I, like everyone else got caught up it the "Renaissance of rock and roll". Bands like the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The who. All the legendary bands that still attract new fans were just coming into their own.   It was an unbelievable time. Country Rock bands like the Byrds, Poco, Flying Buritto Brothers, The Eagles, Pure Prairie League and most of all Gram Parsons layed the foundation for most of the "New Country" music you hear today. It was around 1972 when I first heard a new song by Crosby Stills and Nash called Teach your Children. During the intro to the song I heard this bizarre sounding instrument that completely captivated me.  It was my first introduction to the sounds of the Pedal Steel Guitar and I was "hooked" for life. I picked up my first steel when I was 18 while travelling with my older brother to the west coast during the summer of 1972 with his band called "Fox". Back in those days everyone was trying to make it in music but I was simply going along for the ride. It was a great summer.When I got back to Brooklyn I immediately started jamming with local musicians and played clubs throughout the Brooklyn area for the next 5 to 10 years.  During that time I had the opportunity to play with the Jerry Garcia band, Bo Diddley and Firefall (which opened for Fleetwood Mac) By the time I hit my thirties I dropped out of music and became domesticated. I got married, had a couple of kids and took a job transfer to Baltimore as an operations manager for a Marine terminal. It was while unpacking during my move to Baltimore that I decided to set up my pedal steel which has remained in its case for the previous ten years or so.  I went to the local music store to get new strings and decided to put my name on a bulletin board hoping to find local musicians who might want to start a garage band or simply play weekends, just for the fun of it. Well it only took two days for someone to answer the add and it was a regional band called "Red Hot Country" which was looking for a steel player This was during the heyday of country line dancing. "New Country" was here and it was huge.  These guys were playing the local circuit which numbered 10 to 15 clubs which were at capacity every weekend.  I'm talking 2 to 3 hundred people on the dance floor alone, and another 500 at the bar. Needless to say I was intimidated not having played my steel for the last 10 years but I decided to just throw myself into it.  In the end it worked out fine. I had great times playing the Baltimore / DC area for the next 8 years until taking another job transfer back north in August 2005. I wanted to continue playing so I decided to post an add on the internet for a steel job up north. That add was answered by "The After the Reign Band" and the rest is history.  I've been with them ever since and have had a great time playing with them.  Where am I now?  I'm living in New Jersey, my kids are almost grown and I'm just beginning to look ahead towards my retirement years.   By the time I hit mu 60s' all I want to be doing is playing music. I'd love for it to be with one band but the way things are today a steel player needs to play with multiple bands if he wants to stay busy.  The bottom line is most bands getting work today are solo acts or at the most 4 piece bands and it's getting harder for steel players to find jobs when for the most part they're usually the 5th piece. So I'll just keep on doing what I'm doing, getting work where I can and growing as a musician. I've actually just started taking lessons from one of the best steel players in NYC.  Can you believe it?  You’re never too old to learn !