Fullerton, California

You know how it is: you need to find a place to live. There are so many factors to consider--school for the kids; proximity to work and necessary transportation; affordability; security...the list goes on. In 1954/55 my parents made the fateful decision to buy a little house, nestled in a neighborhood of what was once an orange grove, in the sleepy town of Fullerton, California. I was born just 5 years later into my forever, "hometown".

My mother's father was a painter and was working on a tract of homes in west Fullerton, just a hop from Anaheim where Disneyland was being constructed. Granddad told my parents of these affordable homes he was working on. My dad, fresh from his stint in the Korean War (also a WWII vet), had the GI Bill benefit waiting to be used in the purchase of a home. $13,000 was the price tag. The salesperson was impressed with my dad's salary as a draftsman with the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts. Dad would have to make a commute to work everyday. But many new home buyers were willing to make the drive into LA from Orange County and the San Fernando Valley just to have an affordable home of their own.

Why my folks picked Fullerton was probably an arbitrary decision. Little did they consider it's past or the famous people who hailed from there. It has an historic connection to the railroad, Father Junipero Serra's historic Mission Trail, and the citrus industry. But other than a few distinctions, Fullerton is very much like the other small towns built in the wake of the 1880s California land boom. For whatever reason they chose it, it must have been a perfect fit for the future they would build together.

Many famous people did hail from Fullerton like singers Jackson Browne and John Raitt (Bonnie's dad). Fender guitars were born in Fullerton. In fact, a revolution in guitar and amp manufacturing (Buddy Holly, Eric Clapton, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix) happened just off of Harbor Blvd. Richard Nixon went to school in Fullerton. The world-record setting construction of a 2 bedroom tract home was completed in 57 hours and 57 minutes in 1970...Fullerton.

Every time I travel to the west coast I take a special jaunt to my old place on Southgate Ave. It doesn't look at all the same. The big tree out front is gone, along with the ivy that covered the area between the sidewalk and the curb. I'm sure when my parents sold it in the early 80s, and the new owners tore that out, they found a lot of missing treasure.

For many, Fullerton is just another green sign along the 91 or 5 Freeway, on the way to San Diego or LA. But for me, it is where I come from. I took my first steps there; I learned to speak there; I went to school there. My heart has a tender spot for my old home town. Even though I had to leave there in 1980 to play music, I am proud to say I hail from Fullerton, CA.