Before meeting Patrick Cowley in the Autumn of 1979, I was singing with a 5-piece cover band in local San Francisco venues. Some of these gigs would last over three hours! I played occasional guitar and was the lead singer. Our playlist included Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Eagles, Grateful Dead, The Stones ("Wild Horses" was one of my favorites), and of course The Beatles.
Only when I started singing with Patrick Cowley did I get a real education in dance music...especially Latin rhythm and hi hats. Patrick invited me into the studio after a mutual friend introduced us. He liked my vocal style...he just said "sing" and I did the rest!