Program Director/DJ since 2015

“ My musical tastes were heavily influenced by the times. I grew up in the 70’s arena rock era and was somewhat of a concert junkie. Classic rock was in its heyday and Cleveland was a major pitstop for most of the bands on tour. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who, The Rolling Stones etc... on the classic side. Rush, E.L.P., Yes, Genesis, etc... on the prog side. My tastes evolved over time, and I shied away from pop and the bubble gum hair bands of the 80’s and leaned more towards SRV and The Police. I like jam bands, so The Alman Brothers and the Grateful Dead were bands I dug.

As I matured, I became interested in the roots of where my favorite music originated and who inspired the bands I was into. Not unlike onions and mushrooms, some things just take time to appreciate, and I found music was no different. You couldn’t force me to eat those things when I was a kid, but as you age you learn to open up and experiment and start to ask why not?

Like many kids of that era, we loved our guitar heroes. Jimmy Page, Jeff beck, Eric Clapton, Duanne Alman, I could go on and on. I began to ask, where did their sounds originate? Who influenced these guys and girls? That’s when (and where) I found “The Blues”.

Eric Clapton (amongst others) has been instrumental in reviving the renewed interest in Americas best export. He used his fame to shine a light on the “real deal” bluesman that inspired the British blues invasion of the late 60’s. I’ve learned that you don’t need to play 100mph all the time, sometimes the fewer notes the better. The true greats seem to make more music with fewer notes. When you dig into the blues, you gain a sense of the broader context of historical events and conditions. Migration, racial issues, and factors of economics and geography. B.B. King, Albert King, and Robert Johnson are what I’m talking about. These guys influenced so many great artists and genres. The blues can be heard in all forms of music, from Jazz to hip hop, rock n roll, rockabilly, country and americana just to name a few.

One of the great things about my platform as a DJ is that it allows me to promote some of the fantastic musical talents of local artists and the clubs that support them. I really enjoy hosting musicians for “live” in studio segments. You will find that while I spin a lot of blues, You will hear some great blues influenced music along the way.

I’m grateful that McKinley Smith invited me to join the Blues Breakfast back in 2016 and look forward to keeping the torch burning.”