Gifted

The wonderful life I've lived from May 7, 1953 to now from Hillsborough, NC, now residing in Gastonia, NC.

The wonderful life I've lived from May 7, 1953 living in Hillsborough, NC. Small towns have a way of giving us values. Even though we were segregated, life was peaceful. I remember seeing this pattern. Each time she'd enter a church, who ever was on the piano would get up except for one guy, Ebert Brooks as he could play too. As she'd sit down to play, it really intrigued me and I ask her at age 10 to teach me. She gave me an acoustic guitar at age 12. Then, she taught me to play the organ two years later. I was given Shirley Caesar's "i'LL GO" LP and told I'd work for her by my Mom. This happened 3 yrs later as she was guest speaker at my church and hired me that night. This began the wonderful journey I yet enjoy. Even though I'm showcasing "smooth jazz", my roots are in christian music which are very close to jazz. Songwriting and producing is such a joy as I help other groups as well as my very own material. Thanks to Willie Hill, I've a pre-production studio which allows me never to lose a song ever again. I'm enjoying one niters and even plays as I've done "The Wiz" and "Three Little Birds" plays. Music is just simply awesome and I'm enjoying life.

Hillsborough, NC native, now residing in Charlotte Metro Area in Gastonia, doing what I love. Growing up there, I played basketball, went to neighborhood schools and graduated from Orange High School in May of 1971. We had to order checkout from Jacks Shack because of not being allowed inside. My Mom trained me to play the organ at age 14. She gave me Shirley Caesar's LP "I'LL GO", informing me I'd work for her. 3 yrs later, she was guest speaker at my church and hired me that night. What a difference from growing up in small town USA and not seeing the music world, venues, recording studios, hotels, great restaurants and airplanes. It was truly a wonderful learning experience. My first session with her was "The Invitation" in 1972 recorded in Greensboro, NC. Then, inn 1974, "The Millennial Reign" LP we recorded in New York at HOB Studios, 200 W. 57th Street. The next year, I was told our weekend would be the Apollo Theatre and this informed me that something really special was happening in my life. Not that the other dates and venues didn't matter, but this is the famed Apollo Theatre. My Mom informed me that I'd write songs. I started hearing music and melodies my senior year in high school, however it was about six years later that I had my first song copyright. I recorded my first LP in 1980, releasing it in 1981 with my church choir. After organizing my talent family in 1982, my first commercial 45 rpm "I Never Shall Forget/I'm Going Through" was released later that year in the HSE Record label of Nashville, TN. A subsequent LP "LOVE" was released in 1985 on the Morada Records label of Nashville, TN. Shirley Caesar recorded my "Psalms 34" on her "He's Working It Out" Project that won a Dove Award and I received a plaque for my song. Edwin Hawkins recorded "Do You Know Him" in Toledo, OH in 1994. In 1996, he recorded "The Blood" from my catalog in Tampa, FL. Then, in 1998, he recorded "Make A Joyful Noise" of mine in Los Angeles, CA. Most of my songs have been released in the christian music arena, however the last three projects, "Relationship", "Horizons" and "Cat-A-Fly" are "smooth jazz" featuring the Hammond organ XK-1c that I showcase on nightly shows. All this is my Mom's wishes being coming to fruition as she wanted her children to be in the music industry. She passed away in March 1971 and my siblings are more comfortable singing in the local church arena and that's ok. It's great to have heard her words and have them be fulfilled in your life. I'm still in awe. Music is yet coming to me. In 2014, I met Calvin Edwards, a jazz guitarist. He hired me and I've learned so much about how Jimmy Smith's style of playing the organ that has now become my work and I'm loving it. I'm excited about this read and feel it will receive the most coverage of all my art forms. Some of the price for being gifted.