Tag Archives: musician

You Are Never Too Old For Training Wheels

Leave a reply

“Music is moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.”

–Plato

Today’s story is story is contributed by Rebekah.

Training Wheels

Rebekah and her dad

Coaxed out of a deep slumber. A soft trumpet moaning out Reveille. But I am not a soldier in the barracks. I’m seven years old, snuggled in bed. This was Dad’s way of waking us up. And at bedtime, he played Taps.

My dad — the Music Man. He used music to speak, to teach, to show his love. I fondly remember dancing on the kitchen table as a toddler, Dad and I singing along to Bob Marley’s Buffalo Soldier.

He played trumpet as a kid, but eventually moved on to guitar. I still remember the first song he played for us, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands. Over the years, Dad played many instruments (bass, drums, Native American flute, didgeridoo), but came back to the guitar later in life. READ MORE 

One in Each Eye

1 Reply

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

—Wayne Dyer

Today’s story is from Brian Hague about his dad, Greg Hague.

Winter of ’92. I was 14. Denver bound. A father-son ski trip. Dad had a conference for his company there, too. I would finally get to see him “perform” for a big audience.

dad

Dad and me before our spaghetti dinner, 1992

The first day was incredibly fun! Bombing the slopes, racing to the bottom on every run. A battle against each other. Against ourselves. Against the mountain. We capped the day with an incredible spaghetti dinner.

The next morning — the conference was HUGE! Five hundred people looked like five thousand! I was terrified. What if he choked? Froze up?

I sat in the back corner, holding my breath as Dad took the stage. What happened next remains one of my most vivid memories, and a valuable lesson on life. No outlines. No cue cards. No charts or graphs. He spoke to that crowd like he was speaking to us at the dinner table. Totally relaxed. Poised and assertive. Funny and engaging. READ MORE 

Daughter becomes Nashville Music Star

Leave a reply

“Let us sacrifice our today so that our children can have a better tomorrow”

—Abdul Kalam

Today’s story is from Nicole Johnson.

Nicole dreamed Nashville… and Dad.

father

Nicole and her dad.

You may recognize Nicole’s lovely face… and golden voice. At just 18 she appeared on “The Voice,” Season 3. Nicole didn’t just “appear” on that stage. Her dad (and mom) gave up much so their girl could play.

Nicole had a dream — then only thirteen. Come hell or high water, she was determined to succeed. She told Savvy Dad, “I was young, barely a teen, but I was focused, intense… committed that nothing would stand in my way.”

However, at thirteen you need more than talent and grit. You need parents willing to sacrifice big. It started with expensive coaching, a burden on Dad. And, Nashville was the place to perform — where anyone trying to make it in country music needed to be. READ MORE 

Daddies Die, But They Never Go Away

3 Replies

His life was cut short in ’93 at just 59.
Harold Lloyd Jenkins shaped music history.
Never heard of him? Yes you have. His stage name… Conway Twitty.

Conway Twitty son Michael Twitty talks about Dad — an exclusive interview with Savvy Dad.

Conway reigned supreme in country music with fifty-five consecutive number one records. He played with Elvis, Johnny Cash and other legends at Sun Studios.

father and son

Michael Twitty with his father, Conway Twitty

He reached into outer space when his famous hit “Hello Darlin” was broadcast between American and Russian astronauts—a gesture of international good will.

But this is not about Conway, the star. It’s about Conway the Dad. Savvy Dad interviewed Conway’s son, Michael Twitty (a stage name too — Michael was born Michael Lloyd Jenkins).

We learned “That’s My Job” — a song about fathers, the impressions they leave, the love they bequeath — was more than a hit song. It’s family history, one of Michael’s best memories of Dad.
READ MORE