My Americana Roots

Beginnings...

Growing up on Long Island I found early on an attraction to country-tinged music. Was it my love of Roy Rogers?
An early love affair with the sound of the steel guitar started with the first few seconds of the Looney Tunes theme:

Then it was Alvino Ray and The King Sisters found in a Readers Digest collection of Big Band Music that my Mom and Dad had up in a closet. This song still makes me smile. Swing became something that evolved into my love of Texas Swing from Bob Wills to many cosmic cowboys.

The swirl of folk and rock that was on hand still amazes me and all who discover this music today.

The Byrds had a huge impact on my musical education.

Roger Mcguinn. David Crosby. Gene Clark. Michael Clarke.

Chris Hillman. Gram Parsons. Clarence White.

This family tree gives you an idea of all the rabbit holes you could go down when you went into a record store. And this was only 1954-1973.

This tree continues to grow.

And although I was a tad young to see The Byrds, I did see Roger Mcguinn several times. One memorable night was at The Bottom Line in New York with an up-and-coming band called The Heartbreakers playing support.
Come on down, Tom Petty!

“8 Miles High” introduced me to another type of music….