By late Winter of '84 I'd had enough aimlessness, and wanted to get serious about my life and talents. I figured New York City was the place for an artist/musician type to be. I borrowed some cash from my Dad, found a job and an apartment in the same day (by the way, no one does that) and I left Philly without looking back.

I spent no time in bands of any sort - rather, this was a period of intense creative introspection. I broke a heart and had my own stomped on. I wrote some of my best acoustic songs while sharing a rambling Brooklyn brownstone with several roomies.

Affectionately I called the place IHOP, as several nations were represented among us. It was a brief but extremely rich time for me emotionally, socially, culturally, spiritually and musically.

1985 would prove be the most significant year of my life. In the Spring, I became an open mic regular at Greenwich Village's famed - and sadly, now defunct - Gerde's Folk City. One evening I met Tammy, a pretty young lass and a dynamic songstress and performer. We went out a few times, and I fell headlong. When she moved back to her condo in Boston, it took me all of about two weeks to decide I couldn't live without her.