Most professional musicians will tell you music is what they always wanted to do and they were playing gigs at age 10. That is not my story. I never sang (not even in a choir). I started taking guitar lessons with my very first guitar at William Jewel College at the ripe old age of 20. About 6 months later, in the summer of ’73, I was ordering a sandwich in Dinkledorf's Deli in The River Quay(now known as The River Market). A woman asked me if I was a musician and I replied that I played guitar. She asked if I wanted to play there for the weekend. I haven't been out of work since.
My solo folk singing days were great fun. As I learned more about the guitar, I added comedy to the mix. I did some Vegas Showcases and got a nice contract with Steak and Ale in KC and The Magic Pan on The Plaza. By the way, I hired Melissa Ethridge to fill in for me there. She was about $75 a night at the time.
Being a solo act is pretty limiting musically. I started playing a duo with John Ricker. He was a wonderful classical guitar player who played in dance bands on the side. We began to make enough money to hire a rhythm section. Eventually, we became Valentine and The Very Wealthy.
My crazy rock-n-roll days were huge fun. We put out a record called, "Life Is A Beach" and it got noticed! We were in Billboard Magazine and they were playing the tune in dance clubs on the east coast. We played Spring Break on South Padre Island. We had a nice little college circuit going as well as people lining up in Kansas City. Looking back it is hard to believe I have been in concert with Eddie Money, The Little River Band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Nick Lowe, The Byrds, Dr. Hook and The Medicine Show, Mitch Ryder, Molly Hatchet, Bo Diddly, The Impressions, Betty Wright, Bobby Lewis, Bill Haley's Comets, John Lee Hooker Jr, Billy Paul, Joanna Connors, Chubby Carrier and some I'll remember later. It is fun being a lead singer in a popular rock-n-roll band, but I was also the soundman, roadie and manager. I really liked that part.
During this period, I took a position at The Uptown Theater. I learned more about the biz. I produced at least 4 concerts a month while managing my band and a few others. I produced more records and hundreds of radio and TV ads. The Uptown changed hands and I had to go.
I bought a bar in Lee's Summit and named it Valentine's Rock-n-Roll Sports Bar. After 2 years of that, I discovered I wasn't a very good bar owner. But the music kept me alive. John Ricker(Fast Johnny) started his own band with some success. I moved on with new players and constant reinventions. There has been Valentine and Blind Driver, Dezi Valentine and Fatal Valentine. Currently, Valentine and The Ticklers is my all request acoustic trio, Valentine’s Old School Knights is my Motown band and The Brew Jam is the 4 piece unplugged jam band that has been playing Sundays at 75th Street Brewery since 1994.
In 2005, I produced The Kansas City Music Blues and Jazz Festival at The Woodlands Horse Track. I sold the first TicketMaster Ticket at The Woodlands.
Looking back is fun. I have easily played 6,000 shows in hundreds of venues with hundreds of players. I’ve been in concert. I have produced concerts. I have produced and charted records for my self and others. I have owned venues.
Looking ahead is even more fun. I still play 200 shows a year as well as book 2000 shows a year for Kansas City venues. I am in the studio every week with my own original projects as well as some interesting clients.
I have learned two things for certain:
- Music is best when it is a conversation among players.
- I'm not so cool, but I have a lot of cool friends.