Photography by Timm Kuhns
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C. Michael WoodwardLead Vocals
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My fate as a performer was sealed long before I was born. My birth parents were both professional musicians. My brother has a theater degree, and the whole family has been involved in music and theater since forever. My mother still teaches piano and voice students in her home six days a week. Music has continued to be an important piece of my life, of course. I've always been involved in something: choruses, bands, community productions, conferences, festivals, and whatnot. But it is my addiction to karaoke that probably has kept my love for singing "regular music" alive and well. I grew up on more conservative stuff. My musical role models included names like Barry Manilow, Barbra Streisand, and John Denver (okay, so I was a nerd--it was the 70s. Everyone was nerdy!). Needless to say, learning to sing the likes of John Mellencamp and Muddy Waters has stretched me in new, interesting, and really fun directions. In other words, I have really enjoyed "coming out" as a rocker. I always knew he was in there somewhere! |
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Jennifer LopezRhythm Guitar/Vocals
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I'm a
native of Tucson, and I've lived here all my life. I started playing the
sax when I was about 11 years old. I picked up the guitar when I was 15
and taught myself to play. In my senior year of high school, I founded my
first band. We played everything from country music to rock and roll. We
played a lot of parties and played the bars in Marana and Tucson. How
could a band of musicians under 21 play at bars? Easy, in 1974 the
drinking age was 18 in Arizona! That band was together five years before some
of us got married and life took us down another road. In 1979, I placed my
Fender Telecaster in its case for a long nap. Twenty-five years later, I was talking to my friend Michael and mentioned my desire to start another band. He had been thinking the same thing, and he put me in touch with Sandra, who was also looking for a band to work with. The three of us founded TMI, and the rest, as they say, is history! |
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Bruce BlackstoneLead Guitar
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I grew up in Chicago first learning harmonica at age 16
from local street musicians and soon after started playing guitar. When I
was 18 or 19, I got a fake ID and started hanging out and jamming at some
of Chicago's best known blues bars, most notably The Checkerboard Lounge
on Chicago's south side. Probably the high point of that time in my life
was sitting in for a half a set with the late, great Junior Wells on New
Year's Eve 1980. I had a couple of bands back then playing mostly house
parties. and jamming on the weekends. In 1992,
I moved to Tucson and was doing the open mic scene. I co-founded my
first Tucson band, The Rusty Boys (Named after the now defunct Rusty
Lantern on 4th Ave.) The Rusty Boys were the headliners at
Tucson's sixth annual Acoustic Blues Festival in 1995. My next band was The Wayback
Machine, a wonderful, groovy bunch of people who play great music for all
the right reasons. I played briefly with local blues diva Wendy Adams
in a short-lived band, Sweet Water Drive. I have also had an on again/off
again side project band, The Dave Marsh Band. I have performed in numerous configurations every
year at the Tucson Folk Festival since 1994, and have played the majority
of venues around town, most notably the Rialto Theater located downtown. TMI is my most recent musical venture, and I am proud to be a part of this incredibly diverse and talented group of people. I look forward to seeing where our music will take us. |
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Sandra StarlingBass Guitar
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I was born and raised in Long Beach, California. Ever
since I can remember, music has been something I love. I fell in love with
the music of the 60s and in the early 70s, I became thrilled with the metal
sounds of Zepplin, Deep Purple, and Floyd. In late '79, I finally started to
learn to play the six-string guitar. Throughout the 80s, I realized two
things: I hated the new music of the 80s as well as anything disco. In the
late 80s, I began to fall for the blues. I started playing lead guitar at
home to anything blues I could find, but I was still not satisfied. I continued to play around with the blues off and on
until 2004, when I finally decided my music was going nowhere and the cause
was not the style of music but rather the instrument. I often caught
myself humming the bass lines of tunes rather than listening to the words.
It was in May 2004 that I decided to take the plunge and buy a bass
guitar. I have never looked back. Two months later, I finally had the chance to
play with a band for the first time in my life. Michael and Jennifer were
the cornerstones to bringing TMI to life, and I have been proud to fill
the role as bass player for such a talented group of people.
Today, TMI is still growing and getting better all of the time. I hope I have the pleasure of sharing some of our music with you someday. To me, a song that puts a smile on your face will be the biggest reward I could hope for. |
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Traci PayerVocals |
I was born in Carson City, Nevada a long time ago. I moved to Tonopah, NV and graduated from high school. Next stop, Tucson and the University of Arizona for college and a career in nursing. Lurking in the mist was a longing for creativity and a chance for musical fulfillment. Coming in for a landing with the good folks of TMI. The rest is a work in progress. Nice to meet ya'! |
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Jerry DiazPercussion |
A native Newyorrican (it's a word, look it up), I'm also a third-generation percussionist who knew at a very early age that my style would not mirror that of my ancestors. After a short stint serving the US Navy, I returned to New York to be a part of the off-Broadway experience. I performed for two years with Theatre for The New City, who hosts the Village Halloween Party every year. After graduating from cooking school, I ventured to the Old Pueblo to make my mark as a chef. While also working in several kitchens in town, I recorded three albums with my best friend and co-writer, Charlie T. Together our original material was heard on KXCI and KLPX. When Charlie moved back East, I was left in the old Pueblo with a voice and a pair of congas, but no band to make the audience smile. It would be several years, a marriage to the greatest manager anyone could ask for, and some growing up before I would venture back to the music scene in Tucson. I'd been drumming for my church for about a year and messing around with a few other band attempts when my old friend Michael invited me to audition for TMI. As a long-time fan, I am thrilled to become a part of one of the best up-and-coming bands in the Old Pueblo. Stay tuned! |