Soundtrack of my life
I started playing in a band at the tender age of 17. I was still in high school when I played my first paying gig at the Strand Theater in Marietta. The year was 1984 and our band, Redd Threat, quickly rose to a notable position in the Atlanta club circuit. At first, We played quite a lot in a little restaurant bar named Quincy's. Later we moved on to Charley Magruders and what was to become our home, Danny's on Cobb Parkway in Marietta.
1984
I was the lead guitarist for Redd Threat but the other guys were several years older than I. To a teenager, things couldn't have been much better. Not only was I able to get in to the coolest Rock and Roll bars in Atlanta, I usually got in free and was treated with much respect by the other bands playing the circuit. The 80's were in full swing and we were living the Rock Star life, if only as local heroes.
Rockin at Danny's
We didn't make much money but I was too young to care. We worked menial day jobs to pay the rent. Mostly, it was construction jobs where they didn't care that we looked and acted like a bunch of outlaws. We were just waiting for our time to come. We were all convinced that Redd Threat was better than a lot of the bands being played on the radio and sooner or later someone important would notice.
Mack- Bruce- Andy- Todd-Tommy
That came to pass when I was 21 years old. Two members of Twisted Sister had formed an artist development company called French productions. J. J. French and Mark Mendoza took Redd Threat under their wing and things really began to happen.
Jammin' with JJ
First they got some investors in the form of the Kramer Guitar Company. Needless to say we got endorsement guitars and other gear from the same custom shop where Eddie VanHalen got his. Redd Threat went into the Soundscape Studios "A room" to record a record quality demo. The Georgia Satellites were recording their sophomore album in the "B room" next door, so singer, Dan Baird, actually came over and sang some back ups on our recording.
RCA Records came to Atlanta just to see Redd Threat and loved it. The "man" said we would be stars! He took us all out that weekend and we finally knew that all of our sacrifices had paid off. Our dreams had all come true! On Monday, he went back to his office in New York city to draw up a contract but ........upon arrival, he found a pink slip on his desk. This is when the Redd tide changed direction.
We went on to audition for all five of the major record labels but no one else was biting. We were offered deals on smaller labels but our management had too much money invested for them to take it. The year was now 1989 and the face of music was changing. We had perfected an 80's approach but no one wanted that anymore. I found myself ......a 23 year old "has been."
Perhaps the greatest irony in all of this is that we were indeed surrounded by greatness. The studio engineer who helped cut all of the demos that first brought attention to Redd threat was none other than Ed Roland of Collective Soul. The manager at Danny's was Jesse James Dupree of Jackyl. Fran Strine, the guy who was my guitar roadie , is now a photographer for Rolling Stone, Metal Edge, Kerrang etc.. The guy who worker on my guitars was Buren Fowler of Driving and Crying. The bands who used to humbly open for the mighty Redd Threat contained members that would later form such bands as; Butch Walker, Seven Dust and the Black Crowes.