In about 1952, Chainsaw's parents settled in Conway Springs, Kansas where he discovered bluegrass music at a young age hearing the “Father of Bluegrass Music,” Bill Monroe, perform live on WSM. Country music was always a staple at home growing up. By the mid-fifties, bluegrass music was interspersed into the country music programming on the radio. 

After learning to play the guitar in the sixties, he discovered “in person” live bluegrass in 1973. Not too long after that, and with only six lessons, Chainsaw was performing two nights a week at a pizza parlor in Southern California with a four-piece bluegrass band.

Chainsaw has been a past president of the Oregon Bluegrass Association – 1997-2003.  He's a multi-instrumentalist proficient with the 5-string banjo, guitar, and acoustic bass and successfully hosted and co-hosted a Tuesday night jam in Eugene, OR, that ran for more than 18 years. 

In about 1997, he was tagged with the moniker “Chainsaw” because of his aggressive banjo style and he has played and sat in with with many bands as a banjo-ist and guitar player.  As a founding member of the Portland, OR-based bluegrass band Thunder Ridge, he is currently the banjo player, lead, tenor, and baritone vocalist of the band.