Autobiography Snapshot

29 May 2026

Was browsing YouTube (YT) in about 2008. Had just transferred from the technical college cyber security degree to the big university to have a second go at my baccalaureate. Twenty years later that is. Am unable to continue in cyber security and ethical hacking due to my GI Bill limitations. Otherwise, could have gone out of state or even online to a 4 year, 6 year, or even a PhD 8 year degree in this field. Also had applied for jobs in the very interesting Digital Forensics field too. Instead, staying local, earned my bachelors and master's in the I.T. field. Focusing on web design and organizational methods of large databases. As a former electrician, the computer and communications fields came kind of easy to me for some reason, as there was some crossover.

Perused around the web away from my studies that day. Was looking for music for our band and for general inspiration in my spare time. Ended up finding and communicating with, a Wisconsin musician through the YT message board. Which was later phased out for some reason. Probably from messaging security vulnerabilities. This particular content creator was raised nearby me. About a 90 minute drive between our towns. We both had left our home state and followed additional passions outside of music. But always kept a music thread alive whether as a writer, a performer in some capacity, or a volunteer and even a roadie within the music industry. Became a professional musician when getting paid to play gigs around 1988 I think. For me that 1988 rock band lasted about one year. Fast forward and I am mostly an unpaid musician while meeting him online in 2008.

He had begun playing guitar and singing in his finished basement as an adult. Was videoing himself playing John Lennon and Led Zeppelin songs, by himself. Sitting cross legged on the carpet with guitar and camera. He would send the video links to a woman he was after, who liked both types of music. They eventually got married and I arrived on his YT scene soon after their wedding. Mentioning to him how his Robert Plant voicings are very good. Freakishly good. Sharing a premonition with him, a strong reckoning that he would be very famous someday. This is about where a stream of synchronicities began to happen to us. We exchanged emails eventually, and he shared his nickname with me which was blended into his email prefix. But did not get an explanation of it until when it came up in conversation years later. We found out we had both dressed up as Gene Simmons from KISS earlier in life. Myself for a Halloween gag and him for a lip synch band. That the small river I was living on at the time was named after his relative who helped settle the area. That we both like a lot of the same bands. We are both active musicians. He the better singer and me the better guitarist. About 2010, during grad school, had entered and won a music video contest at the college. Playing to my camera a Led Zeppelin fingerstyle instrumental while wearing a Led Zeppelin T-shirt and on my computer screen behind me placing a logo of his new band. Winning a hundred bucks and honorable mention in the school website news.

He had simultaneously organized a virtual band while we messaged one another. None of the members had met in person. In all, they covered five very famous songs and one of them is simply put, their masterpiece. Could not believe what I was seeing and hearing from these guys. The producer was the lead guitarist from Japan. The drummer from Texas. The second guitarist was probably from New York . Bassist from Canada who was an electrician like me. Lead singer was my friend from Wisconsin who now lived in northern Virginia. The producer told me what software to buy and was myself, very close to buying it to form and record my own virtual cover band. Also in American music news at that time, what had been happening was, a new lead singer had been hired for the band Journey. An Asian musician who absolutely killed it imitating Steve Perry. Steve who had a throat injury could no longer perform as the original singer. The show must go on, right? Also got very close to a local Wisconsin band later in 2012. In the same farming community as me. Had talked to them about us producing a virtual video series like my friend, and it never came to fruition. At some point another group on YT remade Pink Floyd music in a similar virtual fashion. Not sure who did it first, but had personally witnessed my friend first doing it.  Even later during the corona lockdown stuff we discussed the virtual band idea one more time for that Wisconsin band, but it just wasn't meant to be unfortunately. 

