Ryan: Actually, I had a friend who did the competition two years before. He didn't win the competition but he did really well in it, and I was interested in doing it. I was always interested in romance, and doing my "thing" for girlfriends, whatever it may be, and I heard about the competition. I didn't know if I could make it, so one of my ex-girlfriends got a Marie Claire magazine. She found an article in it, and gave it to me and said, "You should do this." So I read through it and the price for the cruise that year was $1,100. I just couldn't afford that at the time, so a very wonderful friend of mine graciously paid for the whole trip. So I was on a nice seven day cruise to Mexico and to Grand Cayman for free! I was quite relaxed, there to have a good time and just enjoy myself. I really had nothing to lose. That probably helped a lot!

Vic: Were you the only gorgeous blonde in the contest?

Ryan: I was the only blond - well, actually there was one guy who had blond curly, curly hair, who called himself Adrian Adonis, and one guy who had blond short hair with some long blond extensions that were really pretty noticeable. I think I was the only natural blonde, though.

Vic: That's something else I was going to ask you about. You know, all the rage in men's hairdos now are all very short. It's very hard to find men with long hair. How is it that you have such long hair?

Ryan: I started back probably in 9th grade or so, when I got really into my music. I've been a drummer now for 15 years and I was raised with the 80's rock-n-roll. You know, hair was everything so I had to get the hair long, so I started growing it then - it's just kinda been with me for a long time now. Then after rock-n-roll started coming back around and I got into the romance industry, I definitely use it. It just kind of works for me. It's always been my style, I guess.

Vic: Thanks, that's interesting - I am sick of all these short haircuts! On your website, you state that there were 2,000 others who tried out for the contest.

Ryan: That was entries - that is, people who sent in for the competition. I guess they had people send in photos. Maybe that was just people who were interested in doing the competition, I don't know. That's the number I got from RT.

Vic: Did you have to go through steps to get into the contest or did just sending your picture do it? Did you have to go through any procedures or steps?

Ryan: No, basically I just sent in my picture. They had an entry form with some questions like, "Why do you think you should be Mr. Romance?" - just some different things. They can kind of get a feel for you before they say that yeah, you're in the competition. I think it was pretty much that if you had the look for it and had somewhat of a personality for it, you were in.

Vic: So it was really just a picture and a written type thing?

Ryan: Basically

Vic: Well great. Do you do any modeling? Had you been a model, or have you been since the contest?

Ryan: Up to this point, no, not really. I have done pictures for things here and there, and I've been interested a little in the modeling stuff, but that's really a career that you have to pour yourself into and do a lot of work on. And as for this (Mr. Romance), when I got into it I wasn't sure if I would win or not, and it just kind of all worked out for me - so now I'm taking more steps to pursue more things and I'm getting more work as I go.

Vic: Aside from winning, what was your favorite part of the contest?

Ryan: Of the contest? Probably the costume competition. They had four segments in the pageant. One was a tuxedo, one was a costume competition, one was a "pose down" where we posed with female cover models, and one was an interview section, and we wore different outfits each time. But at one point, we did a costume competition where we all portrayed certain heroes from certain books. My book was A YEAR AND A DAY by Virginia Henley (Vic moans here), and I portrayed the Scottish warrior (Vic again: OHMIBOD! Lynx de Warenne!!). So I made my own outfit. I don't know if you saw those pictures from the competition last year ...

Vic: I did, and I do have a question about your costume, but we'll go ahead and get to that later. Was there a part of the contest that you liked least? I mean, a part of the whole process that really bothered you or you didn't like?

Ryan: Hmmm, I don't know - how can you not enjoy yourself on a seven-day cruise to Mexico, you know?

Vic: Yeah, with all those adoring women, eh?

Ryan: I don't mind that so much - I have always been a people person and I've always liked talking to people. I figure everybody has one bit of information that I could possibly take and make my own and learn something from. So I kind of enjoy people's company. You know, if someone really starts to overstep their bounds or get on my nerves, I'm sure to let them know! But typically I enjoyed everybody's company. I had a good time.

Vic: Some of my friends were at RT this year, and more than one person, in observing you, said how very professional you were and how very friendly you were. And I thought that was a real nice compliment to you.

