Friday Photo Flashback

For today’s Friday Photo Flashback, I want to share one of my favorite pictures of my dad. I asked my dad about his age in this picture and he told me he was 15.

I love this photo so much. ALll my life, my dad has never been without a guitar. He was always playing it growing up. I know that he played it growing up and eventually played it in wedding bands.

Check out those cheesy tuxes!

I have fond memories of him listening to current hits trying to figure out the chords or solos. One that sticks out, I have mentioned a few times. Watching him figure out the intro to The Breakup Song by the Greg Khin Band was mesmerizing. I loved every second of it.

There were times when my dad would need a drummer to fill in at a gig. It was often my Godfather and Uncle Tom who would be there. Those two together were always a blast, so I can only imagine those gigs. I actually found a photo of my Uncle Tom with my dad at a wedding.

After his band broke up, he joined another band and began to play bass guitar. I guess he would occasionally play lead guitar, but not often. The instrumentation was different in that band and it had a great sound.

When I graduated in 1988, my dad gathered together some of the old band members. Without rehearsal, they played music for my graduation party. It was a jam session for them all. When my uncle wasn’t playing drums, he would sing. My cousins would fill in on drums and guitar.

You can see how much fun they were having in that first picture.

When DJ’s sort of took the wedding band’s job, my dad started spinning records at the VFW. My Uncle, who was also a veteran, would come up and hang out. Those nights always consisted of loud laughter.

I shared theae pictures today because today is my dad’s 78th birthday. I truly hit the jackpot to get him as my father. He has been a great supporter of me throughout the many years of my life. He has influenced me musically in more ways than I can count. Not to mention the introduction to classic movies and TV shows. He is a hero to me.