I started playing guitar at the age of 9 and, like many little boys, found sports and other things more interesting. I seriously picked up the guitar again when I was in the ninth grade and my cousin, who greatly influenced me, took a hand-me-down guitar and refurbished it for me to play. As I got frustrated, he would never stop harassing me to get back on it and continue practicing. Boy, did I get mad at him! As a young man, my cousin died, leaving a huge void in my life, as he was the “Big Brother” I never had. I continued playing in band through high school and college. My love for music never died, but as I gained more and more success, it never seemed to be enough. I toured with the USO and performed in Greenland to service men and women at Thule Air force Base. After I returned, I joined forces with East Coast Management and started a band called Dezire, which was a review and casino band. This band included stints in Atlantic City and the tri-state area. After this band, and several others, I had had enough of the club scene, the smoke-filled rooms, the agents, and club owners.

For two years, I lay dormant, contemplating taking over twenty years of playing and just throwing it all away. But, something continually nagged at me not to give up during this timeframe, even when several thousand dollars worth of equipment was stolen from me and never recovered. A smarter man would have cut his losses and moved on, but I guess I wasn’t smart enough! My thirst to play kept going and one day, the inspiration from above struck me to take the gift of music He had given me and turn it for positive use to glorify Him. I decided to start a Christian rock band, whose purpose was to bring people, through rock music, back to Jesus Christ and the church. Never knowing how to put together a Christian band, I was at a loss until the Lord, in a nutshell, almost gift-wrapped the perfect musicians and delivered them to my door. Talk about the Grace of God!

And from there, Cross Roads was conceived.

Thank you Lord for loving a sinner like me, who does not deserve the Grace and gifts you bestow, but You found something in me that says “In My Kingdom, you will do many things to Glorify My Name.” Amen.

Music was in my life at a very young age. I was raised in a loving, Christian home and I started singing in the choir at church when I was about 7 years old and always had visions of being a famous singer. When I was 11 years old, my life changed when my mother died at the age of 43 years old. It left me empty and lonely and very angry with God for taking her away from me.

As with many young adults, I was looking for acceptance and wanted to fit in. I made some bad choices and was heading down a dangerous path. The good Lord, through His infinite wisdom, put a special friend in my life and I found my way back to Jesus Christ. I always knew that the Lord loved me and that He was there, but I had to get over my anger and confusion about my mother’s death. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior and worked hard to get my life where He wanted me to be. I joined a church at 15 and got involved in their youth ministry choir and was blessed to get a “second dad” with the pastor at that church.

I graduated from school and started working full-time. I auditioned for a rock band and met the man who would become my husband. We worked the whole nightclub, casino, and USO tour circuits. We got married and were blessed with a beautiful daughter, who has touched my life in a way I could never have imagined.

We had been questioning for some time what to do with our music and the gifts God has given us through His Grace and Mercy. We wanted to use these gifts to give back and witness/reach others through music. God set the stage and placed people in our lives that had the same vision and focus.

Thus the birth of Cross Roads!

My mom must have known she was fighting a losing battle early on. To keep her spirited eleven year old (me-Anthony-drums) and eight year old (Kenny-guitar) sons out of trouble, she bought them drums and a guitar. From an early age, off and on, I have played with a broad range of different groups – R&B, Funk and Blues.

In 2003, the current group I was performing with had just made a decision to go our separate ways. Believing I would just take a break for a little bit was short lived. I quickly began climbing the walls. Cross Roads has been a true blessing. They have given me love and tender care. I’m learning how (sometimes it takes a while for the beat to come naturally) to play Rock Music (The Cross Roads way) with love and passion. It’s all God’s work and love in the music. I love performing and just playing. It’s truly a gift for which I am VERY THANKFUL!

Psalm 62:1-2

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation. He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.