First, thank you for reading this my Friend. I can't tell you how much it means to me for someone who doesn't know me would take an interest in what I have to share with the World. That said, welcome to the Basement. It's the place that I share some of my favorite Music and Stories from the ecclectic library of my Life. I grew up in a home, as did many during my era, where music was an important aspect of our lives. There was always someone in our Families that had a direct connection to Music being their main source of income. That could range from a Cousin in a band, to an Uncle who's a preacher, to your Grandfather owning a "Juke Joint", plus everthing in between. That said, one of my Uncles gave me a collection of Classical Music, another the Isley Brothers, then another, the Average White Band, plus all things Funk. These diverse worlds all collided during the Summer of 1980, when I spent a month of it with my Cousins in Washington, DC. All those elements collided in their middle classed basement on Tuckerman St. I learned so much about life during that time. How to talk to Girls, tips for making my Basketball game better, and most importantly a fuse was lit, that exploded my appreciation for Music, with the "shrapnel of my interest" landing all over the place.
If you look at the poster I made, (sounding like a 3rd grader), it's of the most infuential Artists, or those that were in rotation the most. Starting with the bottom right, my Cousin George introduced me to the Electric Light Orchestra, with their Greatest Hits still being one of my favorite albums to date. He was also the one who turned me onto Queen, I liked them previously, but learned to love them after that summer. My Cousin Kelvin better acquainted me with Buddy Holly, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, and the Rolling Stones. I still remember him walking through the house and randomly yelling; "Tramps like us, baby we were born to run" or "but it just might be the lunatic you're looking for. The Emotional Rescue album by the Stones, gave me a different appreciation for the Band. I was brought up on the Beatles side of the house so the stones were kinda like Jodeci, when people were pitting them against Boyz II Men.
