Like many people, events over the years make us take several twists and turns. I have found that bands I’ve been in over the years have shaped me into the talent I am today. It’s been a journey over a few decades, but I really don’t think I’d change a thing. I’m a believer that we all have a path to walk through life. Regardless of the side trails we take along the way, we ultimately end up where we’re meant to be. This is what makes life exciting, interesting, hard, painful but overall wonderful.
Thanks but no thanks…
As I left off in the last installment, I had taken a few vocal lessons at the local park district in Waukegan and the part time teacher stated I should “Join a band” and get some experience. I’m not sure how I met this group or even what the band name was. We practiced mostly as a “garage band” that had a couple gigs. I do know that I still have the old set lists and music book we did. I’d go over to the one couples home after dinner and we’d practice. One night they invited me FOR dinner. Now, not sure I’ve mentioned, but I’m not a foodie…actually, the furthest thing FROM a foodie.. picky on taste, texture challenged and oh boy, if it doesn’t look good or sound good, nope. Thanks but NO thanks!
My friends were your typical struggling musicians. I knew they didn’t have a lot and was grateful for the invite! Well, guess what was on the menu? BEEF TONGUE.
Oh no.. I couldn’t even fathom trying that! What was served was 
all I could see was 
and stammered that I forgot about dinner before practice and had already eaten… whew…
The start of my gypsy tendencies…
I don’t remember how long I was with this band, but I had fun and I THINK this is when I decided to move to Dallas area with a friend of mine. Her brother and sis-in-law lived down there and she wanted to move. I thought about it and said “Hey, I’m up for something new”, so I quit the job I had in computer operations and decided to move with her down to Garland Texas. No job, didn’t know anyone but my friend but, yep, there I go. This must have been the beginning of my “gypsy” tendencies. My Mom & Dad gave us a going away party in their new house in Gurnee and I remember Dad telling me that Mom was going to miss me, and that she was upset because we’d grown very close over the past 2 years. Looking back, I really think it was him that was upset..
My next stop…
Well, it’s 1980 and we found a GREAT house to rent in Garland, TX. $600 per month, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, fireplace and a fenced in yard. It was a good location and we enjoyed it. One issue I had moving down there was that I had no room to bring all my plants with me, so a coworker from Arlington Heights and his girlfriend said they would bring them down one weekend. I thought “Hmmmm, 16 hours, kinda far for a weekend, but hey, if they’re up for it the more the merrier!”
Surprise…
I was missing my back home friends and was so happy to see them! I tried to usher them in, but they INSISTED we get the plants. So I’m like. “Well, ok, let’s get ‘er done so we can relax”. We walk out and as I’m reaching into the back of their Bronco, I feel something behind me. I turn around and there is a car with 2 more of my friends! Walking over to the car window to say hi, I looked down the street and guess what? Yep, 2 more friends are walking down the sidewalk! What a CRAZY weekend we had. Lot’s of laughing, singing, drinking and eating. I was sad to see them leave, but that weekend will forever be etched in my memory banks.
Country music at it’s finest…
I didn’t do much singing down in the Dallas/Garland area, but wow… the music was great and I found a new appreciation for country music! On our days off we’d go to the “wet” area of Dallas (Texas Blue Laws in 1980’s y’all, you had to belong to a club) and back then they had big spreads or feasts for happy hours. We’d eat, drink for VERY cheap (food was free which was good cause we didn’t have much money) and dance the night away. I learned the “cotton-eyed Joe” and several other “country” dances. Good times. I did have someone I worked with that played guitar and my roommate was also a musician, so we did a little singing and playing, but mostly just work and big buffets!
Gone to the dogs…
My roommate had a beautiful collie, Amber. I missed having my own dog so I got my first German Shepherd. Reba was her name. She was an AKC registered GSD, but I wasn’t going to breed her so she got spayed. What a beauty she turned out to be, a great dog and SMART! We’d walk around the neighborhood off leash when I’d get home at midnight. She always had her guard up and kept me safe. Her and Amber would run around the house chasing each other, playing tug of war with old socks. It was hysterical to watch. Once I was laying on the couch holding a tug toy and she literally pulled me off the couch. 80 lbs of dog…whew…she was strong!
Off again…
After about a year, my roommate got homesick and we decided to move back to Illinois. We packed up everything said goodbye to the friends we had made and headed home. This time I moved back in with my folks to their home in Gurnee. They had moved there right before I moved to Texas. Nice little rancher with an acre. Actually that’s where I live today. Funny how things work out. Reba and my mom’s dog didn’t hit it off too well initially, she actually bit my moms little Heidi through the nose, so I had to take Reba to intense training. After that experience, I’ll never leave a dog for training again until I’ve thoroughly vetted their training methods, but Reba never went after Heidi again. ….anyway I digress…
Now what…
I got a job bartending that summer and started wondering what was next. So what did I do? I decided to get a little college under my belt.
Both my brothers were down at Southern Illinois University (SIU),
so I applied in 1981 and was accepted. Reba and I packed up and headed down to SIU Carbondale. I took up music classes and was doing very well.
I was an “older” Freshman, so most of my friends were younger. Somehow I started taking on the role of “Mom”. Now, I wasn’t THAT much older, just 22, but I guess at 18 that can be a lifetime? We’d go downtown to the local pubs and restaurants and listen to music. I’m not quite sure how I got an audition with Uncle Jon’s Band, but that was a life changer for me.
Next up… Uncle Jon’s Band…
Yes, we were a “dead head” band!