Backing up to late 2009 again, had watched this successful virtual band do the multiple split screen thing. Fade ins and fade outs of each musician. The individual performer would be filmed doing their part in the songs in their own studios. Then the producer did the audio synching and placement of the fades of the members. After uploading their individual footage and audio to his server space, the Japanese producer/guitarist would work his magic. Posting the final product on YT with mega copyright statements in the description. He quoted law statutes pertaining to free expression, infringements and cover songs. YT did give them some grief at times, so what the band did was make these long statements to go along with their uploads. How the Fair Use Act protects artists from copyright infringement strikes. This virtual band actually played the music with their own instruments and voices. This band was so good they were fooling the YT algorithm bots which monitor for that shit. With each band member having their own YT channel, each would now upload the same band video on their own accounts. This way, if one got taken down, another was still present on the web. Their songs did go viral which was very inspiring. Of those five members, my friend was that I know of, the only rising star.

About this time in grad school, had been tinkering around with new technology that was similar to web design called smart phone apps. It was very new and to program these phone apps, and to practice my craft, would go onto the MIT server where students like me could build for free. Getting a small amount of server space storage for nothing as a deal for being a college student. Built him two smart phone apps and was planning on teaching this at the college but some other graduate student got that gig. In the meantime, got permission from that lead singer friend to make a DVD of their masterpiece song to share it with the Les Paul House of Sound people at Discovery World. A building that was sandwiched in between The Milwaukee Art Center, a place that I helped wire as an electrician, at the north gate of the worlds largest music festival called Summerfest. Where busking one day had made a whole two dollars.

All three of these locations are in a row, along the western shoreline of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee. A ten minute drive to the north of where I now lived again and also where I was raised. Management of Discovery World watched my friend's DVD of their brilliant cover tune, me noting that a Les Paul guitar was used by one of the virtual musicians and the original band guitarist too. Was simply asking to showcase that band and their virtuosity use of digital technology on a looped playback monitor. Similar to the Les Paul and Mary Ford videos on the screens in The House of Sound on the second floor of Discovery World. Perfect for Discovery World in my eyes, but they said no. Had also networked with a man who worked there and we later coincidentally had purchased live show tickets next to each other, to see Les perform downtown with many other locally grown artists. To include an 8 year old guitarist from Elkhorn whom I was building a website for. That Discovery World employee had helped me to get my friends 'one song DVD', to the right people.

At the exact same time in Discovery World meeting a group of volunteers called Guitars For Vets, and began to work with them as a guitar teacher/fundraiser at our local VA hospital. We worked with the nursing staff on getting disabled vets with ptsd and depression to utilize the healing power of music. Became good friends with the president and vice president of this 501C3, Dan and Pat. Dan had seen combat in the 1960's with the 1st Marine Division in Cambodia, and Pat was his local Milwaukee guitar teacher long after the war. We had been recognized by NBC who came and filmed us at the VA. Had also reached out to my former battalion commander from my active duty days to have us as guests onto his cable tv show segment called On The Hunt with Colonel Hunt. Which appeared on Bill Oreilly's Fox News channel. While these efforts of ours were going on, and as evidence began to build, the Guitars For Vets (G4V) train was gaining momentum.

Colonel Hunt was poised to be one of our helpers in growing the company. Asked Ace Frehley myself, formerly from the band KISS, to come aboard with us by going to his live Milwaukee show and giving him a G4V hat. Ace then played Rock Soldier for us and mentioned me and our group to his audience, on his PA system. When he pointed at me and my friends, I saluted him. He smiled at us real big. Many artists world wide were helping out military veterans who got wind of us. Recalling Willy Nelson wearing one of our shirts on his bus. When I sent Colonel Hunt a hat, he signed and personalized his books for me. Got Jason Bonham and his band, to sign a hat for me, later auctioning it off to help raise funds to buy or repair guitars for veterans. Also helped another 501C3 veterans group from Milwaukee, by wiring for free their new coffee shop. A company called Dry Hootch. A Hootch in Vietnam terms was a sandbag bunker the vets could go party in while not on patrols. Dry Hootch's name connotes being clean and sober and not relying upon drugs and alcohol or any self medication back home, after the war. Could not however, attend the grand opening ceremony where a Congresswoman and a Medal of Honor recipient spoke at the ribbon cutting. Was getting titanium placed in my back at the VA hospital that day. Took me three months to learn how to walk confidently again, and never missed a day of college.

