The Early Years I was born in Los Angeles, CA. in 1956 to wonderful parents, Donald and Charlotte Carlisle. I grew up in Santa Ana, CA. At the age of seven I began taking private guitar lessons after my father had bought me a Montgomery Wards guitar on my seventh birthday. I was not only taught to read and write music as well as play the guitar, but eventually studied orchestration and arranging. From the beginning, music has always been about passion to me. The reason I first started playing guitar and singing has always been about that passion. Even at a young age. As a young man, the soul bug bit me. I fell head over heels in love with the likes of Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, Tower of Power, Sly and the Family Stone, etc. While a piece of my heart will always be there, I truly appreciate anything that's done authentically and with passion. I was introduced to Christian music in the early 70's during the time of the “Jesus Movement” in southern California. That wonderful move of God's hand was also the birth of what we now know as “Contemporary Christian Music”. At the age of sixteen, I joined with Erick Nelson to form the band, Good News, I later joined the group, Psalm 150 where I met, for the first time, the girl who would eventually be my wife. After the recording of their second album, the majority of the members of Psalm 150 went on to tour with Andrae Crouch as his band. At the same time, I ventured out as a session singer and musical “gun for hire”. Next: Life As A Singer