It all started in November of 1976 after seeing my first concert; Ted Nugent and Ronnie Montrose at the Chicago Amphitheater.

I was so blown away, the very next morning I went to the local music store and bought my first electric guitar and a small amp.

God does move in mysterious ways.

For 2 years I locked myself away in my bedroom and practiced for hours and hours each day until I was good enough to join my first band.

The next ten years were spent playing in too many bands to even remember. The height of my band experience was in “Detour”, a “3 piece plus vocal” that played the club circuit with great success from ’87′-89.

I then spent 2 years with the national act “The Shadows of Knight” who had the ’60′s #1 hit “Gloria”.

During that period I started to sense God seeking me out and after a long spiritual journey, I committed my life to Jesus Christ. It wasn’t an all at once kind of thing, but a gradual search as I found the answers to my questions in the Bible, at Willow Creek Community Church and in a lot of reading. I’ve heard some Christian musicians say that the day they became Christians they turned their music over to God. For me, it was gradual again. As God worked His way into my life, He also worked His way into the music I wrote and played until using music for any other purposes besides His seemed empty (and that’s never changed).

Starting in ’91, I spent 2 years as the musical director for Primetime (singles ministry) at Willow Creek. Leaving there I went into full time ministry as a worship pastor at North Bridge Church in Northbrook for 4 years, Westlake Community Church in Huntley for 3.5 years and Fox Lake Baptist Church in Ingleside for 2.5 years. During that time, I also did quite a bit of design, installation and training for sound, lighting and video (I had gone to recording engineering school in the early ’80′s and always had some form of recording studio in my home, as well as having run a lot of sound at the churches I worked for). After leaving Fox Lake Baptist, I became an independent worship consultant and have worked for dozens of churches doing worship team training, sound system design and guest worship leading. My worship team is made up of all the best musicians and friends from the different churches I worked at, and most of them are core members of the Blacksmith Project.

That long rode has brought me here; co-directing The Blacksmith Project with my good friend and bassist Duncan Mathieson. It really is a dream come true for me. All my musical life I’ve loved songwriting.

When I’m doing it, it feels like putting on an old, soft, comfortable pair of jeans. I know I’m right where I’m supposed to be. Unfortunately, although a very rewarding experience, full time church ministry was the worst thing that ever happened to my songwriting. As you worship leaders know, there’s very little time for any music except what you’re working on for the next Sunday service.

That’s why I feel so blessed right now. Many days when I get up, all I have to do that day is write music. What’s better than that?!? Although I still have a long way to go, I really feel like the Lord has affirmed my songwriting and that since Blacksmith started, I’ve written the best songs of my life. I hope you think so too.

On a completely different note (no pun intended), I’ve been married to Melissa for 11 years and have a ten year old daughter, Grace, and an eight year old son, Grant.

They are the joy of my life and were given to me after coming to terms with the fact that I would never marry or have kids.

Isn’t it funny and humbling the way God works!

Anyway, that’s me, except for the bad parts I’ve left out.

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