I learned the piano when very small, but was inspired to play the guitar by a stranger who was lost and came to my Aunt Fran and Uncle Pete's home, We fed him and bought several copies of his 45's he was selling out of his car. He then sat on our porch and drank coffee and played my guitar...he sang and played in a very special way, He made my $6 guitar sound like an orchestra....I was on fire... I was 10 then.
Years later I went to Merlefest and met a very old man, who played and sounded exactly like that man. Roy Bookbinder was featuring him on a side stage, it was soon obvious that this was a mistake, for the area was overflowing with people trying to take in this 100 year old bluesman's act.
....I shook his hand and asked him if he was ever lost going to Pittsburgh, he looked at me, raised his eyes, “yes”! ...but his family whisked him away and I shall never really know if it was Robert Lockwood Jr. (adopted "son" of Robert Johnson and the only one to which Johnson taught his guitar)
Thanks to my first voice teacher, a little preacher's daughter named Peggy who taught me to sing harmony. My first pickin' pal "Swede" Smith, Many friends who showed me the jazz world, Doug Everton and Dave Paolucci, Arthur Lisi who has recorded me and taught me about how music works..and Rob Waller, who introduced me to Bluegrass, old country blues, guitar and banjo, - and Al Wilson who taught me so much technical musicianship …Freddi Szilagi, Robert Swain and Dave Brunson, who had taught me traditional Bluegrass.
