Where does the need to play guitar come from? Sure like many others of my generation seeing the Beatles on the Sullivan show was pivitol. But then I found that picture from 1951 where I'm standing on a chair strumming a little uke. It made me think. Grandma's yard on Friday night, twanging sounds coming from the Joy Garden next door while my cousins and I played by that old metal fence. And the recent revelation of my Hispanic paternity, mesoamerican native blood, adding to the story. High school bands, Mr. Ferraro and jazz band, Slippery Rock college days, jamming at the Zoo, gigging at West Gym, the union. Then traveling on the road, band after band, Kum, Esau, Swingshift, Nancy & the Normals, Sioux City, Juke, Joe Russell, Windfall Prophets, The Field, Wolf Creek Wailers, too many to list then US4NOW, but always Sam Antex. Gigging at the periphery of a life careening between education and love, the gift of children now a beautiful granddaughter but always carrying on with singing and picking. Church and school choirs finally culminating in the solo Sam era of now and again. Like meditation and prayer this drive to perform, following upon God's gifts that were part of my DNA, an expression of love from here to eternity. Thanks to those forebearing people who have given and still give me a space to play, my brother in music Ryan and his wonderful band Coleville for treating me as family, foundling spirit that I am. Sam Antex.