1983-1989
It might not be accurate to describe this project as a band. Or even as a project. But before I ever played in a band, I jammed with Gary Ramsey. Neither of us were good enough to play in “a real band”. But we were good enough to jam with each other. I went by my wicked step-father’s last name back then (which is why it’s “Childers”, not “Lovelace”) and used to simply label tapes of us jamming as “Childers & Ramsey”. It sort of stuck. At least in my mind.
I owe Gary Ramsey a lot. He gave me the opportunity to just be myself and play my bass. Without that, I don’t know that I would have kept playing long enough to be any good. Honestly, I always assumed that Gary and I would do something together, and I’m not sure why we never did.
Gary and I used to get together in my bedroom in Kings Mountain, NC. We’d drink and smoke weed, roll the tape machine and just play. There was no pressure. No one to entertain. Just two guys having fun and making music. It was probably the only time in my life that it’s been that simple. Just make music.
Somewhere along the way Gary and I parted company. I started wanting to do more ambitious, progressive music and Gary wanted to do harder, more aggressive music. Looking back on it now, I don’t see that the two are mutually exclusive. But at the time it seemed to me that they were.
I think the end of the partnership came when I joined my cousins’ band, RMS. I never really stopped playing from that moment on, and Gary and I never crossed paths musically again. By the time I really started missing him he’d started playing in de-tuned heavy metal bands and I’d started exploring Jazz and Classical music. The middle ground was gone.
But I never forgotten Gary Ramsey. He was the first person to take me seriously as a musician. I believe that I benefitted greatly from that. He was a great friend and one whom I regretted losing touch with. Luckily, in 2008 we sort of discovered one another again on JamWave, and have been in touch ever since. Check out his pages and see what he’s up to. I highly recommend him.
