One of my dreams was to visit Austin Texas, and I did! You have 6th Street, Congress and Red River in Austin, where on any given day just grab your copy of the Austin Chronicle and you can find music of your choice. Walking the streets of Austin you could feel the energy of guitar players and musicians, current day and past.

One of my son’s dreams has always been to own a Johnson Resonator guitar, he is still working on the owning part, but in one of the vintage music stores that we found on South Lamar, he sat himself down in his worn out old Chuck Taylor Nike hi-tops and played for over an hour.

Walking the streets of Austin and finding off beat record stores, guitar stores and pawn shops was a daily activity. Winding down Congress Avenue and seeing a sign for a used Record store, we fell right in, turning the corner, walking the alley, up the sidewalk, down the flight of stairs, and into an old basement warehouse, to a little hidden LP haven, with boxes and boxes of great old LP’s, such as Pacific Gas & Electric, Box of Frogs, Ry Cooder – The Slide Era, Uriah Heep-Innocent Victim and “IF” Silver Cover.

Traveling to Austin, gave me a bountiful amount of energy, but yet the early morning hours were spent reflecting on one of our greatest guitar master’s that in my opinion ever hit the stage. Stevie Ray Vaughan, stoked ‘em, smoked ‘em and kicked America into a blue’s frenzy not like many others before him. No matter what venue he played his steamy and throaty licks on his ’59 beat up, un-beautified Stratocaster, people would come to life and begin a relationship with the Blues. He was living his dream, sharing his music.  Austin is full of artists, musicians and just interesting folks, Keep Austin Weird is seen on T-shirts & billboards alike.

I morphed Jake’s picture of him playing the Johnson in that back alley guitar store, into a drawing of one of the many Johnson Resonator Guitars that he salivates over. Capturing in time, a dream for my son, a memory he will not forget and a dream to strive for, this one’s going on his wall. Keeping him focused on living his dream.

~ Delve into your dreams and desires, and come out with your destiny! sdk 2008

At age 93, still amazing the music world, Inventor & Musician are only two words that come to mind when we hear the name Les Paul.

Starting at an early age with a fascination for the harmonica, Les Paul began his musical journey into many lives across America, I don’t imagine he saw the things that were to come, he had to feel it in the fibers of his soul.

With the dedication to the sound & instruments, not even letting a broken arm stop his playing or his drive, he brought into the world effects that have bred the need for guitar players to strive for incredible licks and uniqueness.

A true pioneer of the musical industry, with the design of “The Log” he sailed the musical river with various instruments.

Throughout his learning years, he dabbled with the banjo, piano and guitar.  In the early 50’s Gibson Guitars designed a guitar with the very suggestions of Les Paul, through some turbulent times the original design was changed unbeknown to Les Paul, he asked his name be removed from it, and it is now known as the SG. Still endorsing Gibson Guitars, Les Paul creates an explosion of fireworks in guitar players eyes and hands worldwide.

An Inventor and a Mentor, to many - here’s wishing you a Happy Birthday!