I've been playing music in some degree since I was five.  An accordion bought at a pawn shop in Gulfport, Mississippi started it.  The Sears and Roebuck chord organ gave way to a Wurlitzer by the time I was seven.  My cousin Nancy could really play piano and was a real inspiration in my younger years.  When I was twelve, I started playing guitar at my best friend Mike Maxwell's house under the guidance of his father, Leonard Maxwell.  Mr. Leonard's jam sessions went on for a while and we did a couple of performances at the rural elementary school known as Improve. 

When I was thirteen, we moved to Vidalia, Louisiana where I met Terry Jenkins and Jim Easterling.  Terry was a band leader at the bar in Natchez called the Showboat (at the time) and taught me to think like a musician.  Jim owned and ran Easterling Music Store which I'm still obliged to make a purchase from on occasion.  I helped him move pianos and organs and in exchange he mentored me on life, music, love and anything else I was willing to talk about. 

I left Vidalia for the Air Force and  marriage in 1981.  I lived in several parts of this country and I served in the Air Force in England for 3 years.  When I got out of the Air Force, I knew enough about writing songs to think that I was good at it and enough about playing piano to think I could fake it.  Neither of those were true at the time.  Jim listened to my songs and would tell me which parts he liked or say something like "That's so creative."  I later learned that creativity
and the music business weren't as much a couple as they should be. 

Once I moved to Minnesota, I found songwriter groups that helped me polish my craft and explore my creative gifts,  I know the Nashville writers that are under contract can often write two songs a day, five days a week but, I'm way to slow for that.  HOWEVER,  I sit down at a piano or keyboard and start playing.  I get out of my way and let my gift have its way.  Quite often, I am the audience as well as the performer.  The more I let go of what's going on, the more amazing it seems to sound.  I've enjoyed this phenomenon for many years and usually share it, only in church.  I made a record of improvs before called "Making It Up As I Go" to sell at my church.  We're a small group but, that record has sold over 200 copies over the years.  I'll likely post it here soon.

Presently, I've surrendered many outcomes to Spirit.  I've written some wonderful songs, performed them to the best of my ability and I continue to grow an audience.  I've also begun recording my piano improvs as meditative pieces and posting them here as well as my songs.  I'm believing that will continue.  As my visitor count climbs as the downloads increase, I'm apt to believe that all things are possible.  Even making a living at doing what I love.  If you're reading this, you've probably listened and I charge you with a quest.  Help me get it out there.  Tell the ones you know to tell the ones they know and so on and so on and so on....THANKS FOR LISTENING!!!

Haddox