...:::INIO MUSIC STORE:::...

I was born in Kearny, N.J. on 7-24-63. Drumming came early in my life. My Grandfather was a working drummer and it was his legacy I inherited. When I was three, he gave me my first snare drum. I haven't stopped hitting that drum since...except to hit the Round Label Gretschs he left to me. Family lore states that my Grandfather, Jim O'Rourke, had a radio show back in the thirties. It was the kind where "the crooner" stood off to the side and sang while the band played live. What's even more interesting is the fan letter stating, "how much we love the show and how we envision the singer having dark hair and blue eyes". That same family lore says "the crooner" was a young Frank. The dance cards from the shows, "Jimmy O'Rourke and his Coconut Grove Orchestra", are also very cool. I was introduced to the road early in my childhood because I moved once a year (record business brat). My professional career started on the road directly out of high school. It looked much more interesting than the botany courses I was taking at the local college. I'm not suggesting foregoing a formal education; that's just the route I chose. I have been drumming for a living in one form or another since then. As you will see, my experiences included the jazz world, the rock (record deal wanna get) world, and percussion-land. I not only consider my career a legacy but a life's calling as well.