Born in Memphis, Tennessee and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, joined the army in 1968 and spent two years in Vietnam, working as a wheeled-vehicle mechanic. Post military life has included many jobs in addition to being a mechanic including truck driver, construction laborer, warehouse worker, door-to-door salesman, janitor, cashier, retail sales, handyman, computer setup and troubleshooter. Being born and raised in the deep south during the 1960s created an interest in New Age ideas such as astrology, reincarnation, yoga, holistic medicine, etc.