Music was always a part of my childhood. My parents were always singing and my dad was a hobbyist guitar player. I can remember my father playing a record, Les Paul (The New Sound) I highly recommend this for any enthusiast, and I was amazed as well as convinced that I now needed a guitar.
I got my first guitar at age eight for Christmas, a Silvertone acoustic straight off the shelf at Sears. The bug didn't really bite until I turned 12. E Pluribus Funk was the record that hit me and that's when I decided to take things a little more seriously. "I Come Tumblin" was the track that did it. An instrument upgrade was clearly necessary at this point. It was a Melodier electric and an old Silvertone amp. Not much of an upgrade, but at least it was electric.
Fast forward. High school. My first real Gibson guitar, a black Les Paul Deluxe. A gift from my father which took two years to work off. "Thanks Dad." Influences ranged from Kiss to Led Zeppelin and everything in between. With learning all the standards, I managed to put a little band together and away we went playing anywhere from the school gym to parties and other functions. But we badly needed a second guitarist.
Enter Dennis W., a smokin' hot picker from the other side of town. With a Les Paul Special and a ton of attitude, man this guy played circles around every kid in town. I learned a pile of licks and tricks from the guy. Well that's what the band needed and things really took off for a while - but like all good things, it ended, badly.
A few years passed and Dennis and I crossed paths again and decided to give it another go. So we formed the band TRYXX. We learned six songs and entered a battle of the bands, played four of the six and won the damn thing! Now we were swamped with bookings and absolutely no collective set list to play. We locked ourselves away in the garage and hammered out 30 or so songs, focusing on good twin guitar type bands. We began gigging around southeastern North Carolina and parts beyond.
Life was great or so I thought, making a little money, sleeping late and all the other little perks that came along with the gig. The two axe attack with Dennis and me was very competitive; we pushed each other every time we were in the same room or on stage, and sometimes the solos would run a little "over." I was, and always, will be an attention whore!!!
We developed a large and loyal following. It was pretty cool to go to town or the mall and see people out wearing our tee shirts. This went on for a few years. This little venture turned into quite the behemoth; it grew faster than we could handle, really. The gigging and self-destructive personalities eventually took their toll on us, myself especially. The project imploded quickly and violently. I hung it up for a while after that episode and healed enough physically and mentally to give it another try.
Taking a much needed break and some serious wood-shedding, I tried to create a new style and signature tone I could call my own. A new town and fresh start was the agenda, a trio was formed and here we go again. Playing mostly originals, and not catering to the general public, made it tough. But it was great fun and it gave me the chance to be me, finally becoming comfortable with who and what I am. After several years of this and a rotating cast of members the demons returned and took over, again. It would be 2005 before I would even think about playing out again. Then it was just a series of sessions and guest appearances for a while.
My musical influences have varied over the years, but one guitarist has remained a constant inspiration. Frank Hannon. I first heard him in 1986 when Tesla Mechanical Resonance debuted, and he hasn't let me down since. I'm surprised he hasn't issued a warrant for my arrest, because I've been stealing licks from him for 22 years. The guy never ceases to amaze me with his style, tone and abilities. And I am happy to call him a buddy. Thank you Frank!
After thirty plus year of playing, my family still thinks it's just a "phase" I'm going through. I hope it never ends.
Other Interests:
- Riding and tinkering on motorcycles.
- Trying to get grass to grow in my yard of sand.
- And travel abroad, experiencing different cultures is a trip in itself.
Why Gibson guitars? Why not? The feel and tone I get from my Gibson guitars are exactly what I want. My selection of Gibsons is small but adequate for my needs: Two USA Les Pauls; a 2003 Standard (The Fartburst) and a 2004 Classic Gold Top; my trusty Modified Firebird, the workhorse; the J185ec Custom Shop. And that "Thing" - Clapton Cut Explorer.
I still would love someday to have a Les Paul R8 Lemon Drop just because I think that is one sexy beast. Thanks for listening and thank you Gibson for this first member highlight.
Yer Ole Pal AXE ®
Now this is what a few have said about his choice for this award
Thundergod says:
AXE sure knows how to play and has great tone no matter what rig he is using, he owns some awesome guitars and has lots of knowledge about Gibson stuff and guitars in general and is always willing to share it, no wonder forum members look up to him.
He likes to make us think he "stays pissed off" but he actually has a great sense of humour and knows what to say to make everyone laugh when it's needed.
All in all a great example of what Gibson owners and guitar players should be like.
RichCI says:
AXE is one of my favorite people on the board. He has a great (and twisted) sense of humor that he uses to bring perspective to topics, even when things are heated. As a guitar player, he's not one to follow the crowd when it comes to gear and has a "if it sounds good, it is good" philosophy and, as a fellow metal head, I really dig the tones he gets and his style of playing. Congratulations, AXE!
Murph says:
I think AXE deserves to be the first "member of the month" because he always manages to stay above the slime. How he does it, I don't know. Good breeding. He's pm'd me when I needed a friend and never asked for one. Somehow he knew. He knows what "not" to say, and he knows when to be there for ya. I'm thinking he's a very special person and am proud to call him a friend. Murph.