Aerosmith
Michael Jackson
I thought it would be fun to trace the strange path that has led to my current taste in music. I think my interest in looking back was when I stumbled on some P Diddy tracks on Spotify this evening. That may sound like a strange artist to spark an exploration into my musical evolution, but P Diddy (aka Puff Daddy, Puffy, Diddy, Sean Combs) used to be my man. I’m sure that probably comes as a pretty huge surprise to those of you that are dedicated listeners to our show. I was pretty much a strictly R&B and hip hop fan from my early years through high school. For some reason Puffy stood above the others to my adolescent self.
I think it all started with Michael Jackson. If you were an 80′s baby (like myself), I think it was very difficult not to be influenced by the great one. My first musical memories revolve around Michael Jackson. Thriller was my first real introduction to music. Not a bad way to start.
There aren’t really any other 80′s artists that made a real lasting mark on my musical journey besides MJ. The 90′s really saw my interest in music grow as I became an awkward teenager. Following the lead of Mr. Jackson, I was drawn to R&B which eventually led to an interest in hip hop. Boyz II Men and Blackstreet were my two favorites. It’s funny to think how differently I view that music now.
On the hip hop side of things, I became really into Bone Thugs ‘n Harmony, the previously mentioned Puff Daddy, B.I.G., and Dr. Dre. I remember thinking the kids listening to that weird Nirvana and Pearl Jam crap must be out of their mind. Boy oh boy do things change.
It wasn’t until my senior year in high school when I went to see Aerosmith live in concert that my taste and opinion of music began to change. I was blown away at the show, and I basically spent four years of college delving into old school rock from Zeppelin to Pink Floyd to the Beatles. I was discovering all that music for the first time. It was a revelation. Pretty soon my interest in the classic stuff led me to start listening to more modern rock stuff. The more concerts I went to, the more interested and obsessed I became with the guitar. I was mesmerized by what could be done with six strings. My life basically would never be the same.
And now I’m here hosting our awesome show. Here are a few videos for your enjoyment of my musical journey. Hopefully this will be nostalgic for some of you also.
