Father of mine

I am my dads favorite kid....no really its true....he tells me that all the time, although he does say it with a smirk and often after I have done or said something incredibly awesome....hmm I wont linger on that one too long.  Anyway my dad is awesome, a pain in the butt to be sure, but an incredibly awesome guy none the less.  He was a hippy and a musician of the late 70's/early 80's.  He plays guitar and bass and was part of band for a long long time.  Once I was born I was toted to and from gigs and band practice.  I have few memories of my dad without music.  To me they are one in the same.

{The Sour Mash Band 1981ish}

My dad instilled a love of music in me and my siblings.  We all have wide and varied taste ranging from Joan Baez, The Eagles and Joan Jett to Norah Jones and Lady Gaga.  I personally like to thrown in a bit of classical (Moonlight Sonata anyone?) and opera (shhh don't tell dad that one!).  Dads guitar was a permanent fixture in our home.  When he grabbed it and sat down, more often than not you would find at least a couple of us perched at his feet.  We often got the privilege of singing Old Ben Lucas and were serenaded with the likes of Frank Zappas "Muffin Man" or "Yellow Snow". 

{1983, the morning my lil brother was born}

Dad had a large collection of records that I would thumb through when I was bored.  Elton John, The Beetles, Frank Zappa.....the collection was big and wonderful.  The album covers were vivid and colorful but I always would check out the back to see if Dad had ever played their songs.  I loved it when I would find one that he played regularly.

My dad still plays the guitar and bass, still plays in a band and still goes to coffee shop gigs.  His tastes in music haven't changed, but he has added Jack Johnson, HEM, and others to the mix.  He loves Cowboy Junkies and if he could he would run away with the lead singer Margo.  I still can't separate music from my dad, and more often than not, I will turn on the MP3 player and pick a little something to listen too and think "Man, dad would love/hate this..."  One day I will get him to appreciate Dave Matthews Band, until then I be thankful that my dad felt music so deeply that he was able to share it with us and let us breath it in.  Music is part of my life and part of my family.  Thanks dad.

{Just a couple years ago at a Balloon Festival in Utah.}