My Music Journey -

    I'm the son of a career Army man and a stay at home mom. Growing up in my home, my parents listened to music often and took pride in purchasing the latest stereo equipment. My parents musical taste was varied, mostly country and pop music. My earliest recollection of a favorite song is "The Battle of New Orleans" by Johnny Horton, I was 5 or 6 and couldn't get enough of that song…. I begged my dad to play it over and over!
    Elvis and Hank Williams were also very popular in our home. I had 2 older sisters who of course loved The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, Hermans Hermits…… and I remember memorizing the lyrics to "It's A Hard Days Night". From early on I had been fascinated with music and music icons. In 1964 I saw the movie "Your Cheatin' Heart" which starred George Hamilton as Hank Williams and as an 7 year old kid I was very influenced by this movie and very attracted to the musicians lifestyle…..
   At 8 or 9 I acquired a record player and some Elvis records and I was certain at that age that I wanted to play guitar and sing like Hank Williams and Elvis! For my 8th birthday I got my first guitar, I didn't learn how to play right away but I loved banging on it and imitating my idols. While living in New York at the age of 11 I got my first electric guitar and started guitar lessons. After a few weeks of the lessons I became bored with playing "Sparkling Stella" and "Yankee Doodle" and lost interest in playing the guitar. A year later our family moved to Augsberg Germany and there I met a kid my age who knew how to play chords and popular songs on the guitar. I was so encouraged that someone my age was able to learn to play songs on the guitar and figured if he could do it…… so I asked him to show me how. He taught me some chords and my first song "Frankie and Johnny" from the movie of the same name which starred Elvis Presley…… I was hooked, I couldn't, wouldn't put the guitar down from that point.
     In my teens my musical taste turned to hard rock… GFR, Led Zep, Hendrix, Deep Purple… Living in Jucntion City Kansas, an army town, I had the opportunity to start my career as a musician playing the local bar scene. About that time drinking and drugging started to get the best of me. I became less passionate about the music and developed a craving for drinking and drugs that pretty much consumed me for 20 years. I eventually ended up in the Chicago area in 1991 and a couple of years later, March 1993, by the grace of God was able to enter into a new chapter in my life… drug and alcohol free! I attended College of Lake County and completed 2 or 3 of the music theory classes they offered while studying with Frank Portelese a local jazz guitar instructor. During this time I got hired on as a guitar teacher at Great Lake Music store in Mundelein. I played in a couple of local cover bands, one I still work with; “Out Of Control”, Chicagoland’s Premier Party Band! Other groups I performed with are; No Romance, Part Time Prophet, Reckless, Kevin Purcell & The Nightburners, The Slackdaddies, Bill Uhler Band. Notable places I’ve performed at; The Park West - opened for The Temptations with Koko Taylor. Twice at The House of Blues in Chicago as opening act for Credence Clearwater Revisted, Bo Diddley, Kenny Wayne Shepard. Currently; I perform as a solo acoustic player/singer or with The Bill Uhler Trio covering; pop, blues, country, rock, Funk, and jazz tunes. I teach full time at The Music Gallery in Highland Park. I see about 50 + students a week, mostly adult students over 40. I instruct adult bands there as well.. Bands I work with;

"The Bill Uhler Trio"

"Out Of Control”, Chicagoland’s Premier Party Band!