Home Town: Whitney Texas

Music Genres: Original and covers, Country ( traditional, 80s/90s, modern, southern rock, outlaw, Christian ), Religious/Gospel, and Americana

Describe yourself as an artist: This is the hardest thing to do.  I enjoy heartfelt, vocally challenging songs, and need some variety to express a wide range of emotions.

What makes you unique as an artist? I have a wide range of vocal abilities, can sing nearly any genre, and I do not sound like anyone else out there.  Vocal range of the bass in Elvira, to the highest note in Unchained Melody, and higher when I sing a double cetto.

What instruments do you play? I am not proficient at any instrument, but learning guitar, down tuned to a D, and using a slide to help keep my fingers from deadening the other strings.

Tell us about yourself? (Personality, principles) Honestly, if it were not for miracles from God, I would not be able to talk, let alone sing.  If that is the lowest of all jobs in Heaven, let me do that forever.  I believe the long sought after answer to the question of what is the purpose of life can be summed up in one simple word.  CHOICE.  We do it from the day we are born to the day we leave this twirling marble.  We have choices every day, and though we may not always make the right choices today, we should always try to make better choices tomorrow.  This can be applied to all aspects of your life.  In a relationship, you can choose to always love your mate.  When it comes to God, He did not force us to believe Him, but he gave us a choice, and we are to choose wisely, choosing Him in our good times and in our bad times, full-hearted.  If we have done this, we have complied with every commandment He has given us.  My answer to this is it’s not about me, it’s about the talents He has given to me, and what I am doing with them, for His glory.

Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music? I have recently completed writing a movie script.  It’s a comedy true story about a disastrous honeymoon, called HONEY-MOOCHERS.  I have many hobbies and interests and could not possibly list them all here.  I like to climb up and down mountains hunting for gemstones, hiking, camping, fishing, writing songs, just to name a few.

What inspired you to start playing and performing music?  Music saved my life.  As a child, it was like I was in a Steven King movie, tortured and alone.  My first tastes of music was traditional music, and gospel at church.  It was the only time I felt peace, and I knew early in my life that this was something I had to pursue.

In your opinion, what makes a great song? This is different for each and every person.  When I was 4 years old, Mary Had A Little Lamb, and How Much Is That Doggie In The Window were two of the greatest songs in the world, along with the theme songs to Gene Autry, Daniel Boone, and Davy Crockett.  There are many aspects to a song, and each one of those can and has made songs great.  The greatest songs give glory to God, brings people to God, or positively influences someone in their life, and in some cases saves them from self harm.

Do you write music? Yes, I have written many songs, but not all of those songs fit my style of singing, and therefore, not all of my written songs will be performed by myself.

If so, describe your creative process in your songwriting.   I normally begin with a hookline or idea for a song.  I then complete the lyrics, and check for mistakes.  My next step is to do a vocal melody, but sometimes that comes when I am writing the lyrics.  I complete it with  determining cords that fit the vocals.  I do not try to overwrite the melody or cords, as I like to leave that to the people who do that as their only profession.

When did you first perform and what was it like?  My first performance was when I was four years old.  I had written a silly song for Jesus, but it frustrated me as I did not know how to end the song.  They cut me off after they realized I was not going to stop singing it over and over.  I had many other times of performing that could be considered a first.  I was chosen nationally as a number one pick for a special choir when I was in fourth grade.  It was amazing how many people were in the choir.  It was my first time learning how to sing different parts.  Each time I can consider singing anew, I feel relieved of the pressures of this world.

Who are your influences?  I have several influence my music over the years.  My most recent artists I look up to are Vince Gil and Aaron Neville, mainly due to their vocal abilities to sing difficult songs

What awards have you won for your music?  Growing up, I won male vocalist every year in school, sometimes for multiple choirs, and once from more than one school in a school year.  Academy of Western Arts Pure Country Song Of The Year, Texas IMA,  Best Original Americana Male Red Carpet Awards, Best Country Christian/Gospel Original Male Red Carpet Awards, Humanitarian Award Red Carpet Awards, nominated for a Grammy once, best overall talent prospect via Talent Search, 4 times City Finalist Talent Competition Phoenix Arizona (could not win as they deemed me as a professional singer), Phoenix Speedway Singing Talent Contest Winner, which led to being hired to sing at the drag race track every weekend for the national anthem, and sexiest blue eyes, which does appear on my music photos.

What advice would you give someone that is trying to break into music?  Hone your skills, each and everyone of them, and find one skill you can excel in.  Silently compete with the person who may be more skilled than you until you have mastered your skill.  If it is meant to be, God will put you in a position for it to happen.

If you could meet anyone, living or otherwise, who would it be?  It is difficult to isolate it down to only one.  Jesus of course would have to be number one, and for good reason, He is the only reason I have this talent to sing.  I would love to sing the national anthem at a political rally.  I would love to meet any of the current great singers who also have a love for God