Three friends 30 years later!

As I travel around and talk to people, my primary messages is about people shining the light in the world. Most of the time people hear me talk about this, but think about me standing up on stage in front of a large group of people teaching or playing my drum. But on my recent trip to  Seattle, something occurred to me. We can shine our light in the world where ever we are and through whatever it is we are doing.

The story goes like this: a couple years ago I reunited with some old friends. They were friends that I had played music with back when I was nine years old. We played together all the way through our high school years. I moved to California right after high school and lost track of my friends. Then, 40 years later . . . okay, that’s just not right! 30 years later we reunited in the most fantastic way. Every time I go to Seattle, I get together with my friends Terry Kingen and Guy Johnson. They are both phenomenal guitar players, and they are both uniquely different. It is an absolute joy to play with them because they both bring such tremendous talent to the world in their own unique styles.

Guy Johnson

Guy Johnson

At 10 years old, Guy Johnson had an old Fender Stratocaster. He was a tall, lanky kid with fingers about a foot long that could move like lightning. Guy had a profound love: Jimi Hendrix. And at 10 years old, Guy could play a lick-for-lick and note-for-note any Jimi Hendrix tune.

I remember when the Led Zeppelin II  album was released. On one of the songs was a very fast and technical guitar solo done by Jimmy Page. I remember little Guy Johnson putting the album on the turntable, putting the needle on the album, and then by hand turning the record slightly slower than 33 RPMs. Each note of the guitar solo was very apparent at the slower speed, and after listening to it three or four times, Guy turned the stereo off, picked up his guitar, and played the solo note for note. It was absolutely unbelievable.

At that time I didn’t know anything about “channeling.” But now I realize that Guy had the ability to tap in to certain energies and literally channel them through his guitar. He really used to piss everybody off because if he heard it, he could play it! Anything!

Terry Kingen

While the rest of the world was listening to Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles, there was Terry  Kingen. While we were in the garage jamming out blues licks, bending strings within the blues box, and trying our best to be rock ‘n roll stars, Terry was studying with the most masterful teachers in the Seattle area. He was listening to the great jazz maestros. He was emulating Frank Zappa, John Cole Train, Capt. Beefheart, John McLaughlin and the Maha Vishnu Orchestra.

Terry Kingen

Terry was on the outer stratosphere of another galaxy compared to all of us. The difference between Terry and Guy was that Guy could play it, and Terry could tell you every single note of it and how it relates to every other  note and how that related to the chord progression that was holding the space for the solo to occur.

Simply said, Terry was, and is, a musical genius! He is my guitar teacher and mentor. His gift is that he can take his complex knowledge of music and put it into very simple terms, so that even a guy like me can understand.

Discovering Joy in Guy’s Basement

I’m so grateful to have these men in my life. Terry, Guy and I had a wonderful, spontaneous experience on my last trip to Seattle. Terry and I went over to Guy’s house, picked him up, and went out for a burger. After dinner, we went back to Guy’s and slid down the stairs to the music room where Terry and I picked up a couple of old, dusty acoustic guitars. That’s when we went into an amazing blues jam.

Me, being the newcomer at the guitar and not being in the same league as those two, chose to pull out my iPhone and take footage of this masterful, spontaneous combustion of music. And it occurred to me as I was listening with a feeling the joy that filled the room as this great talent was expressed that we bring our light to the world whenever we shine, wherever that is. I realized that in the basement of Guy Johnson’s house was a vortex of great joy created by three friends getting together and sharing their gifts. No spectators, no recording. Just three open hearts connecting in a beautiful way to bring the gift of music to the world.

Setting an Example for Shining Light Into the World

Every time we open our hearts and step into the place of joy and passion, we are shining a light in the world. We are creating a vortex of joy that brings good energy to the planet.

I hope as you watch this video that you’re able to feel the fun that we had that night. Guy had sung for hours the night before and his voice was trashed, but it didn’t prevent him from shouting out the lyrics as best he could!

As you get caught up in the playful energy of this evening, please remember to bring your gift to the world. Shine your light into the world as often as you can! I hope you enjoy.

Amazing Reunion is a series of stories that honor old friends that have profoundly affected my life. It is a series that acknowledges the influence of those who have helped me become who I am today. I am grateful for these people and want them to know. 

Have you ever thought about old friends? Have you ever wondered… where is _______________(fill in the blank)? Well I have. In my youth there was a group of guys who were like me. We were boys who connected to our gifts early. While our other friends were playing kickball, soccer, or tag, we were in my parents basement or in Guy’s garage ( you will learn more about the amazing Guy Johnson in my next entry) playing Jimi Hendrix, Mountain, Led Zeppelin, and James Gang. I loved these guys with all my heart. In many many ways we were the “odd balls” and in another way we carried a sort of celebrity status. In the next few entries I would like to pay tribute to my old, new friends. I hope this inspires you to reconnect as well. We are not always aware of the impact we have had  on others and reconnecting with these amazing men that has helped me realize that even the simplest acts of kindness or spontaneous moments can have an unbelievable impact and inspiration on those around us. 

I searched for them from time to time but with no luck. For decades I thought about them. One of my favorite musical artists is the great Frank Zappa. My friend Terry Kingen and I used to go to his concerts when he came to Seattle. Sometimes waiting 6 or 7 hours at the door of the Paramount Theater to be the first ones in! Every time I hear a Frank Zappa song I think of Terry. I have since I was 14 years old.  I searched his name and was never able to find him. Then through a series of phone calls and synchronistic occurrences, which I will get to in future entries, I reconnected to Terry Kingen. Even though it had been 30 some years since we had seen each other, when I saw his trade mark Terry Kingen smile and heard his cheerful voice, it was as though no time had passed at all.  

Although back in the day, he had long dark hair, which has been replaced by short grey hair, the youthful and mischievous sparkle in his eyes has not dimmed. Terry was always the best musician of us all. While we were playing blues riffs and figuring out what the heck chords were in a song, Terry was taking lessons and practicing his Mixolydian Modes, Phrygian Scales, and his Dominant flatted 2nd what-evers! 

Over the years, he has developed into one of the greatest guitar players I have ever heard and has become a prolific songwriter whose style is somewhere between Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash. Whether he is on his pink paisley Telecaster or his deep rich acoustic guitar, Terry plays with a driving rhythm and sings with a soulful tone. His music reaches deep into you and gently extracts the goodness of life that sometimes hides beneath the rough waves and tumultuous currents of the everyday goings on; sometimes with a hint of mischievous sarcasm. 

But this is not all that makes Terry Kingen great. What to me makes him a very amazing human being is his humility, willingness to help a friend in need, and his complete lack of judgement. Terry is an example of finding the best in each person he meets. He is quick to set aside differences to find the common ground of connection. When you have a conversation with him you can feel the authentic interest he has in knowing who you really are and hearing what you have to say.

I am so fortunate to have re-connected with Terry. Sometimes it seems that life passes us by and the rich joy of the past is all we have to hold onto. I am here to say that sometimes that rich joy of the past comes around and makes another pass through life. 

Thank you, Terry.