Some of the Many People Along the Way:
Ridge Drive - my first Stomping Ground
A practice room in Bexley Hall. I put in countless hours in
these rooms.
Since the picture at the right is my hometown, I’ll start there. No doubt somebody will get left out.
Sorry if it’s you. Let me know.
Thanks to:
The Chillicothe years: My parents John and Dana Wills. My brother and sister Charlton and Alison. Erik Schwab, Rob Gough, Michele Goshorn, Ab and Ann Spencer, David Spencer and the rest of the family (not excluding Shortstop and the pet Monkey) Noel Martin, Philip Murphit, Gabby DeMatise, Sarah Bane, too many other friends who grew up with me on Brewer Heights to name. The Chillicothe Gazette (my first job) and everyone on my paper route (most of whom I had real relationships with - especially the Koss family, Mrs. Whitmore, and Mrs. Nickles). Literally hundreds of people who came through the CHS band program (before my high school days) when my dad was director there (some of the most influential being Gordon Hixon, Eric Francis, Whitney Wrightzel, Kelly Kaltenbach, Steve Novak, and Greg Haynes). John Wayne Bone and a guy I only knew as Brubaker. Kevin Wagoner, Garron Varis, Ron
Millisor, “Little” Rich Wright, Myra Netter, Tony Claytor, Sam Newland, Tim Shultz, and lots of people from Walnut Street United Methodist Church, Allen Elementary School, Smith Middle School, and Chillicothe High School. John and Lisa Warth, Jeff Harper, Stacey DeLong, Kevin Jenkins, Karen Shoultz, Jackie Newton, Cathy Jayne, Tammy Gemza, the Schwab family, Jamie Mackin, Eddie Hines, the Walnut Street Youth Group, and a few jerks - you know who you are. (I fortunately experienced only a handful people who made parts of growing up extremely difficult, and even that has been to my benefit.)
The Columbus years:
Capital University, Jim Carroll, Vaughn Weister, the late Tim Swinehart, Nicholas Perrini, Brian Kushmaul, Jack Rupp, Tim Perdue, Jim Seitz, the Big Band Sound Big Band, the Wind Symphony, Keith Kimball, several faculty members who did their best to
discourage me (only to do the opposite), Jim Swearingen, Sandy Mathias, Arnette Howard, MollyPauken, Mike Smith, the Creole Funk Band and thousands of fans who made that so fun, Diebel’s restaurant, Hoster’s Victory’s, Max & Erma’s jazz night, Gregg Herman, Darris Atkins, Chris Graffagnino, Dave Wheeler, Syd Lykes, “the Pards,” Jeff Jones, Joel Steward, Derek DeCenzo,
Dr. Formo, Robert Daniels, Lance Ellison, Greg “Hot-stuff” Pearson, All Saints Lutheran Church in Worthington, OH., the late Pastor David Ullery, Pastor Peter Ray, Jan and Vicki Arthur, Jenny DeBord, Pope’s Pay Pond, and more to come as I remember them.
The Nashville years: Mike Durham, Kenny Zarrider, Reggie Wooten, Joe Wooten, Tom Reynolds, TAKE 6, Bruce Sudano, Mike Donovan, Doobie, Steve Forrest, Alanah Rockland, Dennis Gulley, Larry VanLoon, Andy Peake, Steve and Darlana Lore, John Billings, Paul Chapman, Dane Bryant, Keith Horn, Mark Douthit, Denny Jiosa, Chuck Tilley, all the guys on the Donna Summer, Engelbert Humperdinck, and T. Graham Brown bands, Chris Kent, Raymond Massey, the whole saxophone community in Nashville (which is surprisingly large), Matt Nygren, Joe Smythe, Diamond Rio, Sawyer Brown, D.C. Talk, Toby Mac, Steven Curtis Chapman, WAY FM, Shane Theriot, Adam Nitti, F. Scott’s, 3rd & Lindsley, Burning Las Vegas, Brian DuNard, the Wooten Brothers band, Donald Brown, Jerry Coker, the UT music department - especially Dr. Hawthorne, Chester
Thompson, Grace United Methodist Church, the Genesis class, David Lawarence, David Teel, Pastors Ron Brown and Ken Edwards, John Jonethis, Derrico Watson, Jody Nardon, Charlie Chadwick, Jeff Clapp, Randy Coleman, Reggie Grisham, Scotty Steward, Rick and Lisa Messina, Joe Gross, John Huber, Pat McCormick, John Prestia, George Perilli, Tisha Simeral, Tom Reynolds, Roy Sinkovich, the Nashville Sounds, Chris Walters, and more to come.
OK, so there’ll be a lot more than this when I’m finished, but this is a pretty good start. So many people have helped me and influenced me that it’s hard to come up with any list that would ever be complete.
Many heartfelt thanks.