Fan of the Week

oWhen did you first hear Aerosmith?
I bought the first album when it first came out. To this day, I could listen to that album over and over... just let it play and never get tired of it. That amazes me still. You know, if you could only have one album on a desert island and all?

Just before the release of Get Your Wings, I saw Aerosmith live for the first time at the Bank Street Armory in Fall River, MA. It was a small venue and was just like seeing the band with 600 of your closest friends.

What's your favorite Aerosmith song?
Woman of the World, Mamma Kin, I don't know there are many favorites. That's too hard a question. Ask me to explain E= MC² or something. God.

Tell us about your most memorable Aerosmith moment.
It's a bit of a story. Got time? My best friend had just returned from Florida (Full Sail Recording School) where he met a sound engineer for The Pat Travers Band, Dana Rounds. Wicked nice guy. Aerosmith was just getting clean and sober, we had not followed suit yet.

We went to the Providence Civic Center the day of the show, around noon or so. Steve Tyler was actually supervising the bands equipment coming off a truck, and he was only a few feet away. We were speechless, but we refrained from acting like the couple of star struck fans we were, and played it cool. Some big guy said "Hey, if you don't work here, screw." My friend said, "I'm a friend of Dana's, is he here?" so the goon says "O.K. wait here," and goes to get him.

Dana gave us all access passes for the show that night. The first of three bands, Rose Tattoo was on stage. We were so close to meeting our childhood heroes, but we were so wrecked, they pulled our passes and booted us. We were crushed, but we got clean after that. It was a blessing in disguise (as are most of the tragedies I've experienced)

Give us your funniest Aerosmith story.
Ok, so my quest to meet the band has never been realized. My wife and I bought these Pre-Party tickets for the Mohegan Sun in Sept of '07. We found out from Amanda that night, that while it would be a cool party, we wouldn't get a chance to meet the band. Crushed again.

After the show, my wife was ribbin me in a big way (she's so good at that). We were out in a common area of the Casino when we saw Tom just walking around. She urged me to approach him, but I didn't want to bother him, and missed another opportunity to fulfill a lifelong endeavor?? looo oooo serrr ergh...

Give us your favorite Aerosmith lyric or quote (one liner).
I loved hearing Aerosmith talk about the Saturday Night Live skit they did w/ Mike Myers. Steve T said something to the effect of, "Who knew we'd just be a fart bubble in the bathtub of Mike Myers career?"

Tell us about yourself?
Ex-military, career off-shore fisherman, left, got clean, went back to school got a degree in Architecture. Hated the office. Left and went back out fishing. Many bikes over the years. Sleaved both arms/back. Currently own Les Paul, Fender Strat, Yamaha acoustic (was my dad's before he passed) Married...great wife, two beautiful daughters 9 and 13. And clean and sober. Living the dream with a house in the woods of Rhode Island. You all have been a great power of example to me, I was a hard core junky, and I should be dead, but I believe I was touched by the hand of the Big Guy and given a reprieve.

Your favorite way to relax...
Waking my dog Samantha (a loyal German Shepherd) or playing my guitars.

Your favorite breakfast...
No question. Belgian Waffles with fresh fruit.

Your words of wisdom...
As a recovering addict, I believe it is my job now to take myself out of the equation and help others. That's gotta be the reason for the reprieve I've been given. I think of my soul as a circle. When we are born, that circle is pure white. It represents hope and goodness and purity. As an addict, my circle became almost entirely black, representing despair and hopelessness. There was only a speck of white in the middle when I first got clean. One speck of hope. I grabbed onto it. My quest is to try and get it all white again. It will never be all white again. It's just an ideal, but there are many scars. Trick is, to be on the path. Please God keep me on the path.


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