The Beginning

It is said that music can soothe the soul, that music is an art and music can mend a broken heart.

At an early age, I discovered that music is something that has many different styles and each person has their own opinion about music - what is cool to listen to and what is not.
This journey of music has taken myself and others on a path that is just something that I could talk about for forever. If you've ever been around me and started talking about music, well you just opened that big can of stories and opinions. You can ask any of my past or present friends, co-workers and musician friends. Sometimes these discussions can be an interesting debate about a band, a song or a style of music. Other times it can just be myself or others being big-headed about our passion.

I also have a bit of a background when it come to music and being in a music scene. For 15 years, I worked at various record stores in the Chicagoland area. I've been a musician in the Chicago music scene for over 25 years. I've recorded bands, promoted bands (local and international), been a roadie, put on our own local music festival with over 1,000 in attendance for 3 years in a row, etc., etc., etc.
So you get the point that I'm not some guy who just listens to some music as a thing I do in the car when I'm driving...it's in my blood.

With Lo-Fi Noise Makers, I hope to tell the stories of some of my favorite music. Whether it's some band you've heard of or some local band I recorded, my idea is to pass on to others some of my stories and fun music history.

                                "You Didn't Have A Choice"

  

I was born in Chicago but when I was 18 months old, my parents and I moved to Warrenton, Virginia. My dad was in the Army and he was stationed at Vint Hill Farms - 7th RRFS in Warrenton.

25 miles away was Washington D.C., which I did visit a few times in my early childhood and it looks like it had an impact on me. I was at the Capital Building, I went to the Smithsonian. In 1968, we also visited during the Poor People's Campaign which showed me some hardcore facts of life at and early age.
 http://www.blackpast.org/aah/poor-peoples-campaign-december-4-1967-june-19-1968

                             

We lived there from 1968-1969 and would make frequent trips back to Chicago to see my grandmother. My parents got married young and were just teenagers when we would make our 10 1/2 hour drive back and forth from Virginia to Chicago. During this time, they would listen as much as they could to WLS. It was a big Top 40 station and it played a big variety of music.

This is how I grew up on Chicago radio...WLS until the mid 70's.

Here is a chart from the time period I would have been in the car on my listening tours. http://www.oldiesloon.com/il/wls061068.htm

My first song I would sing over and over and over ended up being something that still to this day makes me tear up a bit. As the story goes, I would sing and play this (on my rocking plastic guitar) for HOURS in the car on these drives. Over and over. Yes, it drove my parents nuts but this is how it started.

I heard this for the first time in many decades back in the late 90's when a CD was put out that featured music from "The Flintstones". My song "Let The Sunshine In" was on it. I do have to say that a flood of memories and old feelings hit me like a brick. It was such a great and odd feeling.