In my earliest memories there’s music...
I remember loving music and vinyl records, and at a young age Dad bought me a
record player. It was one of my main toys for all of my early childhood and anytime
we had company, out would come the record player and a handful of 45s. I would
sing along with the records, bang on my little piano along with the records, and dig
through Dad’s record collection looking for my next favorite song. I guess Mom
either got tired of hearing my attempted singing, or maybe she thought I had some
promise, because when I was four she started taking me to Mrs. Owen’s house for
singing lessons...and it was a wonderful thing.
Without a doubt, Thelma Verneuille Owen (1908-1967) was the greatest musical
influence in my life. I don't remember exactly how she taught me to sing, but she did.
And I don't remember how she taught me to be fearless on stage, but she did that
too. From age four until just before I turned eleven, Mom would take me to her
house every Tuesday afternoon for a half-hour. She would play piano or organ and
we would sing. Most times it would be just her and me, but at times she would
include an older student she wanted me to learn from...or a younger student she
wanted me to influence. Three years later my little brother Michael joined in, and we
took lessons together for the next four years. There was never any pressure, and
surprisingly no formal musical or technical training...we just sang. Mrs. Owen was a
sweet and patient lady, and she dearly loved music and helping her students
succeed. When she played, her passion and enthusiasm were obvious and highly
contagious. And beyond that, she delivered her masterstroke by bringing in a
recordist every Fall to document our progress. Just before Christmas, he would
deliver us a vinyl record containing a selection of the songs we had learned during
the previous year. And that’s still the cherry of top of the whole Mrs. Owen
experience...more than sixty years later, I can still hear her playing and me singing
whenever I want. Click here, or on the “MUSIC” link just above Mrs. Owen's picture,
if you’d like to check out these recordings.
Michael and I both learned to sing accurately and with feeling from Mrs. Owen, but
even more importantly she taught us to confidently deliver our songs to live
audiences. Twice a year we would sing at formal recitals for several hundred people,
and once-a-month we would sing for senior citizens at various assisted living
facilities in the Mobile area. These regular performances for appreciative audiences
organically instilled confidence in us, causing the onstage experience to be a time
for joy...thoughts of nervousness and apprehension literally never crossed my mind.
After Mrs. Owen passed in 1967, both Michael and I kept on singing. Both of us had
sung weekly in school/church choirs for several years and continued throughout
grade school.
My next big music influence was our next-door neighbor Wanda. She was seven
years older than me, and turned me on to so much cool 60s music. Wanda was like
a big sister, and kept me current with the Beatles, the Monkees and lots of other
great bands. When I started playing guitar in 1968, it was the music she shared with
me that I learned to play. Wanda also took me to my first-ever concert in 1967...the
Monkees...at the Mobile Municipal Auditorium. It was one of only four Monkees
concerts that were recorded and it’s included in one of their boxed sets. You can
hear the 8/12/67 concert I attended on YouTube by clicking here.
Then came high school and rock bands! Michael was playing drums by this time,
and both of us were totally wrapped up in musical dreams. Thanks Mom & Dad!
Thanks Mrs. Owen! Thanks Wanda!