I was born and raised in Baltimore City. After watching Sugar Ray Leonard win the Olympics, I aspired to become a boxer, but that drive ran out of gas before I took a punch. I later discovered that my true love was playing baseball. My idol, aside from my father, was Paul Blair of the Baltimore Orioles. Center field was my position of choice, and the only one I would play. My friends and I played baseball endlessly and tirelessly throughout the summer months. Even though I believed I was a good baseball player, I did not pursue it to the next level. Although the love and desire for playing baseball remained with me, life’s circumstances and destiny led me to a different path.
As one of a 10 member blue collar family, the choices were work or school, and the latter was not my priority so I took an alternate route to receive my high school diploma; hence, my General Education Diploma (GED) that I humorously refer to as my Good Enough Diploma (GED) which I acquired in both Maryland and Texas because Maryland required higher testing scores. After my first semester in College, I left school to become a Paramedic in the Baltimore City Fire Department because I was broke and needed to earn a living. After 2-years as a Paramedic, I retrained and became a Baltimore City Fire Fighter. Subsequently, I was promoted to other positions including Emergency Vehicle Driver that involved driving a hook and ladder truck, and culminated as a Fire Lieutenant. I received numerous commendations, but would have happily traded them for never receiving potentially life and property threatening (incident) calls. I made many friends in the Baltimore City Fire Department and found my career to be exciting, rewarding, and often challenging.
I was raised with a religious foundation, but was rarely a church goer. One day while my brethren co-workers and I were talking at work, several of them invited me to church, and mentioned the pastor’s name, Charles T. Sembly. That is when I realized the connection. My mother’s maiden name is Sembly and she always told me that all Sembly’s are related. Reverend Sembly is my cousin. After several invitations, I attended church. The first service I attended was beautiful, and I remember a young woman, Rochelle, singing Yolanda Adam’s song, “The Battle Is the Lord’s”. That song filled my heart with the Holly Spirit, and overwhelmed me with tears. When the pastor opened the Church’s doors I was overcome by fear and could not walk down the aisle, but I knew in my heart that I would return the following Sunday, and that I would not let anything stop me from joining my new church home. That is when I started my musical journey although it would be several years before I penned my first song titled, “Thank You”.
Before that, I had no desire or intent to be a singer or songwriter. Now, it is a deep and unwavering passion that I have no choice but to pursue and fulfill. The universal messaging, stories, and feelings captured in music can move and touch the souls of many. And that is what drives me to create it.
