Biography
I was born in San Diego and raised between San Diego and Yucaipa, California. My mom sang and played guitar and bass with Tex Ritter and CMA founding member Smokey Smith. My dad played fiddle and lead guitar with Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys and also worked and recorded with Capitol Records Rock-a-Billy Hall of Fame artist Merrill Moore. Together, my mom and dad wrote and recorded their own original songs with Crystal Records in Los Angeles (1949-1956 under the names Jean Davidson & Johnny Duschel), as well as played regularly on Cliffe Stone's Hometown Jamboree TV show in Hollywood, CA.
At age eleven I decided that I wanted to be a singer and musician when I grew up. My dad taught me how to play the guitar and I started singing and writing songs. The great western swing musicians that worked with my parents took me under their wing after my father’s early death when I was fifteen. My mom told me that if I learned how to play a major instrument in a band I would always work, as opposed to just singing and playing rhythm guitar, so she started me on electric bass. I became an accomplished bass player and singer playing clubs, recording, etc.
I went to a jam session in Bakersfield at age 20. Buck Owens’ cousin heard me and I recorded three singles (6 songs) in Buck’s studio with his famous Buckaroos band, but nothing much happened with it. Later I moved to Nashville and landed a house gig in town. I worked 6 nights a week for $35 a night with a great band whose drummer, Craig Wiseman, later went on to become a Grammy winning song writer. While working with Craig, I met Roy Orbison’s son Wesley. We started songwriting together, and I currently have a song I co-wrote with Wesley called "Forever This Time", which is on his recently released debut album. Wesley introduced me to his dad who was recording with the Traveling Wilburys and also the Mystery Girl album at the time. Craig got his first song placed on Roy’s Mystery Girl album.
After living in Nashville for two years I moved back to California where I met Sammy Hagar’s drummer David Lauser. We worked in bands and wrote and recorded songs together. He introduced me to Fred Sampson, platinum selling songwriter, guitarist and producer, who I also write songs with. My first CD, which you can listen to and/or purchase from my Music page on this website, is mostly a collaboration with Fred.
I think of myself as an Americana artist because my early influences were Country, Western Swing, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and the Beatles. My favorite current influences include Paul Rodgers, Bonnie Raitt, Patty Smyth, Tammy Wynette, Asleep at the Wheel, George Strait and Sheryl Crow.