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which improved my reading skills and also my ability to play using my fingers instead of a pick.
I am comfortable playing either way now depending on the style I am playing.

I also studied jazz piano for a while to learn more about harmony. That study helped me really
understand how music is put together and helped me feel confident in most musical settings.
Most of what I learned, though, was in the streets and on the stage.

LL: Please tell us about your first band, your first recordings and such.
ET: I joined my first band when I was 14 and in the 9th grade. We played classic rock and roll and
R&B - Chuck Berry, The Kinks, Eddie Cochran.
That music was all before my time, but I had
heard it because my parents had a lot of 45rpm
records around when I was a kid, and I was
always listening to music.

The great thing about that band was that we
played parties and dances and I was getting
professional experience at a very young age. I
played in that band until around the time I
graduated from high school.

LL: What about playing in other bands?

ET: After the first band I was in, I was in
various other local bands and began to start
writing songs. I started doing demos at studios
around town and getting some recording
experience.

I got to a point where I had a vision for having
a band that would play my original music. I wanted drums, bass, and two saxophone players. I
was determined to have a sound that none of the other area bands had, and my band definitely
achieved that. I found the guys I wanted and started hustling to get gigs. That was the beginning
of the Early Times band.

That band released our first CD called “Society of the Misunderstood” and it was rated as Best
Local CD in the local music paper.

LL: I understand you’ve spent some time in London. How did that come about and what
was it like?

ET: After I recorded my first album and before it was released, I was having a bit of an emotional
breakdown. I was probably dealing with the residue of a very troubled childhood. I cancelled all
my shows and bought a plane ticket to London where I didn’t know anybody or have any
connections. All I took with me was a backpack with a small guitar amp and an extra set of clothes,
and an electric guitar.

From the airport I took a train into Victoria Station in London and a guy approached me to ask if
I was looking for a place to stay. He was working for a hotel called the Palace Court and he was
trying to drum up business. I told him I had no money and, noticing that I had a guitar on my
shoulder, he said that the hotel had a bar with a stage and that maybe I could perform there in
exchange for a place to sleep.

I went to the hotel straight from the train station and auditioned for the manager who gave me
a gig that night in exchange for a bed. The first gig went well, and I ended up staying for 3 months