This is a long list of some of the many artists and songs that have influenced my development as a writer and musician. Beyond that, it is a playlist that features some of the greatest artists and best songs of the last 50 years...from Smokey Robinson to the Dixie Chicks and all points in between. As a pianist, I had to include Billy Joel, Elton John, and Stevie Wonder...as a songwriter, I could... [+]

This is a long list of some of the many artists and songs that have influenced my development as a writer and musician. Beyond that, it is a playlist that features some of the greatest artists and best songs of the last 50 years...from Smokey Robinson to the Dixie Chicks and all points in between. As a pianist, I had to include Billy Joel, Elton John, and Stevie Wonder...as a songwriter, I couldn't omit Carole King, Lionel Richie, or James Taylor...as a singer, I couldn't forget Roy Orbison, Aretha Franklin, or George Michael...and of course no list of influences (at least for the child of music-loving parents who grew up in the 50s & 60s) could be complete without the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel. I could go on and try to describe the joy I still get from listening to these songs I've heard a thousand times, but.....I think they speak for themselves. Enjoy!! [-]