Dennis plays rhythm guitar, harmonica and vocals, the triple threat!

 

Dennis grew up in the Southern California LA Basin. His parents were from the Old South and listened to Country Western Stars like Hank Williams, Ernest Tubbs and Roy Acuff and guitar pros like Chet Atkins. Town Hall Party was their favorite TV show. Naturally rebellious, he came of age and shunned that influence and the Elvis craze of the time. He fully embraced the LA Surf Scene and acts like Link Ray, Dick Dale, Jan and Dean, The Astronauts, The Surfaris and of course the Beach Boys.

 

Like most teens in LA at that time he was in a garage band. With money from odd jobs he bought himself an electric guitar and always carried it in the back seat of an old ‘50 Chevy. He paid more attention to that guitar than any girlfriend. He was happily banging out Miserlou and Wipeout until the British Invasion came to upset the apple cart. To be sure there were songs trickling in from Detroit and points East: Smokey Robinson, Mary Wells, Supremes, Ronettes, Dixie Cups, Martha and the Vandellas, Mitch Rider. Barry Gordy and Phil Spector were producing records nonstop. But by this time all his attention was focused on the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Hollies, Herman’s Hermits, Yardbirds, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Dave Clark Five, The Kinks, The Who, Swinging Blue Jeans, The Animals, The Zombies, Spencer Davis Group, Led Zeppelin. He was especially fascinated by the British interpretations of old blues artists from the South.

 

After the Beatles breakup he finally began to refocus on some US artists. The Motown groups were back, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Donovan were hot with anti-war sentiments that appealed to a teenager of draft age, not to mention CCR, Bruce Sprinstein, Simon and Garfunkel, etc, etc. After joining the Army in the 70’s the entire music scene took a huge drag on a communal doobie. Everyone from the Beatles to the Beach Boys went to India to see the Maharishi and meditate. The smokey psychedelic age was born.

His musical interest took a back seat for the next 30 years as raising a family and earning a living took precedent.

 

His current musical tastes vary widely. He enjoys not only rock and blues but classical, ethnic and yes, even Elvis and country music styles. With joining the Rockin’ Blues Express, he is regaining his roots in the classic era of Rock and Blues as well as play new material for today’s world.