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WallyGator

About the Gator

Ok so you have logged onto myrocktalk and your wondering just who is responsible for such a ridiculous web site. That would be me, Wally (Wallygator). A proud card carrying metalhead who spent my teen years right in the middle of the 1980's (1983-1989 to be exact). A time of big hair, spandex, leather and studs and a whole lot of metal ruling the airwaves. It was a time before internet, ipods, emails and reality tv. It was a time when MTV actually played music videos. A time when Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Whitesnake, Twisted Sister and Guns and Roses were all riding the charts.

I grew up in Dundas, Ontario. A small town to the west of Hamilton and about an hour from Toronto.

As an only child, my first introduction to music came from my parents, both of which were huge Elvis fans. My Dad had a fairly extensive record collection that included the King, Roy Orbison, CCR, Little Richard and many others I can't remember now. Mom's taste also included the disco of the 70's, she was also the one who discovered John Cougar with me one night but that's a story for later on.

As a small child in the 70's my older cousin introduced me to the craziest thing I had ever seen or heard in my life. It was probably around 75 or so. I had just received my first record player. It was an orange Fisher Price model that could be closed and used as a step stool (truly high fidelity!)

My cousin pulled out Dressed to Kill (Kiss's third release) and my eyes bugged out when I saw these masked men in suits on the cover. Instantly drawn to the comic book, monster like look, I was already a fan. My cousin placed the needle on |rock and roll all nite" and that was it, I think I played that song 100 times that day.

Kiss became my favourite band even though my record collection contained Shaun Cassidy and nursery rhyme records. It was their visual persona that I loved, the makeup the fire the blood. It would be years before music became mine.

If I remember correctly it was the summer between grade 7 and grade 8 that I found music that was mine. Def Leppard had released Pyromania and Rock of Ages became the single of the summer. This was power rock like I had never heard and around this time I received my first Sony Walkman (for the kids out there a walkman was a personal portable music player like an ipod, only about 10 times the size that played cassette tapes. If you don't know what a cassette tape is, go ask your parents)

Def leppard became my band. I purchased Pyromania and suddenly music became my drug of choice. Overnight music became my constant companion. Soon Quiet Riot came along then Motley Crue and Ratt burst through opening the floodgates of the metal decade.

I had a paper route that made me just enough money to keep my music collection growing. My friends and I would trade tapes and read up on our favourite bands in Circus and Hit Parader magazines.

In June of 1984 I attended my first concert in Toronto which fueled my musical passion even more. I remember a cousin of mine saying "you'll grow out of the heavy metal thing" and I laughed.

Now 27 years since my first taste of Def Leppard, 26 years since I first witnessed the Crue live, I am still here, still loving hard rock/metal music still going to a couple shows a year, still devouring new releases from all my favourite bands (check out the new one from Ratt!!)....still rockin. I guess my cousin was wrong on that one, sorry Robin.

So that's my long winded intro. If your wondering do I have any other interests? Sure, fishing is a big hobby of mine, reading (a big fan of music biographies) playing bass guitar (pretending to be a rock star in my headphones) watching the Chicago Blackhawks play hockey and spending time with family and friends.

http://myrocktalk.angelfire.com was created by J Sasaki