Those two sister companies, both built by veterans, Dry Hootch and Guitars For Vets, both in Milwaukee began teaming up together. Volunteering lots of my time to these two companies during grad school. This was also around the time when Les Paul died. Attending his public wake at Discovery World after having seen his live show not long before. His son Rusty handed me the formal obituary memorial card that hangs on the wall in my studio. Right next to an autographed picture acquired in person from Les 20 years earlier at the Solid Gold McDonalds in Milwaukee.

Inside the wake room area, seeing several people I knew. Other local musicians and myself were there, paying our respects. Saw that eight year old performer with his dad. That same 8 year old had just played live with Les too. He and I, two guitarists talked for a bit and together, put our guitar picks into the vase at the foot of Les' casket. Asked him if he thought they had placed a Les Paul electric guitar in the casket too. Hmmmm? Eddie Van Halen did this at Dime Bag Darrel's wake after a fan murdered him at a live performance. Ed put an original Franken-Strat in with Darrel's body, in the casket at the wake. Darrel's brother Vinnie Paul could not believe it. Vinnie said, 'If you would have told me and Darrel as kids that Ed Van Halen was going to put his guitar in Darrel's casket, we would have never believed it.' Ed had invented the tapping technique on that guitar that he used on the instrumental song Eruption, which then leads quickly into a cover of Pretty Woman. Ed and Les were inventor buddies and used to call each other to talk about stuff they were working on. Les also invented the 8-track recorder. Now they are both on the other side with Darrell.

Moving around on the timeline again to about early 2010. Had informed my friend that the Discovery World's, Les Paul House of Sound folks, did not go for the virtual band DVD idea. Also shared with my singer friend, that I was spreading the word about this virtual band of his, with the university students where was teaching, and with G4V and Dry Hootch folks too. Told him how NBC had filmed us as I played Stairway To Heaven in the background. Showcasing us on the segment called Making A Difference. Then a fellow vet who was related to Oprah Winfrey wanted to get us on her show. Was asked to go film there and said yes. Fox News, NBC, Oprah, local radio, dedication concerts in town, fund raisers. Even called the Lieutenant Dan Band from Forest Gump to help us out. They told me they do not do any pro bono work. Called Ted Nugent's people in Michigan to help us. They listened and told me they were possibly interested. We were growing fast, when the US President awarded Bob Curry from Dry Hootch an award on live tv. Also, Dan Van Buskirk the co-founder of Guitars For Vets was retiring offering me the presidency position of his 501C3. Accepting that role hands down was a no brainer for me.

So a quick full circle personal musical story. In 1970 my moms youngest brother returns home from USArmy medic service in Vietnam and gives me one of my first guitar lessons at age 3. Have a time stamped instant photo of this lesson from March of that year. His name is Tom and passed a few months ago from agent orange cancer. Sometime in the 70's, receiving my first guitar for a birthday present when my moms old acoustic was no longer playable. We had a neighbors very old upright piano in our basement that was out of tune and had missing ivory. But my mom was teaching me to play anyway. Could hear in my head how it was supposed to sound and asked my dad to buy the tuning tool for it, he said no. One of our friends had a drum kit that we messed around on, forming a basement band that nobody took seriously accept for me it seemed. We entered a lip synch show and won. But could not play a whole tune on our own. Practiced a lot and joining the USArmy in high school in the 80's, we soldiers then formed a military rock-n-roll practice band after graduating from bootcamp and arriving at my permanent duty station. Bought a cheap 12-string at a pawn shop while putting on lay away, a brand new WesTone Electric electric guitar from Japan. Then bought a chorus pedal from a local in Oklahoma. The music store owner showed me a Johnny Cash tape with his name on it. He was credited as a writer for a song John sang and recorded. He said he saw John live, went to the tour bus, handed John a demo tape and his phone number. It worked.

