Texas Christian Rockin' Blues

9 MP3 Songs
BLUES: Texas Style, ROCK: Roots Rock



Details:
Hey Folks,

Welcome to LarryLand! Iâm going to give you a brief rundown about myself.

Seems like just yesterday that I was sitting in my bedroom at the old rent house on the eastside of Houston.. Kinda funny, I was born in Austin but ended up in fleatown (Houston). But there are some good things to say about that. That is where I learned to play the blues and every style of rock-n-roll I heard.

I remember as a kid doing my first show in a high school auditorium. I was 5 years old and very impressionable. I played a song called âThe Banjo Manâ while playing a Ukulele in front of 200+ people. No wonder Iâm so confused. Luckily, my Dad and Mom encouraged me to sing, dance and play. Donât ask me why they decided to live on the wrong side of the tracks.

Going through school was tough. I studied a little, fought a lot, and ran a bunch! Straight home to my guitar. Thank God my Dad never told me to turn it down or Jimmy Hendrix would not have had the same effect on me. I remember playing âDirty Waterâ and âLouie Louieâ in 6th Grade during lunch for cookies and milk. After this lunch concert I started to crave the limelight. I was a drummer then, but I would play my brotherâs guitar until he got home and beat me up for it.

As the 60s got heavy, the music was real. Everyone had something to say, something to rebel about and something to party about. I jumped in Head First. Oh, the 60s!! Marching with the Black Panthers against the Viet Nam war and really not having a clue why! Those were the days.

As the 70s came to town, I decided to leave high school and hitchhike across the South. That was not an easy task since long hair was not widely accepted. After my fill of Mobile, I came back to Texas and got married and had a couple of kids. I still held a day job and was a weekend music warrior. Some of my favorite memories are in the juke joints of Houston. I had great musical influences being the only white boy in most of the bands I played with back then. The Latin & Black culture mixed with the âold school boogie woogieâ music that my father introduced me to make a big impression on the variety of music I learned to play.

By the mid-70s I moved back to Austin where the music scene was happening. I picked up a gig with Jimmie Carl Black (drummer for Frank Zappa) and was on my way. Man, we had fun. We played 2 â 4 nights a week and we pretty unconscious through a lot of it. I was booked solid with session work, shows with JCB and my original band, Pound4Pound. Looking back it was all a work in progress. More or less music in the process.

I freelanced for years in Austin. It was kinda freaky. My oldest friend from the hood in Houston was a blind man named David Archibald. He was a harmonica playing fool & a good blues front man. So, we started writing songs put together a gospel blues duo. We played clubs and street corners on 6th Street and a little club called the Chicago House. That is where I met a lot of great song writers. I was playing with David and an artist named Barb Donovan. At that time, I met a songwriter named Jimmie Lafave.

It was the late 80s. I ended up playing a duo with Jimmy for a few months and the next 17 years are history, doing all but one of Jimmyâs records and touring the US, Europe & Canada. Through the ons & offs with Jimmy, I played and toured with artists like Jimmie Dale Gilmore and blues legend Miss Lavelle White to name a couple. I also did some solo work with my power trio, The Spaceheaters.

My life came to a crossroads in 1996. Sex, drugs and rock-n-roll had taken its toll. I know that sounds cliché, but itâs the truth. After two marriages in the can & sleeping on friendâs sofas, I had to stop and look in the mirror. As I looked, the reality wasnât so sweet. I want to say that I made a great step & found a God to deliver me, but the truth is God made the first move. Through all of my experiences as a young man with God, nothing was like the experience I have now with my Maker. Fortunately, I was able to meet a pastor by the name of Rex Johnson. I was amazed that this man had no prejudice, bias or judgment of my soul. He only shared the truth and the love of Jesus Christ. If youâre interested in reading my testimony, please go to the Testimony link.

Now, happily married, I am turning my talents to serving Jesus full time. I am on the Music staff of Christian Life Church. I have two Christian Gospel CDs and I also teach guitar and drums. I work every chance I get with kids and adults who are interested in knowing the Power & Love of God. My CDs are not your average Gospel/Pop Christian music. Donât be afraid to crank up the volume and put on your dancing shoes. And for you guitar players out there, that only use vocals for a que for your leads, you will enjoy this also. God has changed my heart, but not my style. As a matter of fact, he gave me my style and has put a better heart in my songs. Enjoy my music, call your friends, spread the message & donât be afraid of the truth. The Bible says, âThe truth will set you freeâ and that the truth is Jesus Christ my Lord.

Sincerely,

Larry