This website was built to give my fans access to all of the music I’ve ever done over the years (yes, I still have fans all these years later). Since the 4^thgrade, I’ve been writing and recording music, but I’ve never had a platform to properly put it all out there. Some of this music isn’t mixed or mastered, and the files have all disappeared into deep abysses of the unknown. But, I don’t care how it sounds. Every song brings back a memory from my journey through music.

Although I haven’t had much luck finding the music we made in high school, I did manage to find a lot of the songs I recorded while on the Indianapolis label, DWI. I signed with DWI my freshman year of college (1999) and had a hell of a ride while with them. Roderick ‘Double R’ Batts took me under his wing and taught me a lot. I’ll never forget him (RIP). I learned so much from that experience, but DWI didn’t exactly light the world on fire. They shut down in 2001.

My college years and into my early 20s, it was all about our group, Cleptoz. Man, where do I begin with this chapter of the story? Making music, constantly in the studio , doing 3 shows a week, opening for national acts, gaining a huge buzz, being broke aspiring artists, and doing it all with my best friends is something I’ll never forget. Some of the best memories I cherish the most were my years spent rocking shows with Brandon (Di Yung) Waggoner and Brandon (BC) Currie. We put out two albums (itunes, spotify, apple music) and a mixtape. You can hear all those songs on this site too.

When I was 26 I started doing a lot more solo music. I put out Simple Man in 2007 and became one of the only artists in Indianapolis history to have a song in heavy rotation on the local radio stations. For a couple of weeks it was the #1 most requested song on Radio Now (Much love to Tim Rainey). Eventually, Program Directors all across the Midwest started spinning Simple Man. My buzz was hot. The song made it’s way to an A&R at Capitol Records and a few weeks later, I was in the offices of EMI/Capitol Music Group on 5^thAve in New York City. My up and coming album was being blared, full volume, in it’s entirety for the entire office to hear. It was a moment I’ll never forget. Unfortunately, a deal with Capitol never actually surfaced.

In 2008 I released my 2^ndsolo album, One Verse At A Time, which had tremendous success for an unsigned artist. I don’t recall the exact # of albums sold because back then, if you didn’t track your cd sales via soundscan, you had to keep tally’s yourself. Most of my cd sales came from shows. Myspace was the only form of social media where people could listen to your music. I sold a lot of albums, but more importantly, my song Look In Your Eyes absolutely took off. It was the #1 song on the Radio in Indiana for over a month. Other markets started spinning it regularly too. One week I had 100 spins in 6 different radio markets from Louisville to Columbus OH. It generated so much buzz, I got a call from an A&R at Universal Records. I was hoping my second shot with a major label would make all of my dreams come true, but various reasons, that one fell through as well.

Towards the end of 2008, with the support of my family, I decided to start my own 3^rdparty logistics company, Direct Connect Logistix. I’d been working in sales for another logistics company for two years, but I felt something inside of me, calling me to a greater purpose. My father had unexpectedly passed away in 2008, and I was devastated. We were very close. He always wanted me to start my own company if the music didn’t pan out. He died of a heart attack at age 59, three months before my wedding. Sometimes, when you feel like you have nothing to lose, you’re willing to take on risks you otherwise might be fearful of. I had the support of my mom, my mother in law, and my my wife, who i love more than anyone in this world. I’d also met my business partner, Roger, who taught me a so much about being an entrepreneur. Without Roger, and the three women I just listed, I would never have been able to start DCL.

Throughout all of the ups and downs in my life, I‘ve been blessed to have the love, support, and belief from my wife, Betsy. Without her, my life would be incomplete. She saw a diamond in the rough when no one else did. I was a broke, small town, aspiring rapper, with no real direction, unsure of what my purpose in life was; until I met her. She saw the ambition and good in my heart, hidden behind layers of craziness that was me in 2005. She took a chance on me, even when others told her not to. She loves me unconditionally and is the reason I have such an incredible life. She is, truly, my better half, and I will love her unconditionally until the day I die.

In 2009, I was still recording music, but my motivation was dwindling. Notice I said ‘motivation’, not passion. I’ve had a passion for making music my entire life. After being so close to a major deal for so long, and coming up short, I shifted my focus to the business. Priorities change as you grow older, have kids, and have bills to pay. Needless to say, the music took a back seat in my life, and my family became the priority.

My daughter, Morgan, was born in 2010. My daughter, Rilynn, was born 3 years later. My son, Merritt, was born in 2018. They are my world. My family is my reason I exist. They are my everything. I wake up every morning and remind myself how blessed I am to live another day with such a loving family. I am the luckiest man in the world and I don’t take any of it for granted.

Direct Connect Logistix is 11 years old now. We are a 160M company, with roughly 150 employees, and we continue to grow. Early on in the company’s history, I brought Brandon ‘Di Yung’ Waggoner on board. Not only is Brandon still one of my best friends, he is currently one of the top managers at DCL. Him and I still reminisce about our glory days, rocking shows, and chasing our dream. So, putting this website together, gathering old footage, digging up old songs, and talking about doing another album (eventually) has been very fulfilling. Maybe we do record another album eventually, we shall see.