During college the first time, was playing live gigs for money in the late 80's with that red WesTone electric guitar and in 1990 became a civilian electrician. In 1991 my USArmy active Reserve Unit got called up for Desert Storm. Putting my music career and electrical apprenticeship on hold. Never saw combat but was a stateside US Weapons instructor for 61 days as orders were being drawn for us to go overseas to fight as Infantrymen do. The war ended and they sent us back to Milwaukee to resume my civilian electrical career. Becoming a Journeyman in 1995 and master in 2000. Owned my own contracting company from 2000 to 2004. Had purchased rental property in 1996 and and sold it in 2006, then went back to college away from the electrician classes. This time was heading into a sit down career as a cyber security guy. Due to spine injuries from active duty catching up with me, had to change careers from construction work to computers. Graduating from that same tech college that had helped me with my previous career certifications as a journeyman and master. This time as a computer nerd. Got back into music again when reuniting with a former high school classmate during those career transitional years. He had gone to Hollywood and music schools as a drummer. He had then written original music with his Milwaukee SKA band. Became his drum tech and filmed their reunion show. He wanted me to help with percussion in the Milwaukee Tripoli Shrine Band. I accepted. We played in parades and concerts and did the circus gig every year for 10 years at the Arena where the Bucks used to play. We usually had a full house in front of 8,000 people led by a one legged Marine Vietnam vet who was also the trainer for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks team. As an electrician had previously helped my boss to remodel the Bucks coach's home. Whose son had Michael Jordan shwag, everything signed, and displayed in his bedroom. Told our band leader Arny Garber about this and he laughed. Coach Mike Dunleavy's home had a tennis court. A men's walk in closet, with a granite changing table in it, with four long rows of hanging business suits and a son who adored the Chicago Bulls. Arnie was good friends with Kareem Abdul Jabbar after retirement from the Bucks and L.A. Lakers and explained to me that friendships across team boundaries are common in sports. Arnie eventually retired and became the Shriners Band leader as he had become a Freemason after his time in the Marine Corps.

Organized a meeting with the vice president of G4V and Arnie, in hope's of having a fund raiser at the Shrine building where our Dance band, Rock Combo and Irish bands had rehearsed and performed live. This would allow us to buy more guitars for the G4V program. We gave free guitar lessons to vets at the hospital and after completing six of those lessons, the vet earns a guitar to keep forever. Myself having graduated from their program. It was too soon for the fledgling company to put together such a big show so my idea came to fruition many years later. VP Patrick emailed me long after I nominated another veteran to be the G4V president in my place. Then moved out of state. Peter Ruzika who gladly accepted his new G4V presidential role, is still in charge to this day. Patrick shared in that email to me that the Shirner concert had finally happened and that they had raised funding and networked a lot during that gathering. In the mean time, before moving out west and promoting G4V everywhere I went, had been honing my craft at open mic nights in a farming community and took one guitar with me in my long term trek out to California and Arizona. In that same Wisconsin farming community, had become a volunteer roadie and web designer for years, for well known local bands and a local vineyard owner band member. Built websites for these musicians and even helped to pick grapes and build the winery before my go-west-young-man opportunity happened. The one band had me design their last CD image inserts, which showcases my photo taken of the leader canoeing with his best friend. Toward a yellow orange sunset on the lake where he lived. That photo is on the inside cover. Which is where they sign their autographs, over the sunset canoe image. Created the graphic design for the whole CD and even sat in studio on a final recording session for one song on that CD.

This brings us up to speed somewhat on my musical evolution in Wisconsin. Now digressing in time, back to the virtual band story. We left off with Discovery World and saying goodbye to Les Paul. Continuing through grad school and because of my maturity, had become a teaching assistant for three people at the university. Also maintained my position as a tutor at the tech school, also having been offered the opportunity to give the commencement speech at graduation. Declining to give the speech, also eventually declining the G4V Presidency position that was handed to me. All within the same time period, including when my YT friend went missing.

