Thanksgiving Day – I’m thankful that I left school at the first possible opportunity at the age of 15 to pursue a career in music. This ensured that I had no academic qualifications or second career to fall back on when times got tough. I had to ride out the really tough times, and my goodness there were many!
I’m thankful I stuck with playing the music I truly believed in and didn’t get sucked in by the shallowness of the mainstream music industry and the pursuit of wealth.
I’m very thankful for meeting my wife when we were both 16, and thankful she didn’t have a well paid job to support my musical self-indulgences.
I’m unbelievably thankful for our two sons, James and Stewart, who have made Liz and I so proud. James is a remarkable young man making a great life for himself in California, and I’m thankful that I was able to be Stewart’s father for the 21 years that he was on this earth with us.
I’m thankful that there are enough people in the world that like my music enough that I’ve never had to take a day job or become a musician that can only survive of grants, subsidies and bullshit.
I’m thankful that the hard times of the past make me appreciate the very comfortable and privileged life I now enjoy with my family and friends.
