My photo features the headstock of my old '63 Firebird- a true and funky work of art in the eye of this beholder. I'm a musician and songwriter and have lived in Milwaukie for almost four years. Any "artistry" that I may have displayed or success in my so called career is mostly due to being in touch with the sort of people one often finds in this town- mainly working class folks who may not always get the breaks or the credit they are due for simply hanging in there. You know -people who have "the blues" or may be from " the country". I've swung a hammer or a pipe wrench more often than a guitar in my life so I feel pretty comfortable here.
I worked as a staff songwriter in Nashville early on but have been "indy" as a publisher and writer since about 1980. With a lot of luck, I've had tunes recorded or performed by acts such as John Mellencamp, Levon Helm , Del McCoury Band, Kiki Dee , Squeeze, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Joe Lewis Walker, Johnny Rivers, Nick Lowe and Paul Carrick, Bill Kirchen- and many others who fall loosely into the "roots music" category. I've played in a lot of bars, put on some concerts and had a lot of music in my life. I have a BA in Cinema from SFSU.
The other accomplished members of the Art Mob are much more familiar with the local galleries and art scene in general than I am but I try to contribute my two cents because I think Milwaukie has both an interesting history and the potential to "make history" in the future. The arts and their development in Milwaukie are going to play a big part in how we're viewed by our sister communities and those who show up to patronize our homegrown businesses. Dark Horse Comics are an obvious asset to our reputation in the creative world and we're lucky to have them. Other surprises may be discovered once we hit our stride in exploring what our residents and associates might do with a bit of organization and encouragement.