My Inaugural Blog

I decided to pick a great day for my inaugural blog...my brother Willie's birthday...not only because of who he is...but, because of how my life started down this great avenue of musical curiosity and creation because of him...

I can list all of the reasons why...I can list all of the things I learned...I can list songs, places I've played, people I've met, musicians I've worked with....but...it all goes so much further beyond lists...

...what I was given is what I truly believe was an understanding of the greatest language in the world...a language you don't even need to know how to speak to completely understand and enjoy hearing..

Willie introduced me to the existence of The Beatles...I was completely unaware...he was my first musical hero...a great guitar player...and then a great bass player...someone that knew harmony and melody and became a great songwriter...on top of being an artist and could do anything that he set his mind to...

One example of a big lesson was when I was a kid...was in a band of my own...we were influenced by not only The Beatles, but, Led Zeppelin and that era of loud rock & roll...we would practice so loud that we could be heard three blocks away in a radio station...over the music that they had playing in the station...he casually walked into our rehearsal...waved his hands...and quietly said, "fellas...if you can't play quiet...you can't play"...and walked out...well...we, of course thought that was silly...of course we could play quiet...we attempted that as soon as he left...we stunk!...we learned a great deal just by that one sentence...and continued to play our rehearsals at a volume that we found could be accepted by an older crowd...and then turn up to a younger crowd and still have the same dynamics and power at any volume...

Another lesson was when I would hear musicians...stars...on television...or the radio...playing and singing...I would be confused at how some sounded so incredible...and some...somewhat less...after a while...I mentioned this perplexity to Willie and he just simply informed me...."people think that if you are on TV...or on the radio...or record...that you must be good"...he didn't have to finish that statement...I knew exactly what he meant...and I was amazed that sometimes...music is more of a business....than an art...

I learned both of those aspects from him...certainly as a business...the phrases "never burn bridges"...I learned from him...you never know that the person you just offended will be the next person you're trying to get work from...I learned how to place your songs in order to have a good pace and flow to the musical set...how to accept myself as the player I was...and not be trying to be someone I wasn't or troubled by the fact that there were others...better than me...and not be big-headed at the possibility that there were some...maybe not so much...

....one of the greatest lessons came one night in Nashville, Tennessee...we had just finished a song in our set and a young lady was waiting at the stage in front of me....behind her was a young man....I went to the girl and she began to tell me how much she loved to hear me play...how good she thought I was....I thanked her...the young man behind her then approached me and began to tell me how badly he thought I played and how his grandmother could do better...after I thanked him, I looked over at Willie and he just simply told me, "you know enough now that you know when you're playing well and when you're not...that's all that really matters..."

....that's how I've approached playing ever since...I know that I won't please everyone...and some may have motives of their own to criticize or praise what I do...that have nothing to do with music...and I have to just rely on my knowledge to determine if I'm having a good night or not...

...he taught me to make sure to learn all styles of music...not just the rock & roll of the times...and to learn the styles...not just sound the same on a country song as you do on a rock & roll song...I've tried to do just that...I've played jazz, blues, latin, country, R&B...and whatever came down the road...and have made sure to keep my mind open to what they style was saying and how it was being musically stated...

I could write forever on all the ways that music has blessed my life...how grateful I am that my brother Willie was sitting in our front room in 1964 and playing my favorite song, "Sunny"...and that, for some reason, I asked him if he'd teach me that song...he did...and for 48 years my curiosity has grown...has never been quenched...my love for music has never faded...my appreciation for great artists...and those that have greatness just beginning with them...but...I have to bring this to a conclusion somehow...

...I won't write this blog to be full of criticisms of players...of singers...of entertainers...they...along with the rest of us...get our full measure of all that is wrong with us and all that is wrong with the world...I love music too much to only look for what is bad about it...I believe that whatever I want to find....I will...so...I want to find the greatness in music...my inaugural blog of my appreciation for musical greatness starts with my brother Willie...you're still my hero...and I'm still honored to be able to call you my brother...I love you, and thank you so very much...

dpr