Steve Peck.
Hello, my name is Steve, and I am a Highwaymen fanatic.... :-)
I am 38 years old, recently single, got two great young boys, and I live
in Indianapolis, Indiana - USA. I have a degree in Political Science,
however I work in the computer department at IUPUI, which stands for
Indiana University - Purdue University at Indianapolis. I toil in the
Network Operations Center, trying to troubleshoot computer network
problems on campus.
In the Spring of 1994, after being a very active participant on other music
email lists, I got the idea of starting up a discussion group for the
Highwaymen. On June 30th, 1994, this became reality. Talk was pretty
slow in the early days, but we kept at it, acquiring more and more
energetic and involved folks, now to the point where our list is vibrant
and active. I enjoy the whole thing so very much, and get such a kick
out of talking and discussing the Highwaymen with my email friends.
My earliest exposure to the H-Men was watching the Johnny Cash show on TV
in about 1970, when I was 12 years old. I loved Johnny Cash, and really
dug the "Ride This Train" segment of the show. I also was given his "San
Quentin" album, which I promptly played into submission. About a year
later, I was channel flipping on the tube, and ran across a young guy
performing on public television. I was mesmerized, and watched the whole
show, thinking I have never heard music so good in my life. I had no idea
who he was until the end of the show, when they said his name was Kris
Kristofferson.
So began the "early days" of my Kris fanaticism. I got every album as
they came out, and memorized every word. I also became a huge fan of
Jerry Jeff Walker, after hearing him mentioned in Kris' "The Pilgrim -
Chapter 33." By the mid 70's my musical tastes evolved, and I started
listening to all types of rock music. My interest in Kris waned, after
becoming disappointed with his "A Star Is Born" persona. However, I did
buy an album called "Red Headed Stranger" by a guy named Willie Nelson,
after reading a particularly glowing review in Rolling Stone. It became
one of my all-time favorites!
Flash forward to about 1983, after going through many years of rock
obsession. I found a used copy of Kris' "To the Bone" in a record store,
and gambled on it. This ushered in the next phase of Kris fanaticism, one
that has not abated since that day. I started buying all the KK albums I
had missed, and picked up a Willie album or two. In 1985 the first
Highwaymen album came out, and of course I bought that. This also
coincided with witnessing a very moving performance by Waylon Jennings on TV,
which prompted me to buy "Honky Tonk Heroes." I became an immediate
convert after that!
And so, I started collecting every H-Men related album I could. I have
all of Kris', about 35 or more Willie records, and about 25 each of
Waylon and Johnny. All told, I have about 3000 titles in my musical
collection. It's an obsession, and I'm proud of it!!!! :-)
Other musical artists I really love are Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The
Rolling Stones, The Byrds, Gene Clark, Richard Thompson, KISS, Emmylou
Harris, Dave Alvin, Procul Harum, Miles Davis, and a host of other artists.
I particularly am a fan of traditional Asian music (developing a nice little
collection there), along with studying Chinese and Japanese history and art.
Other things I love to do is read, studying American political history,
enjoying the Great Outdoors (soaking up a nice breeze), exercising,
getting crazy, and exploring the furthest reaches of my wacky sense of
humor. My current kick is studying the country of Greenland, and the Norse
settlement there in the year 986. Yeah, my tastes are a little "off the
wall" at times! :-)
Steve Peck
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