Biography:

Back in 2000, I had a crush on this girl. She wasn't really feeling it at all, so I figured, "If I write her a song she'll fall madly in love with me, and all will be right with the world!"

Three days later I finished writing my first song. I took a few minutes to record it live via a computer microphone, burned it to a CDR, and delivered it to her before school.

She gave it a listen, but nothing changed.

After three or four days I got angry and wrote another song, then another, and another, until all the sudden I had 20 songs that were pretty decent. I set up an acoustic concert at a local bar and performed to a sell out crowd consisting of my mom, dad, grandparents, an uncle, and four friends. I got a standing ovation (by obligation) and was on my way!

During my senior year of high school I kept writing, kept performing, and even put out an album called "Live From the Living Room" (to this day, it's the highest selling album in the history of Wheeling Central Catholic High School).

When I went off to West Virginia University in the Fall of 2002, I was determined to take my music to the next level, so I started booking monthly concerts at the student union and local bars. That went on for about two years until I had enough money saved to book enough studio time to record a 5-song EP.

Once the EP was released, I was immediately approached by a drummer named Nick Martino. He wanted to form a band and said he knew a bass player named Brandon Carter. We all got together to jam one afternoon, hit it off, and decided to form a band called Blue Skies Mourning.

That's when I really got serious about music as a career.

(continue reading at www.facebook.com/derrickmckeemusic)