Get To Know Joe
His music is something special, and through his message of love and unity, which is needed now more than ever, he hopes to bring people from various backgrounds and lifestyles together once again.
YES, I PLAYED IN THE NFL
It's amazing the number of people I've met throughout the years playing and the things I've experienced. I attribute my well rounded sound to the many places football took me. Originally from the Motor City and a Cass Tech Graduate - I learned to love Motown and Praise & Worship Music. When I left Detroit, I landed in Louisiana where I played for the LSU Tigers. This was my first introduction to blues music. Fast forward to 2011, I was drafted to the Raiders, and then a later claimed by the LA (then St. Louis) Rams. It was in St. Louis that I first picked up the guitar, and started learning to play the blues.
Fun Fact... I hate talking about sports. So if it comes up in conversation and I change the subject, kind of how I did in this paragraph - I hope you understand.
WHY I LEFT
Many people don't believe me when I say it - but it was never my dream to go to the NFL. For those who don't know I played saxophone in my middle school orchestra and intended to join the band in high school. I dreamed of being a famous jazz musician and an engineer. That all changed when I got kicked out of a residential engineering camp for "roughhousing" and needed something to do over the summer. I started playing football my freshman year of high school and as they say - the rest was history.
After 8 years playing with the Raiders, Rams, & Chargers it was on a hike in California that I decided to retire. I won't bore you with the details, but if you're interested in that story and we meet, just ask. So here I am... actively chasing my dreams of making good music, and being a famous musician.
Yours Truly is the name of my band. While I am a solo male artist - when I perform live it's in the company of some the greatest musicians I can find.
I've always had the mindset that if you keep people around that force you to get better you'll always be improving. For that I am grateful to these individuals for joining me on this journey - and want you to know their names when you see us perform:
- Back-up Vocals: Alyssa Harris
- Bass: Mario Castellanos
- Drummer: Brennan Howell
- Keys: Vince Wiley
ABOUT YOURS TRULY
