I was born in Buffalo W.Va. 1936 on a little 23 acre hill side  farm we raised most of our food for the family of eight mom, dad & six  kids 3 boys & 3 girls and we were a very close family.  I got my first guitar when I was just a kid.

I would set on the floor in front of a battery set radio on Saturday night and listen to the grand ole opry out of Nashville Tenn.

I started playing guitar in the bars when I was 16 years old with my life long friend Auvil Mitchell. I also did guest shots on various TV stations in W.Va. WCHS in Charleston W.Va. WSAZ in Huntington W.Va. WOAY in Oak Hill W.Va. and also sunup & sundown radio stations throughout W.Va. and Ohio.  I played music all through my time in the US Army at Fort Lewis Washington.  I would fill in for Don Rich of the Buck Owens Band when he would go down to LA California and record with Buck for Capital records. At that time Don was working as a side man in Tacoma Washington.

While in the Army I was stationed with Chuck Glaser of the Glaser Brothers from Nashville Tenn.