Hello, friends. Here, you can read a lil about me. I live in Shoal Lake, Ontario., 45 mins west of the small, but growing city of Kenora, Ontario. It is very beautiful out here year round. We are surrounded by lakes, islands, trees of various kinds, birds of various kinds, and other wildlife, as can be expected living in the country.
In the summer time, the lake comes to life with all kinds of aquatic activities: boaters, canoers, fishing, water skiing, sailing and LOTS of swimming. In the fall, the land is painted and splashed with all sorts of colours as the leaves change their colour.
I grew up in Shoal Lake, a community 45 minustes west of Kenora, Ont., and I hail from a huge family of artists. Some of us paint, draw, carve, or are either talented in the field of music. I am of mixed-heritage which consists of both Ojibway and Irish. I am an only child, as my biological siblings are deceased, although I have 4 step-siblings. By the way, if my last name "Green" sounds familiar to some of you, yes, Blues musician Billy Joe Green, is my uncle.
Growing up I always knew I wanted to be a singer. I was drenched in the sounds of Tanya Tucker, Loretta Lynn, George Jones, Roy Orbison and Elvis, as my mother would play these artists' records quite often. Many times I'd sit there watching the record go 'round and 'round and I'd drift off into music dreamland. At times I would stand up on the coffee table and that would become my "stage" and a spoon or a hair brush would become my "microphone." (oh me...lol.)
Growing up was bittersweet, and quite difficult. My mother, Laura, was widowed when I was an infant. Therefore, she was forced to be both mother and father to me. She worked very hard to support her small family. With no indoor plumbing, she had to haul water from down the hill in the lake, and carry the pails full of lake water back up into the house and pour the contents into a large barrel that would store our water for at least a week. And at night she'd get to relax after doing her household chores. This was the time we'd watch the Tommy Hunter show, and I would be further exposed to the sounds of hardcore Honky Tonk.
Later in life, mother developed a friendship with this man who lived down the hill from our house, and this man would start making frequent visits. (This is the man that would become the only father I will ever know in this lifetime.)
As mom's relationship began to blossom with this man named Jimmie, he began to help her with life, and he'd haul the water for her, and help chop the fire wood in the winter months, (something that momma had to do all by herself in previous harsh, cold winters.) This man was a godsend. But behind all this bliss lurked a devil that would try to destroy life as we knew it. A devil called "Alcoholism".
Please, understand, it wasn't always bad; I wrote a song that will be on my next album called "Let Me Know Another Mountain Top" and in the song I depict an eagle that is weary, tired, and weather-worn, and he is on the ground, gazing up and hungry for the sky. This is like some people today, life is full of mountain top experiences, but then there are times we experience lows in our lives. But we must know deep within that in time we will know another mountain top. This is something that most would not want to talk about or rememeber, but it is essential to discuss, as one's story might help another.
My family was riddled with alcoholism, a very loving family...but plagued with this devil's bondages. This went on for years, until one day the gospel of the Lord Jesus, came into the community. This man named "Jesus" would come and change my family's lives, and our community, forever.
My uncle, Hank Williams, YES..Hank Williams, seriously, that's his name...lol. (That's funny, because people never believe that at first. But, he is also a singer/songwriter in his own right.) He wrote a song titled "In the Year Of '84'", and that song pretty much tells everyone's story just the same.
Momma moved us into Winnipeg that year, to find salvation. We moved in with my aunty Nancy and uncle Fred. Uncle Hank, and aunty Norma (mom's sister) moved in a few weeks later. We all crammed into this big ol' mansion-like house at 85 George Avenue. It had 3 storeys and lots and lots of rooms. It was there aunty Nancy nourished everyone as best as she could. She prayed for everyone, and held house meetings where folk would come and sing and share stories and share from the bible.
Later that month, Mom and Dad got married in a double wedding ceremony with uncle Hank and aunty Norma. They got married the same day, same room, by the same minister. Momma looked very sweet all "dolled up" the way she was, dad looked pretty "smashing" as well. We all had a grand ole time. There was lots of cake to go around.
