Let me start by saying it's great to be a part of Spokane's River 99.9 It's always a pleasure to work with people you've worked with and respected in the past, and to meet new members as well.

I was born into a military family the same year that Rock and Roll was born. My dad was in the Air Force as a member of the Military Police squadron. He was also an accomplished sharp-shooter which meant I can remember having an M-16 in my hand when I was barely old enough to hold it up..great fun. He sent my brother and myself through all the correct training classes, and by the time I was 12, I was the sub-junior champion of Europe in skeet shooting while our family was stationed in Germany. My dad passed away 11 years ago, but I still have the shotgun he gave me at that tender age and still shoot a round of skeet occasionally in his honor. Thanks Dad.

I went to high school in Cheney and planned on going to college and earn a degree in Commercial Art. That went to the wayside after getting a summer job at a body shop that built custom cars, specializing in Corvettes. I was lost to the siren song of being a gear head, and there was no turning back. Anything with an engine has been a passion of mine since my first mini-bike when I was about 13 and my first car when I was 15. I've never been without a motorcycle and a car since. I've re-painted every single one I've owned, both cars and bikes. Along with a 1968 Corvette that I've owned for more than 30 years (the biggest love/hate relationship I've ever known), I also have six vintage/custom bikes that I've built. During the cold winter months you can find me huddled in a barely warm single-car garage, hovering over a new project. I've been showing bikes for almost 30 years and have managed to win First In Class with them all. I recently participated in The Legend of the Motorcycle at Half Moon Bay just south of San Francisco. To have one of my bikes compete in one of the most prestigious bike shows in the world and to then to place Second In Class was a dream come true. Looking back, this is why I've never regretted not getting the art degree..this IS my art. It's the same with radio as far as I'm concerned, if it's not artistic, then I'm not interested.

Radio came about as a way to supplement my income as a carpenter back in 1981. That year construction got hit hard in the Spokane area..similar to what folks are facing right now. I attended the Ron Bailie School of Broadcast in the bottom level of the Flour Mill..I can still hear the jingle.."where the magic is on the aiirrrr.." Nine months and six thousand dollars later..I was a licensed disk jockey, ready to rip it up, man. Nobody told me that the starting pay was less than a third of what I made as a carpenter. You would think that after so many years of living off of mac-n-cheese I would've thrown in the towel as most do in this business, but there's something so very cool about this job that has kept me in it for more than two and a half decades now. I've had a chance to work at some of Spokane's finest radio stations, worked with some very talented people, met and hung out with some incredible artists, and done things I would never had been able to do otherwise. I've done everything from interviewing the late great Bo Diddley to riding in the Goodyear blimp. Spokane's River 99.9 has given me the opportunity to continue doing what I enjoy, in a city that I've called home for forty years. I love Spokane. Big enough for anything I need and small enough to stay friendly. The downtown area has some great hang outs. My favorites being Far West Billiards and the Blue Spark, but there's constantly new places to discover, too. Favorite venue for concerts? The Bing Crosby Theater. The newly refurbished Fox is amazing. I can't wait to see more shows there. Favorite restaurant? Milford's Fish House, hands down. Worst pet peeve? The condition of city streets..or as I call them, Spokane's endless network of rutted, pothole-filled cattle trails. Don't get me started... I'll look forward to being here at The River for a long time to come. Thanks for having me!