I have loved music since I can remember. At age six, I used to lay down the speakers in the living room facing each other just far enough apart to climb in between. There, as if I was wearing massive headphones, I marveled at the sound.
Many moons later, a lot has changed in my life, but my passion for great music has been unwavering. At nineteen years old, desperate to find direction, a chance encounter with the U2 tour opened a world of possibilities to me. Since then, I have made it my life's work to help artists achieve their dreams. The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, and Garth Brooks, to name a few. This was my contribution to music. Told as a child I couldn’t sing, I never dreamed that I could actually make music, but I could help my idols be seen and heard.
The realization a decade ago that I am a baritone and that I can sing just a bit deeper was a revelation. Now years into performing, I still marvel that I have a voice, that I can make music and sing the things that are in my heart. It was scary to step out of my lane and start performing, but I am so grateful I took the chance. To some of my peers in the music business, it may seem odd. I agree! But I would remind all that I am doing this because I love music, and I have no concern over the kind of dollars and fame and success that Nashville cranks out. Making music simply brings me joy.
-ss
I decided to take 2023 off the road. I’ve used that time to make a lot of music I am proud of. Look to see a Johnny Cash Tribute album to drop soon. Then, a new Christmas single. Finally, I am excited to say there will be a new album of originals to support a European Tour in the first quarter of 2024!
UPCOMING SHOW DATES
OCTOBER 29 - Nashville, Tennessee - 3rd and Lindsley - TICKETS
OCTOBER 30 - Chicago, Illinois - Carol’s Pub - TICKETS
I HOLD THE LIGHT
After being derailed by covid, my first country album is finally out!
I Hold the Light is the culmination of a lot of struggle, and I think that resonates through its tracks. With the help of vocal coach/vocal producer Kristin K Smith, I feel like I have found my voice; I am no longer trying to mimic my idols; what comes through now feels like me. Luke Wooten produced with help from his right-hand man, engineer Austin Stanley. Brent Mason was my band leader for most of the tracks; what a legend. I am so grateful for these people’s talents. There is a lot of my heart in this album, I hope you enjoy listening half as much as I enjoyed making it.
I FREAKING LOVE CHRISTMAS
Christmas has always been my favorite time of year. Growing up in snowy upstate New York was a season of snow days, skiing, sledding, and snowball fights! Inside was a time for wish lists, warm fires, and hot chocolate. The soundtrack was always Holiday music. I marveled at the crooners like Bing and Frank, their vocal range and precision. The playful tone of Burl Ives singing “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” The vocal texture on Nat King Cole’s. “The Christmas Song”, arguably my favorite song ever.
I was immediately drawn to making a Christmas album when I started singing. Like I sometimes do, I got carried away, 15 tracks, all with full orchestra! That's right, I flew to the Czech Republic and worked with the City of Prague Philharmonic. At one point, I stood in the middle of the orchestra as they played a song I had written for my Mom. The sound pressure at the center of all those instruments was unreal; it brought tears of joy. I am proud of that album, and I am thinking about remastering it and making a double vinyl version that includes my newer singles as well. I have another Christmas song ready to drop right after Turkey Day. It’s called “Wonderland Dream”; I hope you like it.
Those who know me know that my holiday wardrobe is festivity run amok. I have at least 50 Christmas blazers, suits, and sweaters. I wear at least one a day from Thanksgiving to New Year. Like my music endeavors, people also think I’m a bit crazy about this, but like the music, it makes me happy. I don’t think any of us should be afraid to do what we love, loud and proud!
As a kid in grade school, I was told that I couldn’t sing. I believed it. It was no big deal in my mind; back then, there were a lot of things I thought I couldn’t do.
A chance encounter with U2’s touring crew started me on an amazing path. I discovered touring, a magical combination of technology and travel that would culminate every night in the roar of the crowd. It was the sound of joy, and I was hooked. I finagled my way onto the U2 tour, and then The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Whitney Houston, Paula Abdul, and even Ozzy Osbourne. I loved touring with music and making the show work; the work brought me, a farm kid, all over the world.
