Johnny Cash, Cream, Pink Floyd, Meryle Haggard, Barry Gibb, Elvis, Conway Twitte, Lou Rawls, Charlie Pride, Gordon Lightfootetc.

Description

I have various sets depending on what you are looking for. I do the following tribute shows: Johnny Cash, Meryl Haggard, Cream, Pink Floyd, Bee Gees (Barry Gibb). I also have variety sets: Country/Western, Oldies (primarily 60s, 70s, and 80s). Furthermore, I write and perform comedy sketches, monologues, etc. I also MC events and have a great announcer's voice and presence that can keep an event highly entertaining, on schedule, and memorable. I have degree and experience in all aspects of film production. I act in commercials, films, and do voice over work as well. If you're looking ... to create a dynamic highly captivating hilarious show, then I'm the key ingredient you need. Calls are preferable. 727-798-1101 Read More

Set-List

I have various sets depending on what you are looking for. I do the following tribute shows: Johnny Cash, Meryl Haggard, Cream, Pink Floyd, Bee Gees (Barry Gibb). I also have variety sets: Country/Western, Oldies (primarily 60s, 70s, and 80s). Furthermore, I write and perform comedy sketches, monologues, etc. I also MC events and have a great announcer's voice and presence that can keep an event highly entertaining, on schedule, and memorable. I have degree and experience in all aspects of film production. I act in commercials, films, and do voice over work as well. If you're looking ... to create a dynamic highly captivating hilarious show, then I'm the key ingredient you need. Read More