Ryan: That is nice.

Vic: What do you get for being Mr. Romance? What are the benefits?

Ryan: The benefits. Well, the prize is that you get a book cover - a Kensington book cover. Kensington is a publishing company, as I'm sure you know. You get your book cover, and that's just sort of a "foot-in-the-door." What you do after that is really up to you. You've got a title, and hopefully some promo from the things you've done, to make an effort to do more things. But sometimes it's a bit difficult if you're not actually living in New York. That's where most of the jobs are.

Vic: I imagine there's a lot of competition for that, too, isn't there?

Ryan: Well, there are probably three or four guys who do a lot of covers - I mean who repeatedly do covers over and over because they're there. So you've kind of got the market cornered if you're in the area. But I guess it depends if it's a full-time job for you or a part-time job. I am pursuing my music career. And I'm a new father, so it's sort of a part-time thing for me right now.

Vic: Sort of a sideline right now, huh?

Ryan: Right

Vic: Okay, how has being Mr. Romance affected your life? The best part, and is there a downside?

Ryan: How has it affected my life? I don't know if it has affected my life. Maybe just helped my girlfriend to recognize that I am Mr. Romance! I don't know! (He chuckles here!). I don't know, I guess now it allows me to really get away with going overboard on the romance, you know. I can say, "Well, you know, I'm Mr. Romance, I can't help it!"

Vic: Okay, so there's no downside then, huh? Like people bugging you for interviews?

Ryan: Not so far. No, I enjoy it. Any of the interviews I get, I'm definitely willing to oblige. I mean, I haven't gotten extremely misquoted yet. That may happen sometime in the future but until then, I'm pretty open.

Vic: Well, you've been very sweet about this whole thing. Okay, here's one: Do you consider yourself to be a romantic person? And who or what influenced your romantic heart?

Ryan: Definitely! (Very strongly said!) I've definitely always been a romantic person. As far as who influenced me, I think it's a little bit more of genetics. I've always been a right-brain artist type person, always been in touch with my emotions - which can be a good thing and a bad thing, as we both know. I think romance is just really, really being in love with someone and just, I guess, using all your creativity to try to create a perfect night for them, the perfect evening or whatever it may be. You know, it's just expressing your true feelings for someone whom you really care for.

Vic: I hate to sound like a female chauvinist pig, but you do understand that not a lot of men are like that, right? I mean, they are few and far between.

Ryan: Yes, and I don't understand that myself. I mean, I've always felt like that, since I was little I think, and I just don't see the other way around it.

Vic: Is your mother a romantic?

Ryan: Hmmm, I don't know - I imagine she is.

Vic: See, what I'm getting at is, do you think there was a female who had some influence?

Ryan: As far as influence, I didn't see any big romantic things going on when I was a kid that I picked up on. I don't think romance is something you can copy - it has to come from the heart, you know. It's a feeling. Romance is an emotion that you feel for someone - just like love, it's just if you can get it across by your actions or by your words or both, then that's romance. Romance is a feeling; there's not a formula for it.

Vic: Okay, tell us about a romantic weekend with Ryan Storm.

Ryan: Hmmm, lets see - I guess it all depends on the person you're with. Because it's not very romantic if it's not something that creates a fantasy for them. And everybody's fantasy is different. I guess it is spending time putting an effort forward to go out of my way to do things to make the other person happy. It doesn't have to be buying her something, it doesn't have to be necessarily taking her to a place that's quote/unquote "romantic" - it's just putting the effort forward, creating a fantasy for her. It might be sending her some flowers with a message saying to meet me at a certain hotel, leaving her a key, buying some lingerie ... I don't know, I really don't have a textbook romantic idea - it's just something that comes out of me.

Vic: That's good. Okay now, lets see, what do you do to relax and unwind?

Ryan: Believe it or not, I play drums.

Vic: I knew you were going to say that!

Ryan: Sometimes I can go in the back room - I've got an incredible drum room set up - it's got all kinds of posters and things on the walls, blankets, a strobe light, a plasma ball, a black light, the solar system all over the walls - it's just a really neat atmosphere in the room. I go in there, turn off the lights, play some music for about two hours and just lose myself in it.

