My high school band director was the person who first educated me in the field of music and performance. He taught us the importance of practice , rehearsal and showmanship. I utilize his teachings in every performance whether on-stage as a musician or off-stage as a man. He exuded excellence and expected us to be the best we could be. He taught us to respect ourselves, and to show respect for the audience by taking pride in our music preparation, as well as, our appearance. Being young and having a narrow view of life, I did not always follow his instructions to the letter, but I always listened to what he had to say and I always had love and respect for him as a person and a great musician I still do!In the early 1980's, some of my friends and I formed a band. We were young and inexperienced with limited skills and equipment, but we had fun playing in a few shows and clubs. We developed some life-long friendships as a result of that experience. Several members of that group have enjoyed success in music performance. I have since had many great moments, meeting and playing with some incredible musicians however, My band director was most influential by instilling an understanding and respect for music and the work that is required to deliver high quality performances. He influenced me to be the best I can be and to have fun doing it.

Prentis was not only a talented musician, he was also a brother and a mentor. He influenced me on a personal level through his musical knowledge and wisdom. He is the reason I rekindle my passion for performance. I had begun to only concentrate on music production for several years. In the early 1990's, Prentis and I began programming instrument tracks in my apartment on a Roland D-20 workstation. Later, he would bring his wife, Addie, along to help us write lyrics. We ate some good food and drank lots of Hennessey while managing to create a few good songs. We spent many years developing and performing in The ClassAct Band along with Gerri Franklin, Deniselyn Wright, Yvette Lewis, Robin Moss, Rebecca Williams, Nikki Washington- Givens, Rostina Swindle, Rick Adams, Larry Banks, Rodney Pretlow, Ron Cummings, Willie Shorter, Mark Ramsey, Robin Moss, Dr. Wobbie, Dwain Starks, Stephen Nelson, Katreece Tate, Chip Pollard, Collin Chatman, James Blackman, Stephen King, Kevin Campbell, Ebony Muhammed, Ray Nelson, Curtis Tucker, Winstard Robinson, James Dublin, a vocalist named Tonya and many more. When Prentis passed over 4 years ago, my life changed and my desire to perform greatly diminished. I think about my friend just about everyday but I am at peace with his elevation. RIP, my brother.