My background comes from the cotton patch in McCrory, Arkansas, where I was born and raised until I was about
14, when we moved to Memphis. I got a job delivering telegrams on a bicycle soon after.
I then upgraded to a small motorcycle. I was having fun. I joined the Air Force when I was 20 and stayed 8 years.
Then I had vendor routes, like Little Debbie, Dolly Madison, and milk routes,
and bread routes. That led to the job driving for Trailways, and on the side in my spare time I was making cabinets and refinishing furniture.
Then I went on to big rigs, hauling produce from California to New York and bringing things back to Arkansas, like unassembled wheelbarrows and lawn furniture.
During this time I still was making furniture and cabinets.
I made some banjos, the first musical instruments I tackled.
After that I made walnut salad bowls, then some dulcimers and finally back to banjos.
They are expensive and no one was buying them, even though they had a great sound, so I started making resophonic guitars.
They were a little less expensive.
When I lived in Memphis, I used to go to the Black and White Drygoods Store and see the Rhodes
Brothers show - Speck, Smiley, and Dusty. They really could put on a great show.
I used to listen to the Grand Old Opry on Saturday night, and later I drove
charter buses to the Grand Old Opry and sometimes saw the shows.
I believe I was led by God to make musical instruments, something with a good sound.
