Chip

Chip first picked up a pair of drumsticks in 1966 and after four years of practice and playing along with records landed his first gig in 1970. The venue wasn't a big deal; A church beefsteak dinner for the benefit of the St. Mary's Folk Choir.

The director of the choir asked Chip (who was giving his son drum lessons) if he would play in a trio with his friend, Les Paul. Chip agreed but only if his drum student could play a few tunes. Les agreed. Chip played with Les about an hour before turning the drums over to his student, Johnny. Les let him loose and Johnny proceeded to kick his teachers butt. Needless to say, Chip (and Les) were delighted.

Chip spent his high school years with a band of like classmates called "The Amber Band" who performed at school dances and other affairs such as proms and senior dinners. During that time, Chip performed with his next door neighbor's (a music teacher from the high school) trio. This trio performed the old standards, such as Fly Me To The Moon and Girl from Ipanema at the Lincoln Park Lounge in Lincoln Park, N.J. every Thursday around dinner time.

After high school Chip landed a job as mailman for The William Paterson University which gave him free tuition which he used for music studies. During this time, Chip studied with Joe Morrello, purveyor of the Moeller Method and the drummer with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, noted for the composition "Take Five". He also performed in the college production of "Hair" and played with two popular bands, "Springfield Kelly" and "Airborne", working the New Jersey and New York circuits. Chip could also be found on Sunday nights playing a small club in Newark, N.J. with a trio called "Soul Tramp"... an extension of his drummer friend's band, "Tramp."

It was at this point in Chip's musical career he realized he'd most likely starve to death attempting to make a living with music and decided aviation may be a bit more lucrative. So the drums took a back seat to what was... a lucrative career in aviation.

Aviation had Chip moving all about the country; Long Beach, Memphis, Albany, Newark, Portland (ME), Indianapolis but most interesting Kwajalien Atoll in the Marshall Islands. That would be directly in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

The two years Chip spent on the island unquestionably qualifies him for the "Mango" part of the "Durango Mango" and he brings true authenticity to "Cheeseburger in Paradise". While on the island, Chip did land a gig with the island's only band "Lock, Stock and Barrel" and played at the island's "Yokwe Yuk" club on Friday nights.

After twenty years as an aircraft line technician with FedEx, Chip retired to Maine from Indiana, where he played for two years with blues band "Knee Deep in the Weeds". Once back in Maine, Chip could be found with the Roy-Hudson Blues Band on Thursdays and Sundays and The Cherokee Band on Fridays and Saturdays.

Heavy schedule and too much travel, Chip retired from live performance's and for the past five years, Chip and his Shetland Sheepdog, Gunny, a certified Therapy Dog, have been visiting nursing homes and hospitals. Gunny has especially been working with autistic children and is a few documented visits away from achieving the highest title of "Therapy Dog Exceptional Volunteer",