V : Why do you choose to work as a magician / entertainer ? K : There ’ s nothing like it ! I ’ ve met and made so many friends through my services as an entertainer . I ’ ve also traveled to countless places I would probably have never been . I enjoy making a living doing something I love , while at the same time bringing joy and smiles to people who genuinely need it . This is what I ’ ve done as my profession for 19 years now , and I don ’ t intend to stop .
V : Tell me about your musical background and how you ’ ve applied it to your act ? K : The entire time I was growing up , I always wanted to play the banjo . My parents thought it would be too difficult for me , but they did promote piano lessons . I took piano for 3-4 years and hated every minute of it . If I was going to play , I wanted to play like Jerry Lee Lewis , but my piano instructor seemed to focus mostly on gospel music . I gave it up . When I graduated high school , I took all the graduation money gifted to me and instead of putting it toward a car or laptop like everyone else , I purchased a banjo from the local music store . My magician teacher friend Doug Westmoreland gave me the Earl Scruggs Banjo Instruction book and I started practicing . I couldn ’ t put it down . I would go to college , and come home and spend hours playing and working on technique . A year later , I participated in an event at the Atlanta Braves Stadium “ A Salute to Earl Scruggs ”. Earl attended , and 200 banjo players gathered there on Turner Field and we all played his most famous tune “ Foggy Mountain Breakdown ” in unison . We had set a Guinness World Record as “ The world ’ s largest banjo ensemble ”, and all our names were recorded . I still couldn ’ t put the instrument down . I learned to play both styles ( Three finger , and the old Appalachian Clawhammer style ). Just a few years later I competed at the state level and became an Official Georgia State Champion of the Five String Banjo . Over the years , I ’ ve played on and off with bluegrass bands , and even toured with some up to Canada and back . I also recorded my own solo instrumental album called “ Riding Solo ” which you can find on Amazon , iTunes , Spotify , etc . It was a fun project . I played Banjo , Guitar , and Bass on each track and my friend Chuck Nation ( Louisiana , and Georgia State fiddle Champion ) provided the fiddle and mandolin tracks . hilarious , and magic was great , but man I LOVED the banjo ! I wish you would ’ ve played some more !”. It ’ s simply another part of what makes my act unique , different , and personal .
V : As an entertainer , how did you manage through the pandemic ? K : The Pandemic was a very difficult , dark time for everyone . Social trends changed quickly , people weren ’ t allowed to gather in groups anymore , and many lives were tragically lost . Being self-employed , it was definitely difficult to keep my composure . My 2020 schedule was almost completely booked up from the east coast to the west coast . I remember sitting in my home office in tears as phone calls and emails came rolling in , canceling events . Within two weeks , I saw every single event cancel . My income for an entire year simply vanished . I had a handful of generous clients who told me “ This must be a difficult time for you , we want you to keep the check , and we will just book you again when all this blows over ”. We all had to work together during that time .
Music became a huge part of my life after I had acquired my banjo . I was involved in “ pick ‘ n ’ grins ” at least 2-3 days a week where musicians would gather and jam till the wee hours of the morning ( A fantastic Appalachian tradition ) … and yes , moonshine was often involved . Many people haven ’ t actually heard a banjo played in person before , and since music was a huge part of my passions , I decided “ Why not incorporate it into the act ?” I sat down and wrote some jokes and dialogue about my upbringing , and where I was born and raised – 15 minutes from where the film “ Deliverance ” was made … and fused in some fun audience participation . Next thing you know , the banjo became a 10-minute staple in my Comedy Magic act . It ’ s fun for me , and people absolutely love it . I can stand on stage and perform some impressive and difficult sleight of hand , but at the end of the show , the people always want to talk about the banjo , saying things like “ The jokes were
10 FEBRUARY | 2024