Early in his career he worked a day job in a bank while playing clubs at night to break into the Bay Area music scene.
As a youth played piano and organ with his church choir.
Settled in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1969 when the Rudy Johnson Trio split up.
At age 19 he joined a trio led by Rudy Johnson and spent 3 years touring the country with the group.
A fan of jazz by age 13, this has been a major influence on his playing even though he has worked primarily in the worlds of pop, rock, and soul music.
Started playing piano at age five when he was able to play by ear songs he heard on the radio in his home in Oklahoma City.
Released a solo album, "Powerhouse," in 1971 on the Black Jazz Records label as leader of a soul-jazz quartet (organ, sax, trombone, & drums) that featured Rudy Johnson on sax. He composed all songs on the album.