Soon afterward, momma began house hunting, and she found a sweet little bungalow on Alexander Avenue, house number 1544. I still remember that house vividly. We moved into this house, and settled in. I enrolled at Weston School a few blocks up the avenue. We began going to church, and couldn't wait for the next church service to happen. It was during these church services I saw people playing guitar and singing with such joy and peace. I wanted to play guitar and sing too. It wasn't long that my dad came home with a guitar that he had bought and he showed me a few chords. I picked it up immediately, and began teaching myself from then on. My first public performance was at a revival meeting when I was 10. I was scared as heck and I remember I sang out of tune, but I managed not to run and hide. (laughs)
About a lil after a year of living in Winnipeg, everyone moved back to Shoal Lake and we began having weekly fellowship and the gospel continued to reach out to others and the fellowship grew, it was like a wild fire. I continued to sing in church, but it wasn't until years later I worked up the courage to begin play guitar for myself. (Now I can't be on stage without one.)
We moved into 2 new homes since moving back. We currently live in our 3rd home which sits by the lakefront, and we love it. It's home. Momma has flower gardens all over the place.
Around the age of 12 or 13, I got invited to travel with a local gospel singer and we travelled to Fairford, Manitoba to cut a record. I got to record one song on each side of the album as a musical guest. (ofcourse by that time I learned to sing.) It was an exciting experience, it was a real recording studio, nice dim lighting, a control booth, and the area where the musicians played their instruments and the singer lay down their vocal tracks. I remember putting on the earphones and being able to hear the producer telling me just what to do. I started singing as best as I could, while nervously glancing into the control booth now and then.
It was 1996 when I began recording albums on an almost regular basis. I try to get into the studio a much as I can, or when finances will allow me to.
In 1997, I received and opportunity to appear on Kenora's CJTV "The Music Show" Broadcast, and I was excited at the prospect of singing on TV. The day came and momma cooked us up some fine breakfast, and we all got ready to attend the taping in the studio for later that day. I put on my best clothes (I wore this formal jacket with studs all over it) and off we drove into Kenora to do the show's taping.
When we arrived, we pulled into town and dad parked beside the building, with it's variety of satellite dishes gleaming in the sunlight. We got out of the car and I looked up at the buidling excited of whay lay ahead. I took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves and picked up my guitar case and we all climbed up those white wooden stairs that lead into the building. Once inside, we were greeted by the receptionist and she led us into the studio where we were formally introduced to the show's producer. As all the sound techs, lighting techs, and the cameramen did their final adjustments, I tuned up my trusty ol' guitar. Suddenly, I felt queasy and ran into the washroom to get sick (or so I thought)...as I became extremely nervous. (Ya see that scene from the 'Coal Miner's Daughter' where Loretta runs into the washroom to throw up?..that was me..lol.) I then leaned into the mirror and told myself to hold it together and assured myself "I can do this."
"EVERYONE ON SET!" the call came and I stood up, put my guitar on and walked out onto the set and stood there in front of three huge TV cameras and under these bright, hot studio lights. "5.....4.....3.....2....and the producer pointed at me and I started into my first song. I sang 6 original compositions that day. One of my songs touched one lady that was present, and she later asked me if she could have that song. It was a song I wrote about my grandma after she passed away, I wrote that song in 15 minutes with tears streaming down my face one evening, prior to going to church where my uncle had set up his recording equipment as we were going to record a demo. I recorded "Grandma's Shining Smile" that night.
I was invited to appear on CJTV once again, along with this couple who minister in song and in word, and we were to tape a Christmas Special and we went in and did the taping. That taping still airs as re-runs, as local townfolk let us know they've seen the show again. It's funny tho, sometimes while walking down the city streets, someone will stop and say "Excuse me, but did I see you singing on TV?" and I have no idea who they are. Or some will let me know they've heard one of my albums and loved it. But it's rather amusing. I am not comfortable with people asking me for my autograph...as some will ask me to sign stuff. I merely oblige as not offend them..lol.
My reputation as a singer continues to grow and my aundience begins to grow and grow with each appearance here and there. I now have a musical following that extends from B.C., to Manitoba, right into the United States, and thanks to Simon, also the UK.
I continue to sing, play guitar and write songs for record to this day. It's something I'll keep doing until I can do it no more. I hope you enjoyed reading my bio, heck I should've saved all this and wrote a book, huh?..lol. Bye for now. I also hope you're enjoying my website. Thanks to ya'll. God Bless.