My folks, Edie and Ralph, Sr. had a passion for life and music and gave me the opportunity to work as a songwriter and musician full time.

I decided, at 26, that I would give music all my time after working in the family business off and on since I was 16. When I told my father I wanted to play music fill time, he shook my hand, gave me a hug and told me to “work hard at it and don’t be a slack musician”. The first part was easy, it never seems like work to me. For me, this website is a milestone. My mom and three sisters always gave me a love light for the lions and tigers and bears moments in life!

Mardi, Lucretia, and Robin, my three loving sister help me to laugh and grow. They also write with me, a true triple blessing.

I came to Athens in 1986 in a beat up Chevy impala with 230,000 miles on it, and worked the T-Bones/Cooper circuit. I started listening to Vic Chestnut and John Prine, REM, the B-52’s and Widespread Panic when they jammed at the uptown lounge. Raw funk and soul. What a great time it was in Athens. It’s buzzin’ still….kwazee town Athens’ own Drive By Truckers and Bloodkin.

After about 3 years in Athens, I was playing at T-Bones Steak House, and all these great musicians would come to eat there. So, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to play with the likes of Rick Fowler, Charlie Pruitt, Bill Berry, Dave Schools, Paul “Crumpy” Edwards, Todd Nance, John Keane, Davis Causey, and Randall Bramblett. Just watching and learning from those guys was a blessing for me musically, not to mention fun! And it was a blast.

I then created an album at John Keane’s studio in Athens. I learned a lot and got to watch some magic ‘cause I was living the first song we recorded…Boo Coo Disarray. Thanks to Crumpy, Davis, John Keane, Joyce Bramblett, Randy Jones and Bros., and a dear friend, Deidra Vrooman, I was able to come together musically and learn the breathe and finish.