B. JOHN BURNS, Songwriter (Des Moines music)

In the fall of 1972, during my junior year of high school, I sat down at the Cable-Nelson piano in the basement of my parents' house and laboriously penned my first song, "Last Airport Home."  A few days later, I wrote another, and then another -- and then another. . .

I never stopped.

Then, in January, 1976 I played a borrowed Wurlitzer electric piano at the Wakonda Country Club on Des Moines' South Side with a band called Now and Then.  That was my first professional gig.  On Halloween Night of that year, I got a call from the legendary Baby Lester in Omaha, beckoning me to join him on the road as a member of Baby Lester and the Buggybumpers.  I followed him to Odebolt, Iowa, Independence, Missouri (twice), Fayetteville, Arkansas, Worthington, Minnesota, Albuquerque, Abilene, Atchison, Kansas, Buffalo, Wyoming, Tiffin, Ohio, Pierre, South Dakota, Indianapolis, Wilkesboro, North Carolina, Green Lake, Wisconsin, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, Humboldt, Iowa and, yes, Kokomo.  I'd like to say I never stopped playing.

Okay, there were a few stops and starts from time to time -- but I'm playing NOW!! 

And, yes, I am the brother of marathon champion Mary Burns-Prine, owner of the Women Runners Website and author of The 2008 Women Runners' DAILY JOURNAL & CALENDAR.  But I'm determined to make it on the quality of my songwriting, rather than my sister's celebrity, so I pretty much try to keep it a secret.  How's that, Mary?