Photo Ops
Good memories captured when someone happened to have a camera handy.


The late priest Henri Nouwen has had a big influence on me.  His books on prayer and the spiritual life are classics.  In 1991, Marci and I and some friends were privileged to spend a week with Henri and members of the Daybreak community near Toronto, Canada.  Henri is kneeling down front.  Marci and I are on the right. Others in the photo include Mike and Karla Yaconelli, Tic and Terri Long, Chap and Dee Clark, Sue Mosteller and other members of the Daybreak community.
I think my first youth group activity was a taffy pull at Laura Baughman's house.  She was my Sunday School teacher when I was in the seventh and eighth grades.  I still remember the stories and object lessons she used to help me learn about Jesus.  I have used them myself on occasion in my own work with junior highers.  This picture was taken in 1997at the 50th anniversary of Oxnard Church of the Nazarene, where we were both charter members.  I'm thankful for people like Laura who were doing youth ministry before anybody knew what it was all about.

When I was in college, I discovered the music of Earl Scruggs who practically re-invented the banjo. He was a member of the "original" bluegrass band (Bill Monroe's 1946 band) and Earl's banjo has pretty much defined the genre ever since. I heard him play in person for the first time in 1966 while he was still in his prime, and I've had a chance to hear him play recently as well. The picture above was taken at the IBMA awards, 1995. I'm still in awe of him.  He ranks right up there as one of the greatest musicians of all time.

When George H. W. Bush was running for President in 1988, President Reagan  came to San Diego to campaign for him.  I was asked to put together a little entertainment (bluegrass, of course) to hold the crowd until he got there.  I actually played banjo while the famous San Diego Chicken danced.  After Reagan's speech, we got to meet and shake hands, a moment that was captured by the White House photographer.

Above: me with a couple more of my banjo-picking heroes, Sonny Osborne and Doug Dillard.  06/99
Below: me with one of my youth ministry heroes, Sonny Salsbury.  Believe it or not, he was doing youth ministry when I was still a youth!  04/03

I co-produced the International Bluegrass Music Awards Show for seven years (2000-2006). One of the perks: getting to work with people like Dolly Parton! Here's a backstage photo from our 2000 show, held at the Center for the Performing Arts, Louisville, Kentucky..

This is one of my favorite pictures, not to mention one of my favorite memories--the hot summer night in 1973 when my old band Brush Arbor played at the Grand Ole Opry (when it was still in the Ryman Auditorium).   That's me on the banjo (with HAIR).  My brother Joe is on the far left, Dave Rose on bass, Kenny Munds on guitar.  Not pictured: my brother Jim and our drummer Pat Stevens. 

In 1995 I was awarded "Broadcast Personality of the Year" by the International Bluegrass Music Association.  Here I am with Male Vocalist of the Year Ronnie Bowman of the Lonesome River Band, showing off our IBMA Awards. 

Another backstage picture, this one taken at rehearsal for the 2001 IBMA Awards Show in Louisville.  With me are Dell Davis from Oklahoma (she and I produce the show) and MCA recording artist Steve Wariner, who was this year's host.

Backstage at the 25th Anniversary Celebration of my radio program with Rodney Dillard of "The Dillards," my musical mentors.

In 2004, the Country Music Association decided to make lifetime members of all their awards nominees.  Since I was a member of Brush Arbor when we were nominated for Vocal Group of the Year (1973), I'm now a card-carrying member of the CMA.


 Hey, I'm also a model!  This is a postcard that the Deering Banjo Company published to promote their "Goodtime Banjo."  That's me in Oregon, with Mount Hood in the background. 8/02

Chatting backstage with another one of my favorite bluegrass music performers: Del McCoury.
Above: Frank Wakefield, one of the legendary mandolin players of all time.
Left: Mark Fain and Ricky Skaggs 3/03

In August 2003, I was honored with a "Humanitarian Award" from a San Diego organization called Youth Advocacy/Innocent Addicts.  Here I am holding the award with news anchor Lynda Martin from KSWB-TV.


Every summer, Marci and I go with our church's junior high group to Ensenada, Mexico to build houses and conduct a vacation Bible school for children. I have grown attached to a few "amigos" among the children who come every year including Antonio, picture above. July 2004.

This is my little buddy Isaiah, son of Ken and Joy Elben, discovering how much fun a banjo can be! Ken is the youth pastor at our church, Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon.

Byron Berline (center) was the first fiddle player I ever heard that I actually liked. He has played with everybody from Bill Monroe to the Rolling Stones. His band (with banjo legend John Hickman, left) were performing at "Byron's Double Stop Fiddle Shop and Concert Hall" in Guthrie Oklahoma one night when I was there. They got me on stage to pick a tune with them, a real honor. 5/04

Marci and I with Chuck and Cynthia Swindoll. Summmer, 2006, my brothers and I were invited by the Swindoll's to play bluegrass on his cruise to Alaska. It was an offer we couldn't refuse!


May 2007, KSON hosted a hospitality house at the huge "StageCoach" festival in Indio, CA and Marty Stuart came by to hang out and play some music for us. We had a few minutes to chat a bit about all things bluegrass and KSON's Nick Upton snapped this picture.

Lighthouse had the honor of opening for Charlie Louvin, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame (The Louvin Brothers) and the Grand Ole Opry. I hope I'm still singing and enjoying life as much as he does at 80 years of age. (April 2007)

I have a special love and appreciation for the United States Navy Band's bluegrass unit "Country Current." Here I am backstage at "Summergrass 2007" in San Diego with my good friend Wayne Taylor, lead singer and guitarist who will be retiring from the Navy Band in March of '08 after 20 years. He has one of the most powerful voices in bluegrass and I know he'll continue to make waves musicially as a civilian.

With one of my favorite female vocalists in bluegrass, Donna Ulisse at IBMA, October 2007