Biography

My Musical Bio
Now the thing is, maybe I'm different, but my list of top ten musicians and entertainers would not look like the top ten of most people nor would it conform to what the media tries to push as must haves. I'm walking irony – a walking contradiction. For instance, I could put Chopin's “Piano concerto No 1” alongside the Bee Gees “Too Much Heaven,” Johnny Nash's “Hold Me Tight,” Marvin Gaye's “What's Going On,” Brooks Benton's “Rainy Night in George,” and Aaron Neville's “Tell It Like It Is” on the same list of most beautiful songs. That too is an im ... possible category since Pink Floyd's “Comfortably Numb” could qualify next to Ann Murray's “Could I Have This Dance.” So the real goal of the discussion today is not to come up with the definitive top 10 list. Many TV shows and billboard discussions have tried to do that, and they always consistently get it totally wrong.
I am a true connoisseur of music. The only kind I don't like is what is popular and what is conventional. I don't care how cool it may be or what lyrical genius is supposedly represented, most of the works today cannot hold a candle to classics of the past. There are some exceptions of course. But there will never be another Johnny Cash, Marvin Gaye, or George Jones. In fact, I still cry when I hear “Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes” by George Jones because the fact is no one is capable of filling their shoes. So my goal in performing is never to try to fill their shoes or trump them. My goal is to remind Americans of their rich musical heritage and to keep this amazing history alive and well especially for a young generation of people. People should not show me their top 10 list until they've listened to Sam Cooke, Curtis May field, Johnny Nash, Aaron Neville, Stevie Wonder, Lou Rawls, the Stylistics, Curtis Mayfield or any number of incredible African American artists of the past who truly were gifted. I am equally worshipful of country classics from Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Ricky Skaggs, and more. I do not believe music is racist. I believe talent is talent. Its sad that in today's world, its often a requirement to be beautiful or handsome and certainly sexy in order to land a contract and most of it is manipulated in a studio anyway. But I admire those people who are amazing performers and musicians despite their physical characteristics.
I like to know and discuss what people truly find beautiful and masterful in music terms. Music tells others about who we are, and it nourishes our own soul with the truth. It can make us better people or it can destroy us. It can build relationships or tear them apart. Just ask my wife. There's nothing she loves more than dancing with me to our wedding song, “How Deep is Your Love” by the Bee Gees while I sing like Barry Gibb in her ear. And yes I can. But there's nothing she hates more than when I crank a Weezer song from my car. I love them both, although the Bee Gees still trump all. I also love to crank the entire Disraeli Gears album by Cream, to me one of the greatest albums of all times; various funk hits from Stevie Wonder, and classic country hits like “Man in Black” and “Understand Your Man” by Johnny Cash, which works very well at a feminists rally. Just kidding. I also pride myself in cranking songs by artists you've never heard of like the Bar-Kays and Harry Blanchard; as well as, cranking songs so radically out of style politically and socially and out of character for a middle aged white guy in an old black BMW that it melts your conformity chicken feathers right off your body and leaves you pondering how, why, and if such a person exists – a person that can blast “So Lonesome” by Hank Williams Sr from the walls of a shiny black BMW while wearing a tuxedo or on the contrary, worshiping motionless in a beat up brown '77 Pacer while listening to Chopin.
In fact, if you've pulled up next to me in traffic, I'm sure you've heard one of those artists loudly played and thought boy, that's odd. Its not ear bursting hip hop or bang till you bleed heavy metal. Hopefully you'd stop long enough to think that maybe there's a message behind what I'm cranking. Maybe multiple truths that I'm trying to proclaim, not only in the lyrics but in the mere act of cranking such unique rare music. That is indeed why I've done this for most of my life. Because I want people to stop and think. I want them to be shaken out of their stupor of musical conformity and freed from the cattle stalls of only “what's popular.” A beautiful day in American to me would be having children all over the country march out of the public schools, with “We Don't Need No Education” from the Wall Album cranked. I try to plant that seed every time I drive through a school zone with that song cranked while some anal volunteer safety crossing guard looks at me like he has a cob up his ass. At the same time, poor citizens who've had their home stolen by code enforcement would march into the county code office with “Fightin Side of Me” cranked as they dance wildly knocking over the boring beige chairs in the boring beige waiting area. Better yet, those same citizens play “Fightin Side of Me” while waiting in the voting line to vote every crooked politician out of office. That would really be the best of both worlds – breaking free of the cattle stalls while doing it with pomp and circumstance.
For now, I'll have to just stick to cranking my atypical music, wearing bright red shoes, and mint green leisure suits to church in order to break up the mundane conformity of the world. I'm a walking contradiction. I wear bright red shoes – but I don't admire the Pope's, I don't worship Satan, and I don't want to fit in with the elites which are all things that came up when I spent a day researching – Why a Man Wears Red Shoes. I wear them because I got them for $10. And I do like brightly colored shoes although I equally enjoy my snakeskin cowboy boots and black combat boots. Quite the contradiction. In fact, I like to dance and I like to ride horses and am a man's man. Something they say is incompatible. Hey, it worked for Patrick Swayze. You all know he could dance, but I'll bet you didn't know he was an accomplished horse rancher and man's man too. The mint green leisure suit? Well, I just like '70s attire, and I wanted a suit to stand out at church, to give a laugh, to have some fun in a place that too often doesn't have enough fun. Or maybe I secretly wanted to wear one because Joe Frazier, who is my favorite boxer, wears one in Rocky. Not sure, but it sure feels great strutting around in it. Its a damn shame that most of the world, at least those under 70, will never get the joy of that feeling most likely unless I can manage another goal of mine – to bring '70s fashion back. I have a closet full of terry cloth and velour shirts older than I am. Praise God for those. Sorry for that departure, but I'm really not sure yet if this article is about music, nonconformity, or the fact that I'm a walking contradiction. I guess its about all three, because its really about inspiring you to be all three. To expand your horizons musically, spiritually, and in life.