Vic: Ryan, what qualities attract you to a woman?

Ryan: Honesty. (Vic: Ryan never hesitated with this answer. It was "honesty" right off the top.) Sincerity. I don't like people who play games. I don't want someone who's going to be extremely harsh or crude, and come out and, you know, give their opinion in a negative, harsh way, but someone who's always caring and thoughtful and truly honest. You know, that's someone you can truly count on. When someone tells you, "I love you forever," you can know that. You know it's not just a fleeting emotion. You know that that person is true to heart. That's a big quality to me. Another one is someone who's into the arts. Into music, painting - any kind of artistic person. That's what I'm into. Someone who can appreciate the music that I listen to, or the music I play, or play music for me or sing me a song, I love that. That is a talent, it's a gift, and I think that's extremely romantic. And I love long legs, definitely!

Vic: And what do you think makes a woman a perfect lover?

Ryan: Hmmm, a perfect lover. Desire is one of the big things. I guess they have to have as much passion for you as you have for them. You know, I think it's a two way street. I don't think you can put a good lover with a dud and make sparks. You have to have two firecrackers to make some sparks, and I won't settle for anything less.

Vic: Okay, now, about your costume. I've seen this costume. And my question is, how authentic it? Should we pray for gusty winds???

Ryan: (He chuckles & pauses!) Gusty winds. Hmmm, let's see. Well, I always have something on underneath, even though it's just a T-back (Vic: JUST A T-BACK!!!!!!! OMIBOD! BUTTFLOSS! I knew he was our kinda guy!!!!!!). It's sort of based on a kilt, but it's a little bit sexier. It's a little bit shorter. It's more like a warrior's type outfit. How authentic is it? I don't know. It's definitely from the medieval period, but I'm not exactly sure how Scottish it is. It's sort of my own creation, and I just sort of saw it in my head and made it. That's how I am with stuff. I don't like to copy things.

Vic: It's a very nice costume.

Ryan: Thank you.

Vic: Okay - Rob Ashton did a Playgirl layout. Would you ever consider doing this?

Ryan: (Without pausing a beat here.) No! I have too much respect for myself and for my family.

Vic: Uh-huh. So you think that showing your body is disrespectful?

Ryan: For me it is. Not for someone else. I'm never going to criticize or condemn someone else for the things they do. Rob is a friend of mine. More power to him, and I hope it goes well for him. But for me, in my life, it just doesn't seem like it's one of the things I would ever do.

Vic: There are some romance cover models, Ryan, who are very elusive and actually do shun their public, even to the point of rudeness. How do you feel about your public?

Ryan: I love them. I mean, it's not like I'm that big of a star or anything, but as soon as my music career takes off and my modeling career takes off, I will have dual careers, and if I get anywhere in either business it's going to be because of the public. You've got to give the people the respect they deserve. I've always been a fan of other people and had respect from certain people, and some people are just totally rude to their public. You know, you've got to appreciate the people who got you there.

Vic: That's a good answer, Ryan, because we ladies of romance feel very strongly about this. The cover models are a big part of the romance genre, and there have been some who have been less than kind to their public. We've had a lot of discussion about this at RBL, and I think you gave us a real good answer, one that will be met with approval.

Ryan: Well, whenever anyone asks me how I got into the competition, I always let people know about my friend Christine, who paid for my trip - because I wouldn't be here if she hadn't done that, and it is something I will always appreciate. I will always mention her whenever I do interviews, whenever I'm asked that question, because she deserves the credit for that.

Vic: As I said earlier, so many of the ladies who were at the convention talked about you and what a sweet person you are. Oh! You told me that your first book cover will be out in August, 2000. Can you tell us anything about that?

Ryan: Jackie Stevens is the author.

Vic: Jackie Stevens?

Ryan: Yes. It's a Zebra publication, and it's called WILD AND FREE. It is supposed to be out in August 2000, but hopefully I will have some cover flats for some book signings and promo - hopefully, I'll have that by January or February.

Vic: I hope you'll save one for us!

Ryan: Oh yes. I'm looking forward to it

Vic: Now, Jackie Stevens, is she a new author?

Ryan: You know, I have never met her, I have not talked to her, and I don't know much about it.

