---

Joe's Story

---

In the fall of 2005, I purchased a Taylor guitar, with the notion that I might reconnect with a part of me, from which I had become so far removed, that I wasn’t even sure it ever existed. Yet, I had some vague recollection of a time, much closer to the beginning, when music and the expression of singer-songwriters through music, effortlessly and naturally appealed to me, as did nothing else. So, more with hope than conviction, I started to dabble...

For the most part, I wrote the songs on this CD, Better Late Than Never, over the past year and a half. During this period my wife, Sally, encouraged me to broaden my performance venue beyond the kitchen and the back porch. And, for Christmas 2006, Sally gave me a gift certificate for eight hours of recording time with John Kelly at Hideaway Recording Studio in St. Petersburg, FL.

In March 2007 I met with John for the first time. In the months that followed, what began as a couple of demo sessions evolved into this CD. While I wrote and sang the songs on this CD, the final product belongs as much to John Kelly as it does to me. The credits speak for themselves. To put my name on the front of this CD without fully acknowledging John’s role would be the act of an impostor.

Similarly, it would be the epitome of ingratitude, if I failed to mention that far beyond the recorded music, Sally and John gave me the opportunity to reconnect with a part of myself that I deeply missed.

For this, I am eternally grateful.

---

Biography

---

I was born in Philadelphia, and presently live in St. Petersburg, FL with my wife Sally, and our children Sara and Patrick.

Like most "baby boomers", my first recollection of having any interest in popular music involves the Beatles. And while I like Rock N Roll to this day, I have pretty much been a big fan of the "singer/songwriter" genre since it emerged in all its glory in the sixties.

At that time Philadelphia had two great alternative radio stations, WYSP and WMMR. They both had great folk and folk/rock programming. One of them, and I can't remember which, had a show on Sunday nights called Folklore. The final hour of the show usually included live performances by singer/songwriters who had appeared earlier that evening at The Main Point, a landmark Philadelphia coffee house.

It was here that I "came of age" musically, listening to Tim Buckley, Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs, Eric Andersen, Dave Van Ronk, Ian and Sylvia, Gordon Lightfoot, Ramblin Jack Elliott and of course, Bob Dylan. I vividly remember the first time I heard Bob Dylan's album "Blonde & Blonde" and especially the song Visons of Johanna. Overnight, the bar had been raised.

In the years that have passed since then, I have come to really enjoy the works of Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Randy Newman, Ralph McTell, Dave Alvin, J.J. Cale, Steve Earle, Paul Simon, John Hiatt, Jackson Browne, James Taylor and James McMurty to name a few.

My current favorite is Mark Knopfler. I think he artfully combines simple melodies and skillful guitar playing with great lyrics that capture moments and tell stories that touch us with a sense of connectedness.

While I guess I'm a "folkie" at heart, and find it easier to connect with a well crafted lyric built around a simple melody, I also appreciate the more musically complex works and sophisticated guitar styles of Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Roy Buchanan, Chet Atkins and Jorma Kaukonen.

I actually started taking guitar lessons when I was around 8 years old, and shortly thereafter, realized that I had a half decent voice, and began to sing and accompany myself on the guitar. Through my teen years I began writing songs, and played rhythm guitar and sang with a few groups that did mostly singer/songwriter covers, and a hand full of original songs.

For some reason, which is really neither here nor there, I stopped playing the guitar and writing songs in my early twenties, and didn't pick up a guitar with any sense of real purpose for more than 25 years. And for some reason, which is also neither here nor there, I made a concerted effort a few years ago to pick up where I let off, as improbable as that may sound. And I'm really glad I did.

First of all, I simply get a great deal of satisfaction from writing, playing and singing. Beyond that, though, through a series of random events, I met John Kelly, a singer/songwriter, gifted guitar player and producer/engineer who operates Hideaway Recording Studios in St. Petersburg. I really don't think I would have ever recorded a full blown CD if I had tried to do this with anyone else. There is a great deal of vulnerability that comes into play when you stick your neck out with original work. And while I certainly don't want to diminish the value of the talent that John contributed to this effort, I think his greatest contribution came in the form of positive support and encouragement.

I'm a great believer in the randomness of things, and would be remiss if I didn't mention that my wife Sally arranged for my initial sessions with John. I think some folks call it "dependent origination".

Anyway, as I said earlier, I'm really glad I did this. It gave me a chance to connect with myself, if you will. And I hope that you also find something here that you can connect with, or at least like. And if you don't, we'll that's OK too. I'm too old to worry about what other people think. And whether you know it or not, so are you.

Supporting Sites

Personal Website: 

http://www.joemilligan.net