Back in 1989 I moved from Jackson, MS to San Diego, CA. and began to work in town. Being the impressionable young drummer that I was, finding someone to glom onto as a mentor was essential. I went to Croce's Top Hat (now a pizza joint) one Wednesday night and ran into this amazing band called "Len Rainey & The Midnight Players". They were playing this funky Blues music- right up my alley!

For the next 7 years I followed Roger around, setting up drums, breaking down and occasionally filling in for him when he would be late for a gig. I got a lot of work that way and a great deal of experience. He got me hired at Music Mart whom at the time were "THE" music store. Before Guitar Center decided to throw down the "world domination" thing and open a bazillion stores. Lots of great times were had there.

The "orbit" of our relationship at the time reached an apogee at the Maui Music Festival in 1996, where we performed as the drums/percussion duo for the group "Under The Lake". I graduated from the Roger Friend School of Drumming and got my Sears drivers license in the same Crackerjack box. :D

For more info on Rog, check out RogerFriend.com