So, I took guitar lessons from this guy who lived around the block, and developed a schoolboy crush on his kid sister. Their brother was this 'Fonzie' character. He formed a garage band in the early '70s with a few of us neighborhood brats called 'The Young Souls'. Young, yes. Soulful? Not. Eventually, we became 'Caution', then 'Clearview'. I wanted to call us 'The Dubious Brothers', but that name was taken. My teen years were spent playing for backyard parties, high school talent shows, and VFW gigs.

Inspired by John Lennon, I dropped out of High School in 1978 to pursue my rock and roll fantasy of eating chocolate cake in a bag. Sure, I was told to get back to where I once belonged, but after all, I was only sleeping. Then, my mates left me for a wannabe Elvis. I eventually joined my friends in 'George Chain and the Missing Links' a few months later. We played '50s and '60s music at various clubs in San Antonio. However, the 70's were coming to an end. Punk was happening, Disco was dying, and Pop music was we knew it was about to change. Yeah, there was something happening somewhere, but like I always used to say, "you can't start a fire without a spark." This gun was for hire. Even if it was just dancing in the dark. My last gig with George Chain was New Years Eve 1980, and I ran. I ran so far away.

In a strange twist of fate, I landed a gig backing up KTFM morning DJ Rick Austin in his stand up comedy project. Stand up? Yes. Comedy, not! However, it did open the door to radio for me. I spent close to twenty years in broadcasting and my travels in the "circus" of broadcasting took me to Corpus Christi; Fresno, California; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Did I mention I used to be a booth announcer for KABB TV, too? Radio was a trip. I had white horses and ladies by the score. All dressed in satin and waiting by the door. Oh, what a lucky man I was.

Now, In spite of meeting a good friend and songwriting partner at B93 in Austin by the name of Rodney Lay, Jr (http://www.chiggerhill.com/bio.html), my radio career was never as fulfilling as the immediate gratification I experienced while playing music for people. While in South Florida, I got back into music as a bassist for a local band called 'Annie Monaco and Simply Blue'.

I remember my lamentations of being an unfulfilled DJ and articulating my desire to be a full time musician like my friends in Simply Blue. Be careful what you wish for, my friend. You just might get it. In the wink of an eye, my radio gig went away, and I limped homeward bound.

Home where my thought's escaping,
Home where my music's playing,
Home where my therapist was waiting silently for me.

Upon returning to San Antonio, I went to every jam session and joined every band that I could. None ever panned out, except for two. There was a 'brown eyed soul' group called "30Something Band." We enjoyed all the success of a band that played music no one wanted to hear in this town. I had fun, though. Then, my 2nd wife and I started a band called 'Live Bandage'. You can hear all about that marriage in my original Cajun Waltz called 'Farewell To You, My Psycho Ex-Wife'.

About that time Paul Kandera took me under his wing, and I inherited one of his gigs at a place called "Shenanigan's." I was blessed with some great musicians like Urban Urbano, and James 'Zip' Garcia. Oh, and Bob Parisi played with us, too. (Just kidding, Bob. Wink-wink, nudge-nudge.)

In the fall of 2001, I unceremoniously retired from radio and left the Shenanigan's Jam gig in early 2002. I praise God for closing that den of iniquity forever. Both KISS and Shenanigans were sucking the life from me. My last radio gig was at KISS as a weekender, and taping KISS koozies to a "Prize Pig" table. I would tape the nasty things to the table and mutter, "Twenty years of radio for this moment..right here...in the hot sun/freezing cold...twenty years..." This was a time for gnashing of teeth and my guitar gently weeping.

Let's face it, Prize Pig Depression was a frustrating mess! Besides, I was making more money driving a cab, anyway. (By the way, if you see me at a Red Sauce Rules gig, please don't ask me what John Lisle is like.)

Eventually, I met Alfredo Sauce AKA Fred Koos, at another Paul Kandera jam session and was approached about starting a band. However, I was married to my cab on the weekends, but not for long. Which was a good thing. As my life was a Harry Chapin song away from becoming and HBO reality show. With nothing to lose, I joined Fred's non-profit band called 'Masquerade.' I asked Fred, "Are we really happy here with this lonely game we play, looking for gigs that pay? We're lost in a band called Masquerade!" That got his attention, as Fred has always been hard up for money.

After Masquerade dissolved, Fred, Masquerade's keyboard player, and I formed 'FAB', which is an acronym for Fred, Art and Bonnie. FAB, lasted about a month, which perturbed Fred. As he never got to record any of FAB's performances. (That man records everything and I think he even has my flatulence on tape! You should hear him at rehearsals: "Your jumping Jack Flash and your gas, gas, gas!")

In 2002, I hosted my last jam session at CJ's Scoreboard under the name "Group Therapee." The gig seemed cursed from the start, and by the time I had a good core band together to help me host, we lost the gig. I was burnt out. The dark side was coming and nothing was real. Yes, I was that close to pulling an 'Eddie Wilson'.

Then, one night Fred played me a live recording of 'The Garden'...one of my originals that he had recorded at the CJ's jam. Captured on tape was heartfelt longing...passion...and fire. That was enough to convince me to keep playing and eventually record my original material.

At the end of 2002, Fred and I got together to discuss what we wanted out of our musical lives. We decided to form 'Red Sauce Rules' instead. These days, Fred and I spend most of our time wearing raincoats, standing so low, in the sun. Sometimes we chase paper and get nowhere, but we have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

With my band of brothers, Terry, Jef, and Fred, I have found the immediate gratification and musical satisfaction I've been looking for all of my life. Together, we share a common goal, a mutual admiration, as well as a mutual respect for each other and the music we play. Not to mention a respect for our patrons.

We don't bore people with deep cuts we think are cool.
Instead, we Red Sauce, RULE!

In other news...

I began recording a CD of my original material and a few select covers called 'Past and Present' with the help of my adopted kid brother Jonathan Fernandez, and it should be ready for release when God wills it to be released. With originals like "Farewell to You, My Psycho Ex-Wife', and 'The Garden', 'Past and Present', promises to be a candid examination of a very dark period in my past and joyous reflection of my Salvation through Jesus Christ. I'm sure there will be a link to buy it somewhere on this site.

Oh, and remember that Fonzie guy with the cute sister? His cute sister is my girlfriend, now. Together, we share a love for the Heavenly Father, His Son, Holy Spirit, and of course, The Beatles. As all four had a hand in bringing us together. Last year, I accepted Christ as my Savior and now serve Him at the Breath Of Heaven Christian Fellowship, here in San Antonio. I am 'Soprano Sauce', by name only. So, why would a once swaggering, hard drinking, drug snorting, cigarette smoking, wannabe Tony Soprano-hedonist, do a thing like that? It's as the Prophet Harrison once said:

You don't need no love in. You don't need no bed pan
You don't need a horoscope or a microscope to see the mess that you're in.
If you open up your heart, you will know what I mean
We've been polluted so long
Now here's a way for you to get clean!

By praising the name of the Lord and you'll be free.
The Lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see.
Praising the name of the Lord and you'll be free.
The Lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see."

Yes, free. Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, I am free at last! That's right, free. Free, as a bird. It's the next best thing to be. Free as a bird.

Thanks, for reading this and may God's blessings be with you!

Art