ONE MAN ONE LIFE

PROLOGUE

I decided to look back and try to remember all that has happened in my life. I’ve had an exciting, varied, sometimes normal life…much of the time. I want to get it down on paper—or digital screen, as the case may be—while I still hold the memories in my head. I’ll admit, some memories may…
JACK OF ALL TRADES

I didn’t follow a traditional career path. My dad worked at The Marion Star—the local newspaper—for 28 years before becoming a real estate agent then broker. My brother, Floyd, right out of college, made his career in the Army as an officer and Blackhawk helicopter pilot. Dwayne was an educator for many years before becoming…
I HAVE VOICES IN MY HEAD

I was fortunate to begin singing at a young age. Over these many years, I’ve been fortunate to be a part of some memorable singing groups. I was six years old the first time I sang a solo in church. I sang in the teen choir when I was older. I sang in the choir…
ROUND ROUND, I GET AROUND – BEACH BOYS

I’d met John David before moving to Laguna. He used to come into Tony’s. He was cute. And he knew it. But that was part of his charm, not acting like he knew it. He was dating a boy named Brett at the time. Brett was a classical pianist. He was one of the pianists…
IN THE BEGINNING

My earliest memories begin at 358 Mary Street, Marion, Ohio in the late ‘50s. There are photos and home movie memories of things I don’t truly remember, but there are memories stuck in my mind that have never faded. It was a huge two-story house. It seemed huge to me, anyway. But then, it had…
THE WONDER YEARS II – CAMP EXPECTATIONS

CAMP, LOTS OF CAMP The Church of the Nazarene divides states and regions into districts. We were in the Central Ohio District. The district owned several acres near Columbus, Ohio that we all called The Campground. There was a large tabernacle, dormitories, cinderblock duplexes used for summer camps and lodgings during the annual two weeks…
THE WONDER YEARS II – PANTIE RAIDS

HALLOWED HALLS OF HIGHER ED The Church of the Nazarene built colleges. One was in Mount Vernon, Ohio. The campus was a 327-acre estate gifted to the church. It was situated in the countryside just outside Mt. Vernon. A river runs through it. When it first opened, there was only one dorm built—brick colonial style…
THE WONDER YEARS II – LOS ANGELES, HERE I COME!

ON THE ROAD TO LA My rational for leaving Ohio was that I wanted to pursue an acting/singing career. My dad asked why not New York, it was closer. For me, Los Angeles was about as far away as I could get. That’s where I wanted to be. The summer of 1977, before I left…
INTERLUDE

GET OUT OF THE DAMN CLOSET I led a pretty sheltered life growing up in Marion, OH. In terms of what real life and the real world were like. Growing up in a conservative religious family, we were in the world not of the world. I was in junior high before I had any idea…