Vic: It will probably be a historical?

Ryan: It's a cowboy (Vic: Here I gasp and clasp my knees together tightly!!), but I don't know how far back it dates. I haven't heard much about the storyline.

Vic: Have you posed for the cover yet?

Ryan: Yes, it was actually in New York back in March.

Vic: It's done, then? Did you pose with a female?

Ryan: Yes, I did. Her name is Colleen. I don't know her last name. It was very brief. You show up, get in your outfit, get in your position, do the photo shoot, and you're done!

Vic: Really?

Ryan: Yeah, it's a pretty quick process. Typically, the cover models don't even know what the book is called, or the story - and typically if you get into doing it a lot, you don't even see the books.

Vic: What are you wearing on this cover?

Ryan: Jeans, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat.

Vic: And no shirt?

Ryan: No shirt. (Vic: Clamp go the knees again!!) It might end up with a vest - you know, you never know what the artist might put on you, it's kind of up to them. We just pose for the framework, basically. (Vic: Verrry nice FRAME baby!)

Vic: If you could be a "hero" in a romance novel, what would your scenario be? What time period or situation?

Ryan: Definitely medieval. I'm very into the medieval time period. I have, in fact, designed my own castle, which I will build when I have the ability in the future. I collect swords. I started in martial arts very young, doing sword forms, and I collect them now, and I'm very into the medieval times. It just seems like the most romantic period to me

Vic: Kind of like Cherif. That's his thing, too.

Ryan: Cherif has some incredible art.

Vic: Oh, he does, yes he does!

Ryan: He's a good guy.

Vic: He's a very talented man.

Ryan: Yes, he is.

Vic: Have you ever read a romance novel?

Ryan: I've read bits and pieces of some. I've never read cover to cover. But then again, I've not read many books cover to cover.

Vic: Not a reader, huh?

Ryan: No. Not a reader. I'm more of an audio-visual type person.

Vic: The next things I'm going to ask you about aren't related to the romance thing. But first, I am going to ask you to - and you said you would - relate to us a sexual fantasy. When I asked you ahead of time if you would like to do this, you said, "Yes, if you can handle it, I can do it." It is, of course, still your option.

Ryan: Well, you're not going to embarrass me, for one thing, but how graphic do you want me to be?

Vic: Well, you won't embarrass me, either, so I'll just tell you how I wrote the question. "The last gorgeous man who joined us at RBL gave us a very hot sexual fantasy. Would you like to do that, too? And if you do, there is only one guideline - you must be honest and explicit - there are no holds barred - you know, it's just us girls." Did you get a chance to look at our site, by the way?

Ryan: Yes, I did.

Vic: And what do you think?

Ryan: It's nice! Very good. I've seen a lot of different sites, and some are a bit stale and dull. Yours seems to be pretty interesting.

Vic: Yeah, there's never a dull moment at RBL! So anyway, would you like to do a sexual fantasy for us?

Ryan: Let me think of one for you.

Vic: Would you rather type one out?

Ryan: No. I can tell it to you.

Vic: Now let me just tell you this while you're doing this, if you keep hearing, "Oh jaysus, oh jaysus," just ignore it and keep going. And when you're done, if you get no response at all, call 911.