So what's more important than your top 10 list is what you do with it. Do you live it. Is it part of your narrative or is it part of the political media narrative? Can your music enlighten mankind and perhaps save others? Is it so beautiful that it pours like oil over a person's soul making them a new creation? Or is it so noisy and chaotic that it rips their soul apart? I believe music should be more than duh duh duh and that it can heal society. When I play “Too Much Heaven” by the Bee Gees in a Walmart parking lot, there is a tangible angelic beauty that seems to cover the hearers that open themselves to such beauty. My wife and I attended a Bee Gees Tribute at the Convention Center here. We were likely the youngest people in the building and many were using walkers and canes as I saw them gather for the concert. The music began, and I could not sit still. I took my wife by the hand and began dancing in the isle. Pretty soon, many people got up and started dancing too. And by the time the concert was over likely 70% were dancing. I literally saw multiple old ladies and men who cast aside their walkers and canes and lept like children. I'm not making this up. I beheld an absolute miracle at that concert. Music is powerful. There's a reason why God says we should sing and give thanks always. There's a reason why there is non-stop angelic music in heaven. Music is one of God's most beautiful creations and my goal as a performer is to bring that experience, fun, and excitement to the audience.
I played tuba and was involved in concert and marching bands for 12 years. However, I developed severe arthritis from year of hard manual labor and do not play any other instruments. But I can sing, MC, and entertain. Now back to my essay.
Get outside the box and experience the unending world of music. Listen to jazz. Listen to Chopin. Listen to Johnny Cash. Then pop on a funky Stevie Wonder track or "Superfly" by Curtis Mayfield. You may not be black, but you'll be walking like a proud black man after you listen to that. And you know what, you'll have black friends. I know more black artists than most black people do because I truly love them, and I'm not limited to what's popular or well known. I am equally at home at a blue grass festival and will often sing many classics with that group. I am equally thrilled to get to enjoy a symphony orchestra, although I make sure to wear my snakeskin cowboy boots to bust the stereotype that all country folk are stupid and ignorant of great music and culture.
I have been to blues festivals. I respect and can appreciate most any genre. So as you can tell, it would be impossible for me to write a top 10 list unless you broke it down into very specific categories.
That said, I would not feel I've done my duty today unless I mention just a few artists and composers that I feel every human being should listen to:
1) Chopin – Specifically, “Piano Concerto No 1 in E Minor”
2) The Bee Gees from the early '60s stuff to the 2000s. They are the only band to have number ones in five different decades. At the very least listen to “I Started a Joke” and “Too Much Heaven”
3) “What's Going On” by Marvin Gaye, as well as his version of the National Anthem sung in the 1983 NBA All-Star Game.
4) “Cavatina” played on guitar by the greatest movie composer in history John Williams.
5) “Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes” by George Jones and “He Stopped Loving Her Today” considered the greatest country song of all times.
6) “So Lonesome” by Hank Williams and just the whole damn album.
7) “The Disraeli Gears” album by Cream
8) “Because” by the Beatles. Its amazing how many songs they have that are not known. Also they, like the Bee Gees and many artists, said they were inspired and heavily influenced by country music legends like Buck Owens and Hank Sr. They even recorded “Act Naturally” by Buck Owens although not done nearly as well as Buck Owens.
9) Barry Gibb and his wife are now in Nashville and just made an album with all the best country singers. He said at the Opry that Nashville is the heart of music and the most important place in the world for music. Then he sang with blue grass legend and another one of my heroes, Ricky Skaggs. You can watch this on youtube.
10) The greatest guitar player in history is not Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton, or Jeff Beck, although they are all great. The greatest in history is by far and away, the late Glenn Campbell. [Play an example from Hee Haw].
11) There are countless soundtracks that are amazing. Neverending Story, Saturday Night Fever, Leap of Faith, Karate Kid and Superman. Even Jaws, Rocky and Rambo First Blood has beautiful music contained in it. Who would've thought. Again, I mentioned Cavatina earlier. It was the theme to one of the most tough and controversial films of all times, the Deer Hunter. Who would've thought, one of the most beautiful songs ever made could be found in such a movie. Of course, if you're like me, you find the movie Deer Hunter beautiful because it is such a masterpiece of Russian style movie craftsmanship and features the greatest acting performances in the history of film. Ever sit down for a listen of the Rambo theme song by great film composer, Jerry Goldsmith, or perhaps the Karate Kid score that features some of the most beautiful Asian inspired music written by Bill Conti who also scored the Rocky films. Both are quite beautiful and inspires me at least to live a life of ideals and meaning. So beautiful that my wife and I had one of the songs from the Karate Kid Soundtrack featured during the wedding ceremony. By the way, that was a one of a kind wedding featuring some of the music I'm discussing here today.
