This is just a note to acknowledge the help I've received in putting this website together. Starting out in September of 1996, I was a mere 'babe in the woods' wondering what all the hubub about the internet was. Lo and behold, there were all of these wonderful web pages I came across. They had all these colorful pictures, motion, sound; and everyone I came in contact with seemed to know how to write these things themselves. I had to learn how to do this and get a page for my band up and flying.
On September 24, 1996, enter Laura Lemay, via her book at Office Max for $33. She boasts in the title of her book, "Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML in 14 Days." Maybe I'm a slow reader, but 773 pages later, on December 25, 1996, numerous nights of trying (what she attempted to drive home through this diamond-tough noggin of mine), and here we are.
Seriously, this is a great book and naturally I had other priorities that needed tending to in this time frame. "HTML in 14 Days" is available at just about any place that sells computers & software and I highly recommend it. Laura lists her e-mail address as: lemay@lne.com and her website at http://www.lne.com/lemay/.
Next, enter Ron Rogers, who lives in the "Valley" south of Corpus Christi, Texas. Picture this: I'm now an HTML hot shot with a couple of pages up and running in early November of 1996. I'm visiting with my brother Bob in Corpus. Bob is swapping some band gear with a friend of his by the name of Freddy Fender. (Yep, the one and the same) Freddy takes a look at my page on my brother's computer (that I just got connected to a service provider in Corpus Christi) and remarks that my page is the neatest thing and he wants me to do some of this for him. My head swells to where I can barely get out the door of Bob's office.
We're at Freddy's house a little later and he puts me on the phone with Ron Rogers who's maintaining a page for Freddy's business ventures. I ask this guy if he would want me to write some files then FTP them onto the server for him. (Remind you, I'm the HTML expert here in my mind and I know I'll need his password to do this, but Freddy wants me to do his page, so I'm gonna get the job done, right?) Well Ron tepidly replies that he would like to maintain control of the site. (For what should be obvious reasons) I got Ron's e-mail address and Freddy's website address and headed back to Bob's to take a look.
It was a real awakening for me when I got Freddy's page up on brother Bob's machine. Here was a beautiful page with glorious backgrounds, awesome graphics set up with links to God knows where, and "I'm the HTML expert who is going to fix perfection." I immediately wrote (this now guru of the Net in my eyes) Ron Rogers back to let him know that I was completely humbled and asked where the line starts for those wanting to take lessons from him. I think he understood my embarrasment and ever since he's been an excellent source of information and help with bringing me up to some semblence of speed.
Ron does pages for Freddy Fender, Augie Meyers, and the Texas Tornadoes. Ron Rogers e-mail is rrogers@xanadu2.net and his website for Freddy, Augie and the gang is at http://www.freddyfender.com. Ron serves as president of a literary council in his area and also is president of a public utility commission in the "Valley." I hope to meet this mountain of patience where this "HTML Expert" is concerned and shake the hand of someone who taught me a real lesson in humility.
Most recently, a fella by the name of Scott Debo who lives here in the St. Louis Area has been giving me some great graphics advice. He's helped with leading me in the right direction to learn how to do image maps and thus the 3rd incarnation of the design of this web page.
Scott is also a weekend musician and has a group know as "The Blackdog Rhythm & Blues Band." I heard these guys for the first time in October of 1997 and "gifted" is the term I use to describe the talents I heard on display that night. Strong in musicianship, chord structure, and melodic solo content, I heard out of these local yokels, what many touring groups need to learn.
Scott has been helping me, along with other bands in the area with their websites and actually does so "alla gratis" on his site for those musicians who do not have access to the internet themselves. He is truly a gentleman, a perty smart feller (i.e. look at his website), and someone who unselfishly promotes good music throughout the St. Louis area.
These 3 characters, only one of whom I've met, (isn't that a phenomena of the internet: to help others, seemingly knowing them, and possibly never ever meeting them face to face) are primarily responsible for allowing me the opportunity to be their student in accessing the ability to publish on the Net. Their instruction, support and suggestions can only be thanked properly with the production of good pages that work. Hopefully you will find that I thanked them properly and possibly even put some icing on the cake with a little humor, here and there.
Thank you Scott, Ron and Laura