Want to Know More About Skip?

It is hard to believe that Skip could have done so much in 50 years.

Skip began his classical piano training at 7 years old. When he was 10, thanks to Joel Ray Sprowls, he was already playing professionally, and by the time he was 14 he was playing in local R&B and Blues clubs in Mobile, AL. In 1973, when he was only 17 years old, Skip played his first "big show" at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, NE as part of the backup band for the Coasters, the Drifters and the Shirelles when they opened for Bill Hailey and the Comets. That band also included keyboardist Chris (Hambone) Cameron on piano with Skip on Hammond B-3 Organ. Hambone went on to play and write for the recording group Sonya Dada, whose videos can be seen on VH1. Skip also toured with Jewell Akins, Bobby Lewis, and the Crystals.

A year later, Skip was playing the "House Gig" at the Sho Bar on Bourbon Street in New Orleans with "Tomato and Daddy Cool." "Daddy Cool" backed up the Coasters when they opened for Al Hirt and Pete Fountain at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts in Louis Armstrong Park.

In 1975, Skip entered the University of Tennessee to study, take lessons from, and perform keyboards with the great Jerry Coker.

Performing with the Scott Gertner Band, Skip opened for the Sammy Davis Jr. show, Rodney Dangerfield, the Temptations, and Howard Hewitt, all at the Arena Theater in Houston. The band also opened for Ashford and Simpson and The Temptations at the Mississippi Delta Blues Festival in Greenville. The Gertner band opened for Bobby Blue Bland and Rudy Ray Moore (The Famous Dolemite) at Podners in New Iberia, LA. The Gertner Band opened for Pieces of a Dream and Millie Jackson. The Gertner Band also opened for Rudy Ray Moore (The Famous Dolemite) at Twice as Nice Club, Texas City, TX. Skip also performed with singer/songwriter Gavin Christopher who had the current hit song One Step Over the Line at Pockets Club in Southwest Houston. Gavin wrote some of the biggest hits recorded by Rufus featuring Chaka Kahn.

At D's and G's Club in Winsor Plaza, Houston, TX, Skip worked with vocalist Terri Ellis from the group En Vogue. He worked with vocalist Mikki Howard, and with the Scott Gertner Band opened up for Keith Sweat, also at D's and G's.

At Midtown Live on Buffalo Speedway in Houston, TX the Gertner Band backed vocalist Phyllis Hyman. Also at Midtown Live, Skip worked with Blues Legends Albert Collins and Johnny Clyde Copeland. At Blue Ice Club, Houston, TX Skip performed with jazz guitarist Dean Brown. At Cody's, Skip performed with guitarist Neal Schoen (from Santana and Journey). At the Westin Oaks Hotel in the Gallera, Houston, TX, Skip and the Gertner Band performed with Luther Vandross, Kirk Whalum, bassist Byron Miller with Nat Adderley, Jr. on second keyboards.

The Scott Gertner Band also opened for Clarence Carter, Denise LaSalle and Jay Blackfoot at the Moody Center, Galveston, TX. Also at the Moody Center, the band opened for Marvin Cease.

Skip also performed at the Dunes in Las Vegas with the Gertner Band, as well as the Warren Moon NBA All Star Party, All Star weekend, Houston, TX in 1986. The Gertner Band performed a private party for the Houston Rockets at Tiffany's in the Galleria with the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy on display.

With the group Night Wynd, Skip performed with the great bassist Robert (Pops) Popwell.

With The Rim, Skip played the Hakeem Olajuwon Private MVP Party, 1994, Houston, TX. Skip also was featured on "Above the Rim", a song dedicated to the Houston Rockets which received local radio air play and national television airplay when it was used as the team's warm up song in their first NBA Championship series in 1994. Skip also gave MVP David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs) private piano lessons.

Skip opened for The Whispers at the J.W. Marriott, Houston, TX.

Skip performed with female vocalist Anita Moore of the Duke Ellington Orchestra at Miller Outdoor Theater with Musical Director Horace Alexander Young.

With Luther and the Healers, Skip opened for the Marshall Tucker Band at the Clear Lake Beach Club and performed as part of the B.B. King Blues Festival at the Cynthia Woods Pavillion in The Woodlands, TX. The Healers also opened for Aaron Neville at Harrah's in New Orleans.

