Southern , white anglo saxon protestant. Southern Baptist . From Scots -Irish - British heritage. Most of them came over during the potato famine. They were Confederates.
Great Great Great Great Great Great Great grandfather (paternal) was Governor of South Carolina for a time, Great great great great great uncle was a Sgt in the "War of Northern Aggression" who died in battle.
Grandfather (paternal) was one of the first Electricians in rural South Carolina. Helped to wire Anderson to the Power Grid.
Great Grandfather (paternal) was sheriff of Anderson County and was a strikebreaker during the labor strikes in the late 19th/ early 20th century textile / labor reformations.
Grandfather (maternal) was a Navy CPO during WW2 who was in Halsey's fleet and served in the "Marianas Turkey Shoot" among other great battles. Taught Machine Shop at Florence Technical College and was a buddy of Cale Yarborough's (Original NASCAR Champ). He was buddies with Strom Thurmond. Got me an appointment, which I declined, to the Naval Academy. It was 1975 and I didn't trust the Government any farther than I could spit. Still don't.
Mom's family, for the most part were rural farmers/ sharecroppers.
Mom did a geneology research project a few years back and followed her family all the way back to the Highlands of Scotland. She says we were at The Battle of Culloden, representin'! < see the movie Braveheart for a movie synopsis of Culloden.
Greatgrandfather (maternal) was a Rum Runner. Moonshiner for the masses. Big old Scots/ American bear of a man. He and Granny were married their entire lives. Taught me to shoot and defend myself. He used to make me hit a Coke bottle cap w/ a .22, BEFORE I could drink the Coke. The cap would be on a tree trunk about 35 yards away.
Most of the family worked in the textile mills up to my dad. He went in the USAF and got into the Nuclear Technology Program. Thus, he did TDY's into Soviet airspace, sampling for fallout, which we didn't learn until just a few years ago. Got out of the AF and went into Nuclear Medicine.
I refused the Armed Forces siren song and followed my ambition.
I, too, was denied admission to the Ca. University system because I was white and even though Mom and Dad were divorced, we were just over the line, financially. I went to Community college for a couple of half assed years. I'll ask everyone to read Cobalt's diatribe about "angry, cynical and bitter" and leave it at that, I'll just say, "Me too!"
Went into the music business , worked with "Rock Stars" and wannabes from 1979 to the present. I've known Bill Graham on a first name basis and have recorded enough commercial release to garner admission to the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. and there we are.
My cat answers me when I say "Hi" or "good morning" and gives me "the look" when I go to work. and always sleeps at the foot of my bed. She like to get in front of the monitor, like she's doing right now. Which means it's time to do something else, like PLAY with her.
Dad = Masters of Hospital Admin. / Electronics Genius / Clarinet Player / Retired
Mom = Bachelors / English / Ca. Teaching Cert. / PacBell Fraud Investigator / Retired
Me = College Drop out*, Electronics/Recording-Live Sound Engineer Music....
Brother= Master Sgt. Hydraulics spec./ USAF ... Vet Desert Storm / Anderson Police Reserve / Armorer- RangeMaster / BMW USA... Making the Z series for the world!
* but feeling really guilty about it so I'm going to finish the degree in Music Production / Technology. Hell, I could probably teach the class. < like I did in Electronic Music in 1976...
I'll admit that being on this forum has rekindled my desire to finish what I started in '75.
Can't really preach to 16 yo nephew about any of that while still unfinshed on my own account, now can I?