I left home in 1964 at the age of 14 to escape an extremely violent and alcoholic ex-marine father, and I became a "Ken Kesey electric kool-aid acid test" kind of "flower child", who turned on, tuned in and dropped out during the turbulant and wild period of the 1960's. I was very heavily influenced by the "counter culture" of those days and became a musician learning how to play the guitar. I was inspired by guitarists of that era like Jimi Hendrex and Eric Clapton, and sought to emulate them. I eventually played in several bands over the years, and although I never went to high school, I did more...
