At the age of 9, my Grandmother (RIP) bought me my first guitar. Being a kid, it was 3/4 size and worked perfectly.
By the time I was 14, I started to write my own songs. Then I learned how to copyright my song with the U.S. Government. Learning this process and paperwork by 15 years of age made me feel like a grown-up.
One of the things that inspired me to write songs was being the son and grandson of a family that owned three small record stores, opening in the mid 1950s.
Now let’s fast forward to 2026 where I am not 18 like I was in 1975. I’m now 68 years of age.
Recently I started working with a new songwriter. Her name is Rebecca Charles and her lyrics touch my soul.
Rebecca jumped right into creating a paid Sunno account using the platform to do the heavy lifting for creating her demos.
The more I communicated with Rebecca Charles about how she was using the platform, the more I felt like I was 18 years of age starting over as a songwriter from back in the day.
I’ve listened to every single creation that Rebecca Charles has sent me off of Sunno, and each time my mind is blown.
Why?
Imagine creating a demo that sounds like a finished record.
There was no EGO involved.
EGO = Edging God Out
My life took me from being a guitar player to being a producer to being an executive producer finding money for artists and projects.
Back in the 1990s, I started not one but two record labels. During those years I worked with a “who’s who” of celebrities and legends that I never would have met if it wasn’t for my Dad (RIP) and my Grandfather (RIP).
Music Is Synchronicity
There are no accidents in this life. I think back to my days singing with Billy Preston for 2 full years when I was 19 years of age.
Synchronicity Will Reset The Stage Of Your Life
On December 13th of last year, James E. Burke, my attorney since November 5th of 1993, passed on to the other side.
James played a huge role in my life because he was a man who could see all the options in a legal situation.
The man saved my life. How? He understood how to put the documents in place so I could be myself.
There is a life we learn with and a life we live with.
After James passed, I thought about all the documents he helped me create.
Wow, what a wild ride it’s been.
James E. Burke Sent Me Joseph Nevels
I’m an emotional wreck right now because my attorney passed away in December of 2025, and now I met an incredible young man who is an attorney. But he is so much more than that; he’s an artist, a singer, a songwriter who understands the pain of being an artist.
Joseph Nevels understands how others become envious and jealous of your talent and claim to support you to your face but stab you behind your back.
Me? I was raised by two loving parents married for 48 years who saw me as an artist.
The biggest lesson that I learned is that at the end of the day, we are all artists.
Some of us practice this art by singing, others by writing songs, or practicing law.
While I have no idea what the future holds, as God Is My Witness, I feel like the most incredible team is being presented to me in 2026 and I pray I don’t fuck it up.*
*You Can’t Make This Stuff Up!
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