I
was born and raised in Kentucky.
While
I was growing up there was always a shotgun, a banjo and guitar sitting
in the corner of the room. Well I knew not to touch the
shotgun but I could play the guitar or banjo.
I had two aunts that
played in Nashville. My one aunt played banjo with Charlie Monroe.
Her stage name was Katy Hill. My other aunt played the guitar and played
with all the big stars of the day.
When I was growing up, most evenings
we would have 10 to 15 people come over to our front room and bring
their
guitars,
banjos and
mandolins (and sometimes a fiddle). They would play way up in to
the night. This is what inspired me to play, and later, to make my
own musical instruments.
My grandpa gave me an old
"K" guitar with
a hole in it as big as your fist. I put body putty in it and learned
to play on it. My Mom and Dad saw that I was learning so they took
me to
a small music store and bought me a Gibson B-25 Natural. I still
have it.