He no longer responded to anything sent to him from me thinking, well this sucks. What went wrong? Licking my ego wounds, nose to the grindstone, locked into a future as an intern at the Milwaukee County Courthouse and Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. In ethical hacking. Getting quite burned out because during my degrees, had done a lot of volunteering and had also become a Freemason. My best choice was to now focus on grades, as my grades began to slip a bit. Needing to refocus my energy into college work and to somewhat stop the rest of the stuff that seemingly had no money in it. I was in real poverty. Had two very real spine injuries and career change number three at my feet. So money was a big deal with my 2012 graduation looming and gigantic student loans in my future. One day, was driving to class or Shriner band practice, forget which. Still had a few more performances left in me before leaving them as well. Heard a terrestrial radio commercial for a future concert with Jason Bonham's new band. They would play live in Milwaukee in October 2010. Desiring two tickets, found a friend who would go with me in a few months, to rock out to some Zeppelin cover tunes.

Jason's dad John, was the original drummer for the mighty Zep. He had unfortunately passed in 1980 which broke up the band and they had to cancel 30 shows. Jason had since performed with the surviving three members at the O2 Arena in London in 2007. Where he became the 5th and final member of Led Zeppelin. In 2010 he was finishing those 30 cancelled shows from his dad's 1980 tour. One of the show dates being scheduled in Milwaukee back then in a town where a young Led Zeppelin had once previously performed on a flatbed trailer at our state fair. I suppose with Les Paul being from Waukesha and Jimmy Page playing a Les Paul in Zeppelin, Milwaukee was getting a second chance to see these quad and now fully risen stars, in 1980. Arriving back at my Southside income property that day from downtown, dug into the web to buy those tickets and searched YouTube to see any footage of Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience (JBLZE). Almost fell out of my desk chair when clicking on one of Jason's videos. There on the mic, as his lead singer, was my friend James Dylan from Stoughton, Wisconsin. Of Virtual Zeppelin fame. That was 2010. After completing those 30 shows, many of us asked Jason to keep the band together. They are still on tour today in 2026. Just received an email alert this week from his company about a 2026 tour.

After being online music nerds and fast friends for two years, repeatedly telling James, his real name is Glen, how he would be famous one day. Then suddenly being ghosted by him. Wrote him an email explaining my ticket purchase for their Milwaukee show in October 2010. He finally responded. He said he had read every email of mine but was sworn to secrecy. He felt it would be best to stay quiet until he got the gig and then would apologize and explain later. Which he did. He got us backstage passes that night and did twelve more times for me in the future. Brought a G4V hat with me, one that Jason and the band members would sign for me in the Green Room. Which was later auctioned off to buy or repair guitars for veterans.

So Glen the lead singer for JBLZE convinced their management to keep returning to Milwaukee and at one point, stopped the tour bus in Stoughton, Wisconsin. Glen's hometown. To visit friends and hang out for a few hours. Then drove overnight to the next midwestern gig. Glen used to stay up all night on social media on the tour bus, then sleep during the day before the evening show. So I would sometimes show up early at the venue and hang out with other band members until Glen woke up. After, we would hit the Green Rooms and meet other famous musicians at future shows. At the Heart/JBLZE HeartBreaker Tour, never got to meet Ann and Nancy Wilson which is normal for them. James told me Heart only lets family backstage. But walked around the venue with James, when James' turn on stage had ended. The bass player Dorian joined us. We watched Jason on drums, and his lead guitarist Tony with Heart's full band, play the cover song called Kashmir. Standing in the crowd with James at the next HeartBreaker gig in the next town too. Somebody onstage filmed the crowd during Kashmir. James and I are on YouTube standing together in the crowd, looking at lead singer of Heart, Ann Wilson, up on the catwalk. Ann and Nancy's father is a former Marine. They grew up in the northwest, idolizing Led Zeppelin. Ann said in an interview how she purposely does not have a radio in her cars, so that she can practice singing instead of practicing listening.