Then my rock n roll fantasy took a sudden left turn. Alan Jackson hired me to be his video director, and suddenly I was in Nashville, TN. I’ll be honest, I didn’t want to be there at first, but I quickly grew to appreciate Alan and love the city. It seemed to me that there was great opportunity in Country Music, so I decided to make Nashville my home. I started my first business, Moo TV, with a recipe for overloaded credit cards and dreams. I grew to LOVE working in country music, and the industry seemed to love me back. Before I knew it, Moo TV was winning awards for being the best video company in the industry. I started a few more companies, Moo Creative, to help build show content, The Steel Mill as a large-scale rehearsal facility. Things have been great, and we have had the honor of helping so many legendary acts bring their show to the people. Too many to list, But Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Dolly, Garth Brooks, Chris Stapleton, and Luke Combs are among the well over 100 acts that have let us be on their team; they have all been a privilege to know and work with.
So how the heck did I end up on the other side of the microphone? Long story, but it started years ago in Norway. My friends had a party, and I remember singing Johnny Cash to the radio. The next night they asked me to join them onstage and I was shocked to find that people liked my singing! All those years when I was trying to sing to the radio was to songs that were too high for me. I’m a baritone, like Johnny. My friends have a band called Spinning Wheels, and they ask me to join the band, what? Join a band in Norway? That’s crazy! …so I joined the band in Norway for several awesome years.
I am so grateful that Spinning Wheels included me; flying over there to do gigs was a blast! I never told anyone in Nashville, I didn’t want my clients to laugh at me. Meanwhile, we started getting better and better gigs; one day we found out that we were on the main stage at a huge festival, the main stage! We were excited; this would be a big audience as the headliner for this festival is usually a really popular Norwegian band; if so, we might perform to as many as 10,000 people.
Two weeks later, I got frightening news... The festival announces the headliner that we will be opening up for, ...and it's Brad Paisley. One of my very best friends an artist whom I have worked with for close to two decades. My secret is about to be blown!
A few days later, the conversation between Brad and I was pretty amazing. He thought I must be kidding. “Why is this funny?” he asked, thinking I was joking. I replied nervously, “It's funny because it’s true, Brad; I have been secretly singing in Norway for seven years. It terrifies me that my secret is coming out, and most of all that you will see me perform. Please be kind!”
Like a truly great friend, Brad has been wonderfully supportive. For that matter, it is amazing to me how behind me all of my artists have been, as have so many other friends in the industry. Country music is a family unlike any other, full of support and love. Almost everyone thinks it's great. To the few who have kidded me or thought I was trying to make a career of it please understand that I am just having fun. My free time passion project just happens to be my artist's day job.
The impending show inspired me to get serious about my vocals, and I started seeing a vocal coach. I worked hard, and I improved in range, strength, and tone; I loved it. When the show day came, it was amazing, terrifying at first, but once I got started, it was magical. I have, in fact, opened for Brad several times now, some with Spinning Wheels, some on my own in Sweden with a great Swedish backing band, “The Brotherhood”. Next, I will be in Japan, traveling with Kinsey Rose and an all-American band. What a blast.
Brad’s producer, the incredible Luke Wooten, was also at that first show where I opened for Brad.. Months later, back in Nashville, I asked him if he thought I could do a real album for release? All I wanted was advice, but Luke insisted that he was going to produce the album. I told Luke there was no way I was going to let him do that, I didn’t deserve a producer of his caliber. His reply? “Life is short, and this will be fun! Besides, I am one of the few people that have ever heard you sing. You walked up to that mic in Norway and started belting out Johnny, I was stunned”.
Thanks to Luke and his amazing team at Station West, I started releasing my own music, and I found that I loved writing and recording as much as performing. Recording in Nashville is incredible, and, producers like Luke, and engineers like Austin Stanley make it seem easy, the legendary Brent Mason is my band leader for most sessions. It’s a dream, and I am so proud of what we do, particularly my latest album, “I Hold the Light.”
So here we are, on my “artist” website, casting away all fears of inevitable judgment and snickers. I’m doing something I love, my only expectation is creative fulfillment, and I get that in spades. As a wonderful bonus, it seems that some people really like my music, and I love them for that.
It’s hard to believe that little old me, the kid who thought he couldn’t sing, the kid who spent his whole life helping others be seen and heard, is making albums and performing. How exciting, dangerous… and glorious. It feels incredible to have a voice.