Richie Lodato-  playing from a gut response ever since I could communicate. Daddy got drunk and played guitar for me. He sounded like Louie Armstrong, just two more sheets to the wind...

He passed when I was fifteen. It's then my mom gave me his instruments and told me "it's ok for me to be a musician now." As dad didn't allow me to play. Go know?

I played bass at first, then joined a band w some local fellas. I got bored of doing covers so I went on my own two months later.

I stole my sisters cheap acoustic and started writing songs and singing. Then started doing gigs as people liked my songs and they especially liked my voice, 

In 1974 I moved to San Francisco at 19 all by myself!.. and started working for a well known photographer as a model and assistant, who liked my music and purchased my first recording studio for me so we could incorporate it in the production which was consisted of four slide projectors segued to tell a story with music, which became mine. All shown in his beautiful two level gallery on Polk street call "Mind Scapes" It was very successful and learning how to use that studio led me into recording and 50 years later still doing it.