Music has been a major constant in my life. Born the son of a small town doctor and talented painter in rural Northwest Arkansas, I grew up in a quintessentially American way. Most notably, I learned to sing and play in the church at an early age. When my love and natural talent for music led to piano lessons, my passion for singing while playing was greater than my desire to practice scales and I quickly chose to teach myself instead. I would set my little boombox on top of the piano and put it on the Top 40 station and play and sing along one song after the next, for hours on end. Although I quickly developed my own style, I was heavily influenced by the likes of Elton John, Billy Joel, and the Beatles, among others. Distractions came easily because of my interest and opportunities in entrepreneurship and the somewhat limited opportunities for my music in small town Arkansas. Shortly after my mother's sudden death in 1996 and while in my early college days, I become