What had happened to Glen during the Virtual Zeppelin days in 2009/2010, was that he kept getting these prank phone calls from his friends while he was in Virtual Zeppelin. Claiming that they were this person or that person. He would then hang up on them. Well one of them was actually Jason Bonham with his English accent. 'Click.' Glen hung up on his future boss. Jason called him back and invited him to Florida to tryout for his future band and Glen, aka James Dylan, accepted. He arrived in Florida for four days and sweated his way through many performances. Finally nailing it on the last day, nervously accepting the gig. He only told his wife. At the Milwaukee show we met in person for the first time. This was possibly midway through the 30 concert makeup tour. Met Jason backstage that night too, making him sad when sharing how "I was too young to see your dads band, so you are my Led Zeppelin." He left in a hurry. Me and my big mouth. There goes the drummer for Led Zeppelin, away from us. James went running after Jason and got him to sign that hat. Jason did not come back to the Green Room. Before he left he was telling us about using hologram technology to have his dad play drums next to him in concert. But that technology was not working for his engineers so they scrapped the idea. Have asked him recently how that idea was going and am awaiting a possible reply.

Jason and I are Gen X'ers born 24 hours apart on the same year. To think that he had turned down a professional motocross career to play music and myself had turned away from an electrical contracting and landlord career, to become a computer guy who played guitar. So I applied for a guitar tech position with Jason Bonham's band. They could not hire me just yet however. Continued working for free on Glen's smart phone apps and helped him too with his original website design as the years rolled by. Jason said that Glen's role as a guitarist in the band was minimal as he only played guitar on Going To California and until his singing and guitar playing increased, they would have to look at me again in the near future. Eventually, had again opened up my big mouth about unrelated music stuff and offended Glen after a decade of fun. He stopped corresponding with me about then.

Once attended a JBLZE show in Indiana. Was standing in the drizzling rain by the front gate with my tickets for sale in my hand. Approached a guy and asked if he had tickets. Glen had already placed VIP passes and tickets for me at will call, which were in my pocket, but wanted to sell my grass seat ticket at cost. I always buy a ticket for the show then either give it away or sell it when receiving the upgrades from Glen. Well, out of the thousands of people walking toward the main gate, try to sell tickets to that guy, in the rain. Glen's first cousin from Michigan. He had driven down to Indiana to see his cousin in JBLZE, live. He took my printed page from me and acted like he was pissed off, thinking this was scalping. Told him who I was and showed him the price paid on the print off ticket. Showed him my vip stuff. We sat together and hung out well after that show with two chicks, in the VIP area backstage. Took lots of photos. Stayed in contact with one of the girls for a few years. She too was an insider, knowing the band management people. We have since lost touch with one another.

Had seen over a dozen live performances and somewhere in there, Glen was being asked to sing for the real Led Zeppelin on their next tour. The Zep gods even asked Jason to change the name of his JBLZE band to have a different ending. The 'E' could remain in the acronym but Experience, became Evening. Jason was pissed. Zep wanted the term Experience for their use. He had to change all of his shirts, cd covers, banner advertisements, etc. But he did it. Jason then joined Sammy Hagar's band too, and saw them at Summerfest. Wearing one of his t-shirts purchased at a previous JBLZE show in Milwaukee, which had a picture of his dad at his Ludwig drumkit. In Illinois, met Jason's son at a show, and had a fellow fan take a picture of us. Jager Bonham and myself wearing that t-shirt, with that drumkit photo of the grandfather he never met on it. At the Phoenix show Glen was crashed out on the bus before the show, so Jason came to the outdoor Greenroom VIP gathering where after most VIP's wandered off, talked to him about his sobriety efforts. When his pa died in 1980 when Jason was 14, he was a very good young drummer possessing an interest in future music making, and motocross trophies. This is about when Jason began self medicating. Which is part of those cultures. At that Phoenix show where he opened for Cheap Trick and Foreigner around 2018. Telling me he had become clean and sober in late 2001. Just a few months before me on 09 Feb 2002. Then he leaned over to me and said "Robert has a new song on his CD Carry Fire called, 'May Queen', it is really good." Told him I will purchase it and did. So our sobriety dates and birthdays and our love of Zeppelin music kept us talking long after the VIP arrangement had dissipated and was asking him why he carried a curved glass liquor pint, filled with water, at the backstage events. Guessing out loud that it was because when some fan was offering him alcohol he could flash the flask and say, "I'm good, thanks." Jason said that is exactly why he carries it.

