I have loved rock and roll for as long as I can remember. I was lucky to have a father who grew up in the fifties and sixties when real music was being born. My memories as a child are full of good rock music the likes of Zeppelin, The Stones, Rod Stewart, Buffalo Springfield, Beatles, Frampton, Seger, The Cars, Meat Loaf, Steve Miller, Fleetwood Mac, Yardbirds, Eric Clapton...the list goes on. Basically, the good album rock of the mid-seventies. I picked up new music along the way as a child and later as a teenager. I was influenced by Rush, Kiss, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Aerosmith, Springsteen, Petty, Pink Floyd, again the list goes on, with many not mentioned here. I have continued to be interested in rock music as I feel you can never get too old for rock and roll. Sorry about the cliche.

My music "training" consists of very little, I'm afraid. I played the clarinet in Junior High band for three years. Other than that, I learned to sing from any album with printed lyrics. What I lack in training, I make up for with enthusiasm and love for Music. Oddly, I did not learn to play the guitar until I was 23 years old. I bought a cheap Epiphone acoustic at a pawnshop for $75 and a "learn to play" book and I was off. I stumbled into my first band by chance.

September 2000.

I was playing golf with a friend when I mentioned that I had learned a new song. He said he was singing in a band, that needed a bass player. While I had never touched a bass guitar before, I figured it couldnt be THAT much of a stretch. Besides, this was a chance to play in A BAND! We practiced for a year and got a couple gigs as "Smackbottom". By this time we had acquired a lead guitar player and a dedicated bass player so I was mainly the singer, with a couple songs on guitar. We mainly played classic rock & pop with a few originals. After four gigs we reformed without one member. This new group was christened "Rattlecan", and after a few months began to play gigs here in town.

July 2002.

We played Honest John's late in July and Chuck was there to check us out. He asked me for my phone number and said he wanted to talk to me about jamming sometime. The following Friday, his band was going to be at Deja Vu. I went to see them (Sweet Jayne) because a friend I had jammed with before (Mike Mazza) was in the band. I did not make the connection that Chuck was in the same band until I walked in and saw them both on stage! I was immediately impressed with the professionalism and quality of the performance. I was invited to come to a rehearsal and sing, which I did. We worked up "Thank you", and "L.A. Woman". I had a great time and was asked to join them for a few songs at their next gig at the Thirsty Turtle. I joined them for that gig and for one at Cooper's Landing.

At this point I had to decide between my current band (Rattlecan) and joining Sweet Jayne as they had formally asked me to become the  sixth member. All things work out though, as the drummer of Rattlecan was prepared to hang it up for a while anyway. That really took the pressure off and I became the newest member of Sweet Jayne.

With the parting of Michelle with the band, and name change to FLUID DRIVE, I now have the responsiblity to be lead vocalist and am ready to rock!

Watch for us!