Kevin Ridel

I've known him since my senior year of high school. 1987. He was the singer of my band in Connecticut, Avant-Garde. One of the guys I moved to LA with in 89. He drove a Camaro. I was scared to ride with him at first but he was a surprisingly slow and careful driver. We would cruise around looking for girls. The Manchester parkade. His dad was a very manly construction worker. But Kevin and his brother Eric had a very effeminate glam side. They would spend a long time looking in the mirror in the bathroom, applying hairspray. He was one of my early heroes as a songwriter. He was very naturally gifted, writing a song everyday and really enjoying the process. He's the first guy I knew who paid attention to pop music and noticed melodies and hooks.