12) If you like the “new” '80s synth sound of which I'm a big fan, there's the theme song for the movie Warriors. Jaws is not only the greatest movie ever made but owes half its success to the most perfect soundtrack ever composed for a movie. Take a listen after you take another watch.
13) Of course, such a list would not be complete without a mention of Pink Floyd's “Dark Side of the Moon,” which is the most popular record album ever made according to google. The reality is that I love that album, but it is not my favorite Pink Floyd album. I would contend that “Division Bell” is the best album they made followed by “The Wall.” Sadly, some will not even take the time to listen to these albums because their social media friends and groups do not require it to be cool. But to be cool, they think they have to have a Dark Side t-shirt. Never mind Division Bell or the thousands of other incredible Pink Floyd works that no one even talks about. Either way, anything done by Roger Waters and the crew are worth devoting an hour or two with your eyes closed while laying prostrate on the floor, preferable on an avocado green shag rug like I have in my home.
14) I recently discovered Gary Numan's somewhat unknown '80s classic, “Praying to the Aliens.” Its a great song. You all would know Gary Numan if I mentioned his big '80s hit, “Cars.” Its a good song too, but not his best. Luckily talent doesn't go undiscovered. He's a bigger star today than he was in the '80s. You Brits certainly know Gary.
15) By now, I'm realizing this is impossible. There's just so many groups and songs to mention. I haven't even covered Brian Wilson's masterpiece albums “Smile” and “Pet Sounds,” The Everly Brothers, Credence, The Stylistics, The Fletch Soundtrack, The Footloose Soundtrack, and so many other songs and anything Johnny Cash. Oh yeah, I already mentioned him. But it bears repeating. How about Gary Pucket and the Union Gap, America; no not the song, the band; How about Three Dog Night who did a great cover of Otis Redding's “Try a Little Tenderness.” Everyone remembers “Sittin' on the dock of the Bay,” but “Try a Little Tenderness” is by far and away Mr. Redding's best song and few even knows it. There's so much soul in that song that I was black from the knee down for two days after listening to that. Its like those of you who've never been to the country in the Appalachian Mountains. After listening to Johnny Cash and June Carter, you have been. Or listening to “Highway 40 Blues” by Ricky Skaggs or “In the Pines” by Bill Monroe you suddenly want to travel to every blue grass festival in the country. They take you on a trip, like Pink Floyd and Cream, but in their own unique way. That's why music rocks. It transports you out of yourself.
16) By the way, have you ever listened to the Sanford and Son theme song. Its actually an older song not written for the show. You remember Sanford and Son about the two black antique dealers starring Red Fox. Anyway, its a great song and one I love cranking in the car and funking out to. Plus the looks on people's faces are priceless. Something about a conservative looking white guy riding around in a black shiny BMW with that cranked has to be a funny site.
17) How about the theme to the Fall Guy, one of my favorite '80s action TV shows. Great show and even better theme song. In the song he talks about all the women, like Rachel Welsh, Sally Field and Farrah Fawcett he's know but he says, “when I lye down in the hay, its only hay. Hay Hay.” In other words, he can't score with any of them. Hilarious!
18) Again, Curtis Mayfield's music makes some of the musicians the media praises today look like Bantha Fodder. Marvin Gaye. Stevie Wonder or even Aaron Neville could kick most of their asses. So don't be so quick to put a crown on Prince or Michael Jackson's altered plastic head until you've spent hours listening to the genius of the other three.
19) In terms of most beautiful singers of all times, I'd put Aaron Neville in the top 10 alongside Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Gary Pucket from Gary Pucket and the Union Gap, Ronnie Milsap, Marvin Gaye, George Jones, Sam Cooke, Anne Murray, Dolly Parton and Johnny Mathis.
Bottomline, there's a lot of music out there so listen to it. Explore. Take time to shut your phone off and the noise of the world off and fill it with beautiful music. You will be amazed how your spirit is rejuvenated and your health improves. Who knows, you may be able to throw your walker or cane to the side as those people did at the Bee Gees concert. I know I literally sit motionless in my car for the full 42 minutes when I first heard “Piano Concerto No 1 in E Minor” by Chopin. People walking by me in the parking lot must've thought I was crazy. The music was turned up as loud as I could play it. It was yet another one of my cries to humanity to break loose of your shackles.
So if and when I should die, after my funeral; where you gasped in terror or laughed as a spring mechanism shot me up in the middle of the funeral, cried as Chopin, Cavatina, or maybe even the theme to Rambo was played, and celebrated a life lived as a true individual; you can go to a Walmart parking lot and crank the most ridiculous funny politically incorrect songs you can think of and perhaps start the dance party to the Bar-Kays that I always dreamed of. You can rest assured that I will be dancing and singing in heaven because music will be there and it will be beautiful.
Oh and if you want to hire me for anything or find out more about what I can do, please call me at 7247-798-1101. Thank you! Read More

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Man In Black

I have various sets depending on what you are looking for. I do the following tribute shows: Johnny Cash, Meryl Haggard, Cream, Pink Floyd, Bee Gees (Barry Gibb). I also have variety sets: Country/Western, Oldies (primarily 60s, 70s, and 80s). Furthermore, I write and perform comedy sketches, monologues, etc. I also MC events and have a great announcer's voice and presence that can keep an event highly entertaining, on schedule, and memorable. I have degree and experience in all aspects of film production. I act in commercials, films, and do voice over work as well. If you're looking to create a dynamic highly captivating hilarious show, then I'm the key ingredient you need.