Oops I think I blogged a little.....

 It's January 2016 and I have already beaten myself up! This is also my first official blog from Redington Music & I would like to welcome you here. My Musical Journey started around age 12 when I traded a Hockey Stick for a six string electric guitar made in japan under the label "Tiesco Del Rey". Although I aspired to some Sports & was also enrolled in Jr. High School in Florida as a J.R.O.T.C Military Student I would never get written consent from a Physician to participate because I was born with a Kidney Defect and spent the better part of a year in a Hospital in Vermont when i was about 8 years old. Truth be told I was never great at sports and always felt completely out of my element. Being a kid who grew up Hunting, Trapping & Fishing in Vermont I did however very much enjoy the time I spent in J.R.O T.C. in my teens and in that I was great with a rifle and soon began to excel but also knew that I would most likely end up in administration and so this probably wasn't going to last. My Father was a good man who wanted his youngest Son to be tough and strong in this world and though we spent many years apart and sometimes at odds I did learn a great deal from him about having the courage to try something adventurous and new. He didn't however see much use for music as a serious career and would tell me.."you better have something to fall back on".. My Dad's reluctance to me playing a guitar and our differences may very well be the catalyst for me actually becoming a musician. This probably began a long life of the "I'll show you!" attitude that has driven me through so many things in my 51 years on the planet. A few years after His passing I did realize that my Father Paul Redington had lost a Brother named Richard Redington in the "Invasion Of Sicily" in 1942 and not only was I named after His Brother who had passed when He was just a Lad..but maybe this was a way for him to try and get some resolve for losing someone so close at such a young age. No matter what "the purpose" was or is..It has struck me greatly how Important and what an Honor it is to be named after my Uncle Richard L. Redington who gave his life fighting for Freedom so many years ago. 

I grew up in a rich environment. Not financially speaking at all but with a Mother named Julia J Redington, Two Sisters Paula & Nanci & An older Brother Named Michael I never was or am at a loss for Love and Support. A friend of our family since before I can remember was Ken Shaw. He became a Mentor and Teacher and eventually gave me an old Kay Bass with note names and color dots all over the fingerboard and graciously sat down with me and taught me a ton about music, hunting, fishing & life. My Cousin Kevin Morgan lived upstairs from us when I got that Tiesco and soon I was tormenting everyone In the neighborhood with THE RIFF...thats Right "Smoke On The Water"....endlessly, day after day...Louder and LOUDER...until maybe a Black Sabbath Riff would pop up and then I would torture my family , friends & neighbors with that. I was IN A BUBBLE. A VERY SAFE SUBMARINE Of SOUND! I Had Found MY CALLING...but...i wasn't that great...so I had my work cut out for me! This is just a brief beginning to my "Tapestry" I guess. When I held the Guitar in my hands...cradled and tight, and got it in tune, and had my amp set just right and my hands began to do what my brain started to tell it..I didn't feel like a sick kid or a complete stranger in the world, or sad or worried or anything but Pure Honest & Spiritual Joy! Between My Father telling me "No, No, No"...and My Mom Telling Me "Yes Son"...you can do this no problem... I had made MY CHOICE! BY AGE 14 I KNEW WHAT I WANTED TO DO. The Places I Have Been, The People I Have Met And Shared Sweet Life With, The Loves Won And Lost, My Children, Things I Never Would Have Imagined Even Possible Have All Been A Result Of Music & The Choice I Made. WOW! Even as I write this I am Inspired. So... about my clumsiness.... ;o).. My Right Hand has taken SO Much Abuse over time,, Once I cut the tip of my index finger off while working at Sal's Italian Restaurant as a Young Man, Ouch. Our Waiter at the time was another good guitarist I stole a few tricks from name Steve Audlsey and he had to FIND MY FINGER TIP, put it in a baggie on ice and deliver it to the E.R. Thanks Steve! Couple years later while celebrating my 18th Birthday a bit too hard in a Bar i had been playing in since i was about 16.. I fell off a Train Trestle and hurt my back badly and fractured my Wrist :(  Ouch! Don't Be An Idiot Like Me On Your 18th Kids! A few years back i had a Melanoma removed from my arm (cancer free for years ;) and the surgical procedure left me with no feeling in my hands for a couple months and this was VERY SCARY! Fortunately that got better over time and only bothers me once in awhile now. Well...now onto this Picture i posted on this first BLOG that I was INSPIRED to write today. A few weeks ago I was trying to unclog a shower drain with some pretty heavy duty cleaner. I had my gloves and mask on and had actually gotten the thing unclogged and was done with my procedure.. After removing my gloves and mask I still had some warm water running in the sink and a small amount of Drain Cleaner in the plastic cup in my hand...well...remember i said i was clumsy and maybe a DORK some times???  Without thinking I went to run the cup under the faucet to rinse it and dump it down the drain and POOF!!! ..My HAND BECAME A KINDA SMOKING GREEN BLOB OF BUBBLING CHEMICALS!!!  Yeowza! YEOWZA, YEOOOOOOW!!! With some quick help from "Poison Control" & Google & My Cousin Steve who Is a Medical Professional. It only took about 3 DAYS for the chemical burning to STOP. This picture here is from a few of my last days of bandaging myself and I would maybe scare some of you if I showed you how swollen and blistered my POOR RIGHT HAND WAS! :(

Using some magical "Lavender,Coconut & Almond Oils" within ONE WEEK I was almost fully healed. I had to play a Funeral Service the very next day and gigs throughout the weekend. Coming THAT CLOSE once again to losing my ABILITY TO PLAY was Frightening and drives me into a rather Feeble & Sad State:( 

I have been apologizing to MY RIGHT HAND for weeks now and I am here publicly displaying my remorse and my intention of BEING NICER TO IT IN THE NEW YEAR! 

I have a ton of Music & Stories To Share With You If You are so inclined and I thought this might be a decent way to start. I am a hopeless Dreamer who only ever wanted to play guitar, have a couple of awesome kids to share this with and be able to support all of this with what I do. 

My Band "The Luv" Is My Family & My Family Is My Band. I Have Such Immense Love & Support That I Have Felt Like A Billionaire Since The First Time I Stepped On Stage!

Thanks for reading this first of what could be many Blogs!

I hope I blogged Correctly..?!?!;o)

Peace, Love & Many Thanks,

                                                 Rick