My story...

I’ve had a fascination with music since I was young child. I can still remember that chair. The smell of it. That photo was taken in the attic of my parent's house. It was a small home and my father, being a HAM, kept his radios up there. He’d let me listen on it, and as I got older, I could turn them on and find my way to NYC and Cousin Brucie.

My first instrument was guitar. I got my first acoustic guitar when I was 9. It was like a 2x4 with strings. A year later, I got an electric guitar. By 11 or 12, I had a band with some of the guys from the neighborhood and we’d try to cover whatever we could. Thinking back to my set up then… I don’t even remember seeing a name on the electric guitar that I had. My dad got it for me at a hardware store that happened to sell guitars, too. (?) My amp was homemade. It was one of those things that used to hang in the classroom in elementary school that the Principal's voice would come through for the morning announcements. Dad took the amplifier section out of an old dictaphone machine and put it inside of this speaker enclosure and I was ready for rock ’n roll.

At 11, I also picked up alto sax and joined the school band. I had a great relationship with my band director there. He also taught at the high school that I was to attend when I got older. So, I had the same guy for music, from elementary through high school. I learned so much from him.

I started to gig on the alto sax at 13. Growing up in Richmond, Virginia, the set list of songs that we’d choose to play would stem from the Stax/Volt catalog, Motown, and what we’d call Beach music. I look back on those gigs fondly. My young teenage years looked like a scene right out of Animal House. What a way to grow up! 13 and at a Frat Party with a bunch of older guys, having the times of our lives, and sweating to tunes like “Walkin’ the Dog.” I’m still in touch with some of these bandmates.

By 14/15, one of my favorite groups was Booker T and The MG’s. When I was about to turn 16, my folks were going to try and get me a car. I asked, “instead of a car, could I get a Hammond?” I got it. Life changed. I started giggin’ on the organ and lovin’ it. Moving it, not so much. It’s like taking a heavy couch and a washer and dryer out with you everywhere you go. You need a van and a good friend.

I stayed in Richmond and played gigs all up and down the East Coast. I then moved to Las Vegas where I had my first casino gig at Caesars. I spent a lot of time there. Several years. Caesars was such a great place to play. I’ve made Las Vegas my home. I’ve played all the major properties here and I’ve produced a lot of music for production shows, as well. I gigged for more than a decade on the Strip, but got so busy producing music I was able to stop.

After putting my own small studio together, I started doing a lot of work for the Premiere Radio Network and Clear Channel. I have written and produced thousands of tracks for businesses all over the country, as well as doing production music library cuts for them. Recently, I’ve had the good fortune to work with some highly regarded, in-demand producers and do some arrangements for national artists.

Feel free to contact me if there might be something I can help you with. It’s a collaborative art and it’s always nice to meet new people, and make new friendships.

Thanks again for stopping by,
Linwood

- Composer
- Arranger
- Music for Television/Film
- Music for Advertising
- Music for Production Libraries