Biography

Born in Roanoke, Virginia, in 1961, Jay grew up as a single child raised by his mother. She instilled in him his love for music. She had dreams of the opera that was never realized however she would sing and play hymns on the living room piano for hours on end. Early in life Jay would learn to read music first taking piano lessons, joining his elementary school band, and singing in the church choir. In high school he took up learning guitar and playing for the high school stage band at William Fleming High School. After school, he would play with his first Rock band called "Hot Copper". Influences by then were Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Outlaws and cheifly any classic rock icon of the late seventies.
After high school, he went to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music. Here he got his first real taste of true musical atmosphere in all the talent around him. Classmates were Steve Vai, Melissa Etheridge, and was just on the heels of Wynton Marsalis' time there. Although he would gain a better understanding of the importance of discipline, practice, and technique, he became too restless and impatient and left the school.(later this decision was regretted) He went to New York to try a living at performing but wound up sleeping in the woods in a tent.
He went back to Roanoke, got a job in constuction work, and learned many construction trades, He got married, got divorced, drank himself into near poverty and never had any stable home or serious relationships. All through this however, he never lost sight of his music.
He spent nearly ten years writing, developing, and arranging one song. It started out called The Wishing Song, and later became simply "Wish Song".
Now, Jay is a Meatcutter at a Roanoke supermarket, but he still writes music; now more than ever. He plays with no band in particular, but will sit-in at the merest suggestion.....He lives now, alone in Elliston, Va. and the story is continuing.......................