Beginnings
It has been said, that a very good place to start, is at the beginning.
I was born, Timothy Starr Ellsworth, to parents, Vern Ralph Ellsworth and Janean Evon Ellsworth
(Oyer), and sister Bonnie Lynne, on December 21, 1957, in Lansing, Michigan. It was the longest
night of the year... just ask mom.
Tim at 15
months (bottom right)
First musical memories:
- Remember ... playing a little metal drum at church during the lively musical portions of the Sunday morning Pentacostal services. I must have been only
4 or 5 years old. Also, I think my dad played the sax in the church band.
- Remembering ... Listening to a recording of some Disney character (I think it was supposed to be a chicken or some sort of bird) sing .. er .. cluck out the
song, "St. Louis Blues" on the
Magnivox record player. Remember vinyl records?
- The Ellsworth children danced in circles, swept up into the wonder and pure delight, as
Great Grandma Elsie Bonner played magical songs on the piano, in the living room of our home, on Leslie
Street in Lansing, MI. Grandma Bonner played such wonderful ragtime piano. Treasure
precious memories of those times.
- Remember ... Listening over and over again, to a recording of Mother singing "Blue Moon". The recording quality wasn't very good but ... to
hear Mom singing on record ... another magic moment. Wow!
She's a star!
- Recalling ... We Ellsworth kids went off with Dad to be in a parade in which he played sax with the "Clown Band". We dressed up in clown costumes, put on the clown make-up and I think I even got
to play that little metal drum in the parade as well. What a fun time that was!
- The Ellsworth brothers, Scott and Matt and I, used to put on Beatles "concerts" and we'd invite all of the neighbors to attend.
These "concerts" consisted of we three brothers - getting up on a plywood stage in our basement and playing our 'instruments' ... Ha! A plastic guitar, or maybe a broom, and a drum set, made of up-side-down waste baskets, a copper lamp that had a shade
resembling a cymbal, using either sticks (twigs) or those cardboard hanger inserts for drum sticks, as we sang along to the Beatles records ... I think sis Bonnie cued the
records.) I've been told that our performances usually ended with us boys arguing over who would play which instrument or some silly thing like that.
- Early Musical influences ... Booker T and the MGs, Frankie
Valley & the Four Seasons, Johnny Rivers, Credence Clearwater Revival,
The Beatles, Little Stevie Wonder, The Monkees (ouch ... at least I didn't
say the "Banana Splits"), The Association,
Temptations, Four Tops, The Supremes.
Growing
One Christmas, I had just turned 8, Dad surprised me with a little drum
set. It was the kind with the thick paper heads. Well, it didn't
take but an hour or so and we boys had demolished the thing. Dad must have
been disappointed that his gift met with such an untimely demise, but I believe
he was also encouraged to know that we boys did indeed have desire and keen
interest in music. I believe this was our first Christmas with Dad after
our parents had decided to divorce.
There was a guy, whom I befriended, named Gordy Spitzley. He lived a
couple of blocks over from us and played the guitar. Well, he decided that
he wanted to sell his acoustic so that he could upgrade to another one. I
just had to have that Kay acoustic guitar! Any way, by any means.
Mom helped me out with the $15 and I got my first guitar! From that moment
on I was bound to following music as a way ... as my way. I took a few
lessons at the YMCA, got a couple of instruction books so I could learn some
chords and listened to 45's and albums, learning songs and playing along with
the records.
I believe it was that following Christmas (Was I nine, or ten years old? I
don't remember ... take me home.) that Dad brought me an electric guitar (Teisco - Del Rey) and
amplifier (?). Yippie and Yahoo ... On the way!
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