In 1997, Skip was the musical director for the Playoff Blues Band, Playoff Corp., Superbowl XXXI, New Orleans, performing at parties for the NFL, Budweiser, Sega and the Player's Party at Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts in Louis Armstrong Park.

With Kirk Whalum, Kevin Whalum and Sean McCurley, Skip played the Austin Music Hall, as well as the Campus Theater, University of North Texas, Denton, TX.

Playing with Tommy Dardar, Skip opened for the Paul Butterfield Blues Band.at Fitzgeralds in Houston. Also, Tommy and Skip opened for Johnny Winter, and the Neville Brothers at Rockefellers in Houston, TX.

Skip also played Hammond Organ with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Pianist Johnny Johnson at the House of Blues in New Orleans.

With Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Skip played the African American Arts Festival of Houston.

Skip has also played with blues greats such as Albert Collins, Johnny Clyde Copeland, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Coco Montoya, Joey Long, Bobby Mack, and jazz artists such as Kirk Whalum, Everrette Harp, Jerry Coker, Horace Alexander Young, Conrad Johnson's Big Band, Frank Lacey, Barry Lee Hall, Bubba Thomas, and Joe Sample.

Skip played Mayor Bill White's City of Houston Birthday Celebration at the Wortham Theater with Brent Carter (former Tower of Power lead vocalist) and Scott Gertner, with Musical Director Ernest Walker. During the celebration, that "Li'l Ole Band from Texas," ZZ Top, was inducted into the Houston Hall of Fame.

Skip's recording credits include working on albums for Conrad Johnson's Big Band, Horace Alexander Young ("Acoustic Contemporary Jazz"), Frank Lacey, Barry Lee Hall, Bubbha Thomas, Little Joe La Familia (Digital Services, Houston) Joe Sample (including his upcoming CD, “Creole Joe"), Johnny Nash (2006, Tierra Sound Studio),and Brooke Benton, Johnny Nash, Arthur Prysoch, with producer Ed Townsend (Sunrise Sound Studio).

Skip did tracks on the LA Sax artist CD with Horace Alexander Young. He also did tracks on the Horace Alexander Young CD "Heart's Desire"

Skip did a Western Swing album with Johnny Gimble and Herb Remington, two of Bob Wills Original Texas Playboys at Sunrise Sound Studio.

Skip arranged and produced an album by Nigarian Pop-Star Felix Liberty, crossing over American R&B Dance Grooves with African instrumentation and flavor. The album, which was recorded at Holman Sound and Design in Houston, was very popular in African dance clubs.

Skip also co-wrote “Grape Jelly” (with Eric Demmer) for Clarence Gatemouth Brown's “Back to Bogalusa" (currently getting airplay domestically and in 30 countries around the world).

Skip co-wrote "Crusin'" with Tommy Dardar for Tommy's CD "Fool For Love", produced by two time grammy winner Tony Brunagel (Currently receiving airplay on XM Satelite Radio).

Some of Skip's television credits include "Jazz Day" on the Deborah Duncan Show with Kirk Whalum, Ronnie Laws, Scott Gertner and Bubbha Thomas with kids from the Summer Jazz Workshop. Skip also appeared twice with Scott Gertner on Good Morning, Houston.

Skip played the Sammy Awards on NBC at the Wortham Theater with Musical Director Horace Alexander Young and Johnny "Guitar" Watson.

Skip was also in the House Band of the Texas Today Show on KNUZ, Channel 51, with Musical Director Horace Alexander Young.

Skip has been playing churches for the past 12 years, including Crossroads United Methodist, Saint James Episcopal. and United Methodist Church of the Promise.

Skip's arrangement of "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus" appears on the Saint James Episcopal CD. The St. James Episcopal Band played the theater in the George R. Brown Convention Center.

With Crossroads, Skip played at Lakeview Methodist Conference Center. The Crossroads band also played the Wortham Theater, including Skip, Chris Walker, and Horace Alexander Young.

He has also made appearances at First Baptist, Houston, First Baptist, Pearland, Sugar Creek Baptist, Sugar Land, Holman Street Baptist, Houston Sienna Valley Church and Middleton Memorial United Methodist, Wallisville, TX. Skip played Hammond Organ at St. Mary's with Joe Sample on piano and Chris Walker on bass.

Skip is currently playing at New Zion Christian Church in Houston, TX.