Matt - Music and Dancing

Dad loved to dance, and according to Mom, that talent was what first caught her eye! He also loved music, and entertained us with his ability to play music by ear shortly after hearing it. We would get home from a Disney movie, and the first thing that would happen would be Dad heading to the piano and playing the theme songs immediately. He could play the guitar, harmonica, piano, and accordion, and could probably pick up other instruments and figure them out after a few minutes. After getting one of our first CD players, he would host dance competitions out in the living room and entryway, while we were belting out "Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog," songs from The Beatles, Styx, Boston, Steve Miller Band and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the top of our lungs. My favorite songs that Dad would play were "The Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy From Company B," which he would rock out on the piano, and "Stairway to Heaven," which he played on the guitar. I had no idea that it was a Led Zeppelin song until much later in life! It had always been the calm, pretty song that Dad played for us. Dad had a huge part in helping us kids love music; as for dancing, let's just say that Doug and Steve didn't learn their moves from Dad.

- Matt