A vocalist, songwriter, guitar player, producer, vocal arranger, artist mentor, and vocal coach. He was the lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist from 2006-2008 and 2013-2020 for five-time-GRAMMY-nominated pop supergroup Ambrosia. He has been a member of the Elton John Band and the Michael Jackson “This Is It” band. He also worked as a Vocal & Performance Coach, Vocal Arranger/Producer and First Line Judge on seasons 10 and 11 of “American Idol.” As a session vocalist, he has sung on many major records, commercials, and motion picture and television soundtracks.
“As a songwriter I’ve written many things in the past that have been in film and television, and I get checks every quarter for my writer’s share and my publishing share.”
“Being a member of (Ambrosia) and touring for all those years with them was definitely a major highlight and it definitely was schooling for me.”
“I led bands for many years and was in front of audiences often. But to be at the level where you’re performing and you’re fronting a five-time GRAMMY-nominated band like Ambrosia and singing those kind of songs, I will say that pound for pound it was some of the most demanding singing I’ve ever had to do.”
“There are countless, countless, countless, countless people all across this planet that are incredibly talented and amazing singers, musicians, that have the potential to be amazing and step out and be stars, but, there is a cost and there is a heavy commitment that one must make and it plays a lot of havoc in your life. It’s a very difficult lifestyle.”
“(being a session singer is) a lot of work. Like anything else in this world if you want to be really successful at it you have to invest a tremendous amount of time. And you have to have a very strong discipline to develop the kind of relationships that you need in order to have a sustainable career because it is not just about the talent. It’s simply not.”
“For anybody aspiring to be a session singer, learn to listen. Learn to show up as a professional. That means you don’t sit on your phone all the time… I’m a person that gets to hire people a lot… and there are a lot of very talented young people out there that I simply won’t hire because… they’ve grown up thinking that the world is okay with them sitting on their phone.”
“If you’re an aspiring vocalist in this business, you’re going to have to work your ass off. You’re going to have to really work hard on your gift and be very devoted to the craft. And, you’re going to have to get out there and sing a lot. And when you get those opportunities, be present, be mature, listen, be respectful, be ready, be prepared.”
“People will ask me, ‘How did you get the Michael Jackson tour, the Michael Jackson gig,’ and I always, I call it the ten-year audition.”
“If you’re going to be out on the road for potentially years, man you better get along. You better get along with the people and like the people you’re out on the road with ‘cause that can be a very lonely place when you don’t – very uncomfortable.”
“(Michael Jackson’s) work ethic was beyond anything I’ve ever seen, ever, and probably will ever see in my life. I don’t even know how he sustained it as long as he could.”
“Wherever you are, you’re making a compromise. If you’re out on the road, you’re not somewhere else. You’re not with your family. You’re not with your friends. If you have kids, you won’t be with your kids. You better be damn sure that that compromise is worth it.”
“Loss, Hope, Faith”