I'm a professional artist/musician.  Born in 1945, I have been married to my high school sweetheart, Linda, a 4th grade teacher, since 1968.

I have played music in the nightclubs for 38 years, since the age of 16.  One of my bands, the Egyptian Combo, had a couple hit records back in the 60's.  One was the instrumental "Gale Winds" (1964; Norman Records), which made it to #7 in Billboard.  The other was "I Don't Care Anymore", which I sang.  It only just barely cracked the top 100 in 1967.  We had just signed with MGM when the band got drafted and got sent to Vietnam.  I got out of the draft, however, due to spinal problems.

This picture of me playing sax appeared on the front page of the Southern Illinoisan newspaper in September, 2000.  This is the second time my horn and I have appeared on the cover (above the fold & in full color) in the last year and a half.  The newspaper also lists me as one of the 2000 reasons to celebrate living in Southern Illinois in the year 2000 ... right up there with Garden of the Gods and the Little Grand Canyon.

My bands play mostly within a couple or three hours of home.  We hit St. Louis, Cape Girardeau, Paducah, Springfield, Evansville and many obscure small towns.  (Just recently played in Buzztown which is right near Goofy Ridge, believe it or not.)

Between all these bands I play about every style of music there is.  St. Stephen's Blues does a lot of Grateful Dead, Neil Young and Bob Dylan; 4 on the Floor plays the hits of the 50's and 60's (Elvis, Beatles, Tommy James, Chuck Berry) and a few from the 80's and 90's;  Southern Swing plays ballroom dance music (two-steps, waltzes, tangos, sambas, polkas), mainstream big-band type swing and country music.  Mr. Wonderful and the Magdaddies do swing, jazz, blues, rock and ballroom.  I have a duo which plays folk and traditional music along with a few originals written by my partner.  Occasionally I do classical flute duets for uppity dinner parties and gospel music at churches.

I do some studio work and at this writing have appeared on 8 southern Illinois artists' CDs, singing and playing sax, flute and rhythm instruments.  I just finished my first single, trying to get an entire solo CD done before 2001 is over.

My college degrees are in Commercial Art and Fine Art, both of which nowadays help supplement my music income.  I learned Commercial Art back in the days (1965-66) of rubber cement, X-acto knives, ink, paint, straight-edges, French curves, etc., but now am computerized and no longer have to soil my hands or my lungs.  I use Macintosh with QuarkXPress, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.  I still do some fine art, signs and calligraphy using the old techniques.

Linda and I enjoy bicycling, hiking and aerobic step dancing.  We used to play league racquetball but I had to give it up due to a protesting disc in my spine (same one that kept me out of Vietnam).  I also do in-line skating, usually going off for a 6- or 7-mile circuit.  I use full armor when doing so (wrist guards, knee and elbow pads, and a helmet). 

We own a time-share on 7 Mile Beach just south of Georgetown on Grand Cayman Island and enjoy snorkeling and bicycling around the island (on a tandem).

I am an avid pool player.  I have played since the age of 12 although I went for several years without playing at all.  Six years ago I joined the Bud Light/Camel Cigarettes 8-ball league and am now rated a "5" at 8 ball.  I collect stamps, coins, artifacts and rocks.

I joined Mensa in 1991.  I never considered myself very smart although my younger sister is a doctor and Phi Beta Kappa.  When I entered graduate school (S.I.U. in Journalism) I took the MAT and scored a 98.  When I found out I only needed a 62 to join Mensa I thought, "why not ... it'll look good on the résumé".

I've been the editor of Silentia, the newsletter for Mensa group 628, for almost six years now.  I'm going to be giving up the editorship as soon as someone else volunteers because we're going to be moving to Springfield, Illinois when Linda retires in June 2001.

I joined Thinkers International about three years ago.  The opportunity to discuss weighty issues with thinkers from around the world has contributed greatly to my intellectual growth.  You're never too old to learn.