally started rehearsals we already had a plan and course of action and the music was just a formality. The only flaw in all of this was David Hill. David had been in the successful band Joker Moon in the years before. He was a major talent all his own and had a completely different method of band building. David had been a fellow classmate of mine at Lee High School so I had known him and had bared witness to his own successful string of bands and accomplishments over the years. His style was to sit around the living room with guitars and sing and let things pretty much fall into place on the fly. David was the only one with a superior singing voice so it was obvious that he would be the future focus point of the band. The songs we did and the direction we would take would be highly focused in his favor. Already this arrangement could lead to problems as the rest of us were highly into planning everything out. Rehearsals on the music commenced in a rather strained fashion as we learned each others ways of doing things. The music became centered on a style based on a similar style of what Eric Clapton had been doing in his early solo career. Not quite acoustic based, not quite heavy guitar and drums based. After several weeks we had enough songs and started to play gigs around town. Mostly to empty dance clubs. We were not quite rock enough for dance clubs, yet not acoustic enough for sit down clubs like David was use to. In our off time, Gene, Sam and myself would hang out together while David kept to his own crowd. Needless to say, this could not go on, and it didn't. After about six months we called it quits. Gene and David grew to resent each other and this could not be fixed. Sam and I could hang out comfortably with either but not with Gene and David together. A parting of the ways ensued as the band split up. David returned to acoustic sit down music. Sam got an offer from a young band called HEYOKA and would soon join them. Gene and I had become good friends, saw things the same way and decided to form a rock outfit. The outcome would be the formation of Overload. All that planning and plotting at the late night coffee shops would soon payoff. We hoped!

OVERLOAD PART I - During the last couple months of Pale White Horse gigs, this rather annoying guy would turn up at our gigs on occasion. He would approach me during our breaks and push his way into letting himself use and tinker around on my guitar. He was pushy, overweight, dirty, had bad manners and was generally repulsive. Then he would take my guitar and play it like I have never seen it played before, up close anyway. This guy could play any lick by Clapton or Hendrix or Leslie West with such a confidence that I knew he was something special. Kind of like an idiot savant. (Note: Robbie is now a Nashville studio musician). As time went on I befriended this guy and would sometimes end up at his house to jam. (He mooched me for rides and favors, I just ended up there). It became apparent that this was a guy to hold on to as everything he and I played together turned into magic. Together we played as a great team in the league of Niles/Gloor, Coy/Overall and so on. Double harmony leads and the ability to read each others next move and licks became 6th sense with little or no effort. This guys name was Robbie Vaughn and when PWH totally blew up, I knew (and Gene) that this was the guy who would be part of the new outfit. In several weeks time Rob and I had worked out several sets of difficult complex material between us. We sounded complete and full with just the two of us. Gene could not always stand him but yet could not deny the magic Rob and I were putting out. Meanwhile, Gene had taken notice of this other guy in a little known band around town. He played a decent but not great bass. What stood out was his stage personna. Pat Hood was into theater type drama in his onstage poses and facial contortions. Often acting out like his hero Ian Anderson in Jethro Tull. Pat even looked like him. Pat did this style of overly dramatic and extreme mannerisms while he played. Kind of like Gene Coleman's own style except way more intense. In a small empty club, this looked ridiculous, but in a concert setting those mannerisms could be a grand stage act. Gene befriended Pat and invited him over for a jam with Rob and I. That jam was magic from the first bar. Tight, solid, thick and driving. Add to that the theatrics of Pat and Gene and myself. All the while Rob standing still while blowing these hot chops. It was all meant to be. At that first jam Pat took all the vocals chores. Knowing how hard it is to find good lead singers, he assumed that he would be the best we would have. Wrong. I had been talking with my old childhood pal and former band mate Phil Moran about this project. He didn't want anything to do with it at first since he had worked with Gene in HIERONYMOUS and still had a bad taste in his mouth over the breakup. As it turns out, his main beef had been with Coy/Overall rather than Coleman as much. He finally came around for a jam to check out this lineup. After that day, he was on board for the ride. After hearing Phil, Pat made up his mind that this band would be something special. The force was in place. Gene and Pat would provide the onstage theater antics. Strange, weird but eye catching antics. Rob and myself would provide the hot guitars. Rob projected a homely but lovable Ringo Starr aura while I did the stomping pretty boy thing. Phil would be the dangerous pretty boy with superior vocals thing. (aka deep purple's Ian Gillian). Our stage setup would have elaborate amounts of color and props but yet would get changed at each new gig. Amps would always be on risers and spread out across the stage to project a sense of power. Stage clothes would always be classy yet colorful and dangerous. (Gene would always say "There should be no doubt that you are a band member in the eyes of the average club patron"). The music selection would be extremely danceable but yet musically complex enough to impress other musicians. Also, we needed enough original music to play a 45 minute set as a warm up act when needed but not enough to turn off a dance club crowd. A big P.A. system was obtained by hook or crook to assure a powerful clean sound. Also flash powders, lights and strobes. Weird mime-like makeup would come later as a shock feature. All these details and items were to be in place before we would play our first gig. We planned to come on strong from the first gig onward. All this prep and planning paid off and worked right from the first gig. Within weeks we had a huge draw. Within 3 months we were breaking local clubs previous attendance records and moved into the opening act slots at several national act shows. At six months, we played into the Austin and Dallas markets. We went over really well in Dallas, soon becoming a regular big draw in the clubs in the Metroplex. Once exposed to the different types of music commonly heard in Dallas, we would incorporate this to our song list making us even more exotic to the audience back in SA. Soon booking agents in Dallas had us signed up for extensive tour work. This is where the trouble begins. Not at first, mind you. You see, once you are appearing in markets and small towns where nobody knows you, you often play to empty halls facing audiences who do not know you or even understand what you are about. This is a stark contrast to doing home turf where the hometown crowds love you. Combine sometimes hostile empty crowds with long stretches of travel and constant choking togetherness and a tight day-to-day living expense budget, and the fray in the fabric starts to come unraveled. After eight months or so of constant traveling (5 weeks out, 3 days home), the thoughts of escaping start creeping in. This is what happened here. And did happen in the end. In retrospect, it could have been averted if we had taken a month off, away from each other every so often. Hindsight is a bitch!!