Then an ambulance came rushing toward us through the crowds of fans outside of our VIP area. Sirens blaring and lights flashing. Someone opens the big gate and let the medics through to an area near to us, but none of us could see why. They hauled out a stretcher to a grassy spot, and hoisted a body onto it. The EMT's began mechanical chest compressions and an IV, as they wheeled him into the back end of that ambulance. Driving him DOA to the Phoenix hospital. About then, Jason's people came and got him and took him away to air conditioning. By myself now, walked over to buy a t-shirt that didn't fit and sat in the grass seats for all three bands. Texted Glen telling him it was a great show sharing, "will see you at the next one." We never saw each other again. But later that night Glen texted me one last time that the tour manager had heard from the authorities that the male concert goer who had collapsed that day, had died of heat stroke and heart attack. They could not revive him. Jason and myself standing shoulder to shoulder, watched that man die backstage at Jason's own show.

Coincidentally, have not gone to another JBLZE show since, and have never heard from Glen again. Have heard directly from Jason a few times on the private message boards in Instagram. But that era of my musical life has otherwise ended for good it seems.

In 2017, had moved to California and was visiting a friend in Paradise, Ca before the entire town was burned down. Sitting inside of a Chicago Italian man's barbershop, eating doughnuts and having really good coffee, a man walks in named Don. He did all the talking until I mention having a guitar in my car. He asked me to bring it in. Don was the lead singer for Dantè and the Evergreens. Their big hit was Alley Oop Oop. So he strummed it on my guitar and we sang along. He said that he had somehow been involved with the writing or recording of Under The Boardwalk. Sharing that he still gets royalties in 2017 that he gives to Children's Hospital. Had redirected his career path after the band broke up, and became a teacher. Retiring on their pension, not really needing the music monies. Also went riding around dressed as the Lone Ranger for the school children, on his horse named Silver. After singing and playing for a while and sharing my song lyrics about a famous healer, he told us about a documentary called B.A.N.G. that he and other musicians had filmed for. Including Paul McCartney. Who at any moment was going to call Don. Earlier that year, had that same car behind the Potawatomi building in Milwaukee to give Jason's band some food and beverages, when Jason walked silently and unannounced past my open window. Gave the manager my care package, parked and walked into the Casino for his show. Now, as Don's phone rang in Paradise, he walks outside and leans up against that same car of mine to talk to Sir Paul about the music documentary.

About a year later, called Don to ask where I could buy the B.A.N.G. documentary. From his VA hospital bed, put me in touch with a family member of his who could help me. Purchased two copies, gifting one to the Wisconsin rock band leader as a thank you. The guy who gave me the graphics design job and who employed the vineyard owner bass player. Side note, before leaving Wisconsin, stole his drummer for one of my gigs. We used to practice in the farmhouse garage at my place. We actually made good money on that local birthday bash gig.

In 2020, had written music for a movie score that got cancelled due to corona nonsense. The Canadian movie producer was unable to leave her country to finish filming in Houston. It was cancelled with only a week of filming remaining. Instead of that movie script that had been sent to me, that movie, is now to become a TV series and documentary as of mid-2024. Spent a lot of money paying people to help me make that movie music and am still in the red on this. Studio costs, website costs, musician costs, equipment costs, dashed dreams, time, etc. But it was all worth it. Hoping my songs get played as often as possible and soon. Lol

Earlier, mentioned a nickname for the JBLZE lead singer. Glen's nickname is Mr. Yew. Eventually asked him what it means. He told me Yew is a plant. Glen sings Robert Plant songs. So his friends call him Mr. Yew.

* Lastly, RIP Phoenix Arizona concert goer guy. You now have the best VIP seats anyone can get. When it is my turn to leave here, hope to be having sex or playing guitar. Dying at a rock n roll concert is hard to top man. Nice one!!