Wow...good topic. I've always been interested in music, in singing, playing guitar and drums...(I sang "Country Roads" in my Vacation Bible School class to inconclusive reviews) and broke dozens of drum sticks by beating them against anything I could find. Unfortunately, to say that my mom and step-dad were unsupportive would be like saying the ocean is a small pond. Eventually, after a few years I gave in to "what was expected" and pursued a more conventional track and "rewarding" (pardon me while I yawn) career. Fast forward 45 years, then something truly magical happened. Out of nowhere I got a call from a private eye who was commissioned by my biological father to find me. He and my mom divorced when I was three and he had been trying to find me as I moved around the country over the years. I was skeptical of course, but he did provide convincing evidence. When we met, it freaked my wife completely out because we were virtually carbon copies of each other. Same build, mannerisms, hair (he had much less than me...yikes!) I found out that he had played in a band called Southern Comfort for many, many years as a drummer, and also my brother D (who I met for the first time then as well) is an accomplished bass and guitar player. So I picked up a guitar again. I really had my doubts when I started playing again, and had no confidence that I could even write a song but he kept telling me "goddam boy, it's in your genes, don't let no one tell you no different. Do what's inside and t'hell with 'em." and that's where I started writing my own songs. I looked around for some time trying to find somewhere to get more feedback on what I was writing and then I stumbled into Songstuff and the great group here. And I've never regretted it. Thanks John for putting together this site, and all you folks who write, perform, and produce music that take the time to critique and help. ~ JH