Raised on Easter Island in the Southern Pacific, his destiny as the next tribal chief was derailed when he was struck on his ample head by an eleven-pound coconut…* OK this is how it really happened in his own words…

I started playing the banjo in 1977 (I was 19) on a dare and ended up playing in a bluegrass band for several years, in the late 70′s I started up on the pedal steel. Tommy Connell joined the band in the late 70′s early 80′s and they played music that sounded like Air Show, we actually used to play “Choo Choo Ch’boogie” back then.

After that I played multi-instrumentalist for years in a dozen bands, lost track of Tommy and lost track of my mind. Joined Grievous Angels mid 90′s, got the Bloodshot deal and the rest is history.

Touring with Neko opening up for the Jayhawks in Los Angeles, Tommy Connell was in the crowd. Got reacquainted after 18 years.

Always wanted to make a steel guitar record paying homage to previous steel players who made (good) bad steel records and I wanted to record with friends (and great musician) Neko, Kelly, Sally, Tommy, Tom V. Ray, Joey, John, Kevin, Nick and Craig.

Since I knew Tommy again, it added a Speedy & Jimmy element not to mention his amazing ability.

Played for years and made my own style without using effects and then hooked up with Jamal Ruhe and formed Sleepwalker which, by the way the steel was saturated with effects. One released Sleepwalker record and two in the can waiting.

Been touring fairly heavily for the past 3 to 4 years with Neko Case (this was in about 2003, so it’s been longer now) and before that with Grievous Angels, Waco Brothers, John Langford, Chris Mills, Sally Timms, and Kelly Hogan.