Before the now infamous Starbuck’s Coffee chain there was a TV series entitled Battlestar Galactica from the retro days of the post-Flower Power era circa. 1978-1980. One of the main characters was coined Lt. Starbuck, played by suave ladies man Dirk Benedict, who also starred as Templeton “Faceman” Peck in the cult TV action series The A-Team. Being a retro kind of guy all around, I decided upon embarking on my voyage with my current band Stoner Kings back in 2000 that I needed a handle to fit my persona and image, hence Captain Starbuck…or just plain ol’ Starbuck, thank you! Maybe it was a combination of the role models I held as a kid that led me to my namesake half a lifetime later. Conan the Barbarian, the Incredible Hulk, Godzilla…hey, comics can be a powerful tool! Don Johnson from Miami Vice had a big impact on me when I was in junior high. The unshaved look, always getting the chicks, living bohemian style on his St. Vitus’ Dance houseboat with his pet alligator Elvis. Yeah, Don “Sonny Crockett” Johnson rocked! Another huge personal influence on me during my youth was the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, especially their lead singer Vince Neil. My initial outing into the world of heavy rock and rock in general was the Crüe’s 1983 breakthrough album Shout At The Devil. I was 10 years old at the time and BLAM!…it blew me away like a loose cannonball! Mötley Crüe’s music defined my musical tastes from that day forward and that’s the way it remains to this day. Last but not least, add a HUMONGOUS dose of pro wrestling and idols like 16-time World Heavyweight Champion “Nature Boy” Ric Flair (whom I borrowed more than a few tricks from), legendary heels The Four Horsemen, my all-time favorite tag team monsters The Road Warriors, brawlers like Abdullah the Butcher and the late Bruiser Brody and basically the whole NWA and UWF wrestling scenes back in the mid-80’s…old WWF Saturday Night’s Main Events on NBC and good grief, you’re looking at a batting average that can’t miss! So take all of the aforementioned characters, roll them up into a big, fat stogie and what you end up with is an artistic entity of flesh and bone, the incarnation of the modern day warrior…yeah, I’m talking about Yours Truly. I've wrestled all over Europe, Canada and the USA since my debut on January 7, 1994 in Calgary, Canada against my mentor Lance Storm (who went on to be a Champion in WWE, WCW, ECW and Japan). I have been a European Champion, Italian Champion and Finnish Champion during my career. I have wrestled opponents as diverse as Alofa the Headshrinker (380 lbs from the Wild Samoan Family), to powerhouse Jean Pierre Lafitte (former WWF tag team Champ and former WCW Hardcore Champ), to the man I took the European Title from - the muscular Bernard Vandamme of Belgium, to multi-time German Champion Michael Kovac, to western Canadian wrestling legend Diamond Timothy Flowers, to many other established names whom would take a long time to list! My wrestling style is very old school in approach, utilizing an all-around repertoire of technical prowess, scientific grappling, select power moves and solid brawling, all spiced and flavored with a healthy dose of intensity. I am rather excellent on the mic, as just about anyone who has heard me cut a promo can attest to. All in all, professional wrestling is the love of my sporting life. I have no mistresses, pro wrestling is the only one. And I wouldn't have it any other way! I’ve been an artist from literally the moment that I exited the womb. Artistic skill is inbred, and I am a nature boy all the way in this department. It may be taught at various institutions but they can never teach or give you that elusive “X-factor” -- the dynamic ingredient that makes you a natural at your given talent. Art is a part of someone’s personality. It can’t be duplicated because it’s exclusively unique to it’s holder. Whether it’s drawing, painting, prose, music or performing art, it is always one of a kind, ever unique. I was fortunate enough to be gifted by the Good Lord Himself in various artistic forms. I’m a songwriter, a lyricist, illustrator and performer. That’s pretty varied, it gives me quite a bit of breathing space. In the graphic arts department I’ve done work for projects and commissions ranging from childrens books to business mascots to portraits. My work has serviced companies across the board, from local boutiques to rock bands to Nestle Europe. For seven years I worked as an entrepreneuring artist with my own business before moving on to new challenges. I still perform graphic art when commissioned to do so, as an individual, not under the moniker of a business name. Due to my background in weight training since the age of 15, I’ve since become a licenced fitness instructor. It’s a lifestyle for me, not something I take off at night and put on in the morning. Quality of life is a big motivator for me. I have been fortunate to have gotten to know many wise people in regards to body culture along the way, and so my own know-how has also increased due to the company I've been in. In addition, I’ve assisted Finnish heavy music stars like 2006 Eurovision winners Lordi, Timo Kotipelto of Stratovarius, Tony Kakko of Sonata Arctica and Pasi Rantanen of Thunderstone, to name but a few, in various capacities in regards to English coaching and language services. Due to my strong grasp on dynamic English language expression, several Finnish businesses have employed my services in translation work over the years also, from legal offices to smaller scale business owners. Multi-faceted and multi-talented with confidence to spare, I make no apology for my strengths and colorful character. With one life to live a wise man will live it to it’s fullest. Heck, as a life coach to boot, how could I live my life at any less of a level and still be able to live with myself?! Oh yeah, and for whatever it’s worth, I was born in 1973 in Ontario, Canada, in the same neck of the proverbial woods as country music sensation, Shania Twain. That little place of conception was called Timmins, a small mining town where my folks first settled upon entering Canada in 1972 and becoming citizens. To wrap it all up, whoever it was that said “the Man is well as long as the Kid inside him lives on" . . . I’ll tip my hat to that! With one life to lie there is no time to waste.