I was conceived in Texas and born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 30, 1952. I got back to Texas as fast as I could at six months old.

I grew up in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in the small towns of Cleburne and Euless. I went to school there, played ball, learned guitar, had my first date, and generally lived like all other small town kids. I was raised by very loving, caring, and God fearing parents that made me the center of their universe.

I look back sometimes and wonder how it was possible that these two wonderful people, Bob & Bettye Burns could raise me so well and instill the values to be and do good, yet in my rebellion, I turned as wild as sex, drugs, and Rock n Roll would inspire and accommodate. This is such a common feeling among the vast majority of the players I have known in my life.

My father played guitar with a band of local Country musicians, so needless to say, I grew up in a house that was packed full of musicians on Saturday nights, playing and working up new songs. When I started playing guitar at age five I knew that this was the only thing I wanted to do. It was then that music reared its melodic head in my life.

When I was five I would sit on the couch and strum around on my father’s Martin D-28 guitar, and on this particular day my little fingers managed to line up properly and the E chord was born. I think my mom and dad were in as much shock as me!

It was like the whole world stopped for a minute and I just sat there not wanting to let go of the neck until I knew where I had placed my fingers. My mother said to my dad “Bob, have him turn it over and play it right”. He replied “I believe he is doing it right. I didn’t show him that chord, he just found it on his own”. When I ask him what chord I had made, he said E, and to remember where my fingers were. I did, and within a month I had found A and D which allowed me to learn about 90% of the country and western songs of that day.

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