I have my fathers midlife crisis to thank for my start in music. In the early 70s, he grew a mustache, let his hair grow a little longer, bought a few Huckapoo shirts and, along with his friends, decided to learn how to play folk guitar. Once he knew some chords, he taught me. I have fond memories of playing and singing with his friends when they visited. But the best was all the times my parents and I played and sang in harmony in our kitchen in Brooklyn.
My mother had an amazing operatic voice. When I was really little, I remember her singing the soprano part of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus in our church where my parents, along with my uncles and some of their friends were the choir. I later on attended the catholic school associated with our church and eventually joined the folk group and played and sang at mass on Sundays. I loved every minute of it. I credit my catholic upbringing for the religious references found in many of my songs.
I'd like to thank my parents for surrounding me with music. It has become such a part of my life that, in actuality, it's become a part of me. I honestly don't know what I'd do without it.
...and credit also has to be given to the matriarch, Sadie. She went about her daily chores listening to Make Believe Ballroom on her resounding radio singing along with Frank and Bing and Ella. It was natural for her to sing out and she passed that inclination to her sons. Sadie didn't bring the piano into the house, but she studied music as a young woman on the lower East Side. Music was her ally as it was for Mickey who was singularly talented.