I never knew anyone famous (like you all).

In the absence of a father, I had an older brother to look up to. And he played guitar. Pretty well too, I might add. Formed a "folk trio" in high school and played in bars through his college years.

I had a brilliant mother who didn't answer questions for me, rather, taught me how to look for answers.

I went to a college to play basketball and happened to come to that college at the exact four year period when two working potters, Doug and Karl, were "helping" a fledgling art department get started. Had I had a "real" art education -- and "real" art professors -- I would probably never have become a potter. Doug and Karl were inspirational -- their exhuberant approach to clay and the simple, practical, yet experimental spirit was contagious.