I originally posted this 6 years ago on Facebook and in and effort to preserve the story and re-share for any new followers who might be interested I decided to post it here in my blog.
[Original Post May 20, 2017]
It was Victoria Day 10 years ago that changed my life forever.
I have always loved writing and performing music and I always believed it was what I wanted to do with my life. However, I gave up pursuing it in 2001 because I didn't think it was going anywhere or that I even had what it took to make it.
I would basically spend the next seven years playing in my bedroom to myself in the mirror.
In 2007 my best friend Jeff St Germain introduced me to a couple of guys, Paul Thompson, Chris Armour and Rob Chard who would essentially be the catalyst for everything I am doing musically today.
I began hanging out with them periodically at poker games and the odd BBQ. I found out that Chris and Rob both played guitar and so we immediately bonded over that. We would take turns passing it around and noodling but I would never sing. I was too nervous.
I was then invited to a Victoria Day cottage camping trip with about 20 to 30 people who were all very close friends with Rob and Chris but whom I had never met. I was the outsider.
The property belonged to Chris Armour's family and every year they would invite this group up to camp, swim and sit around the giant fire pit and play guitar.
Over the course of the weekend the guitar was being passed around but I never took it.
My best buddy Jeff kept telling everyone that they should really hear me sing. I kept giving him the "shut the fuck up look" but he persisted until finally Rob handed me his guitar.
I was pretty much shaking as there was what seemed like a massive crowd of people now waiting for me to play something. Rob could definitely tell that I was nervous so he took off his hat and put it on me pulling it down over my eyes.
He said "don't worry about it just close your eyes and sing".
At this point I closed my eyes and with my hands shaking I started to play Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Everything sort of went quiet as I began to sing which made me even more nervous, so I just focused on trying not to drop my guitar pick.
When I finished the song everything was still quiet and I was freaking out because I thought how horrible it must have been for everyone to be so silent. I lifted Rob's hat and opened my eyes and things got very loud as apparently everyone really enjoyed it.
I remember being filled with a confidence I had never had before and thinking "hey I can do this! ".
It was at that moment I decided that I was going to pursue music again.
It's been 10 years now and my journey has been amazing. I've had the opportunity to perform with some of my musical idols, tour, record and make a ton of new friends.
I'm not sure if I would've gotten to this point if not for that May 24 weekend back in 2007.
I have been fortunate to remain friends with a handful of people from that weekend and whether they know it or not they are the reason I am doing what I love today.
Lastly, to all my photographer friends out there who complain they can never catch a photo of me with my eyes open. Thank Rob Chard, I close my eyes whenever I sing now.
If you were present that weekend please feel free to tag yourself or anyone else who was there so that everyone will know how deeply thankful I am for what I consider the turning point in my musical career and a truly fond memory.
Thank you.
It's now been 16 years since that long weekend and a lot has come and gone.
There have been lots of good memories created on this long weekend and others that would change my life in a completely different way, but perhaps that is a story for another May 24.
Enjoy and have fun.