Ryan: Okay. Well, lets see. Well, it's always good to start in the shower. That way, if you need to you can be nice and shaved, both partners are taken care of, everybody's clean. The shower is very sensual, very sexy. Especially using those little spongy things that you can lather the Caress body wash in, you know? Give each other a nice sponge bath. Everything smells good. And foreplay can start in the shower. That's a good place, especially if you've got a nice large shower. And then when the passion's really getting hot, when things are starting to get turned on, I like to immediately move to the bedroom - now you've gotta make sure that you're going to change your sheets afterward, because they're going to be soaking wet because it's not fun unless both partners are just totally drenched - especially with my long hair, I like to have my hair totally soaking wet and down so I can just kind of fling it everywhere. It's a little more sexy when you're kind of, you know, rubbing up against each other and you're both nice and wet in bed. So I guess it depends on what you're looking for that night - if you're looking for multiple orgasms or if you're looking for a lovemaking experience. Sometimes you're just too into each other, too into the moment, too into the feeling to just try to get your orgasm and finish, go to bed, go watch TV, go munch out, whatever you do afterwards. Sometimes you just want to take hours. You know, take your time, nice and slow, feel each other. You know, I like sensual touching, not just sex, not just lovemaking, not just intercourse. I like necks, I like to bite around the neck, around the ear. I like to pull hair - but in a very seductive, sensual way, not in a painful way. I'm not into S & M or bondage. I want both partners to feel secure and in control in their own way. But then again, there are the times when you want to just, you know, fuck like rabbits for an hour and a half and just keep going! It just depends on what you're feeling at that time, and I guess you've got to read the other person and see what they're into. I don't know, whatever it is, whether it's lovemaking or whether it's hot sensual sex, it's always got to have a lot of passion, it's got to have a lot of emotion, and it's got to last for at least two hours. I mean, I don't see the point in getting all wet, or even getting involved with it, unless you can make it a memorable experience. And it's something that I'm going to make a fantasy, and if I'm going to make it a fantasy for them, it has to be memorable for years and years to come. And you can't do that unless you just totally blow someone's mind. So that's what I like to do. I like to focus on the other person's emotions, especially. I mean, I'm a guy, I know I'm gonna get my orgasm, that's how we work. But I like to really put all my effort into taking my partner to extreme highs and back down again and back up again and back down again until they just explode.

Vic: What makes Ryan Storm explode?

Ryan: Probably being able to do that for my partner. That's probably the biggest high for me.

Vic: Really?

Ryan: I mean, occasionally I'll hand someone over the reins and just totally relax and let them take care of me, and I totally enjoy that. That blows me away as well. But I probably get more physical and emotional pleasure from making someone else's fantasy.

Vic: Wonderful. So giving is your pleasure.

Ryan: Yes. Yes, I'm definitely a giver.

Vic: That's very sensuous, Ryan. (Why do I feel like Meg Ryan in "When Harry met Sally???" Damn good thing I had my hand over the phone!!!!) Okeeeeeeeeee, thank you for doing that Ryan. Now on to the next question ... (Oh, wait, wait, just a few more puffs into the brown bag and I'll be fine. I will) Okay, now I want to talk about you (and ME baby! Hahahaha! Just kidding - I didn't really say that part!). I know that you're extremely involved in environmental issues. Is there any particular issue or person who influenced your strong feelings in this area?

Ryan: Well, about maybe four or five years ago, my wife-at-the-time's sister - her name was Sherry - I was very close to her. We just got along. She was very into the environment and she loved animals - she was just that type of person - and I remember one time I threw some paper out the window. I used to do that without thinking, like a lot of people do, and she just screamed at me, got all over me, "What are you doing throwing your trash on the interstate? That's not your right, you know!" Shortly after that, she died. She was murdered, and it was even worse for me because I was the one who found her. And it really hit me in a really hard way, but it also gave me a lifelong bond with her that I will always have. And really, from that day on I've never littered, I've always picked up any trash that I can find. I'll go out of my way to find a garbage can or pick it up myself, and get all my friends to do the same. I've got a circle of people around me who know not to throw something down around me. I've pretty much got them conscious of water conservation and trash and littering and stuff like that.

Vic: So you really are carrying on her torch for her, aren't you?

Ryan: Yes. In any way I can. I figure I owe her at least that.

Vic: That's wonderful, Ryan. Is there anything in particular in this interview that you would like to bring to our attention regarding this, other than what you just said? A specific cause or anything you'd just really want to put across?

Ryan: Well, something very simple - I don't have a lot of facts or numbers on it, but something very simple that I think everybody overlooks is water. Especially now that I have a daughter. It makes me think about the kind of future she's going to have. The kind of world she's going to have. People don't realize how much water they do waste, whether it's running the faucet when you're brushing your teeth, when you're washing dishes. Just different things people don't think about. You know, watering your lawns without timers, stuff like that. And I want to make the foot pedal sink more of a mainstream household type item, because it would save tons of water if people had faucets they could use with their feet instead of their hands - because typically you're using your hands and you don't turn off the water until you're finished. So that's something I want to get for myself and that I want to sort of promote. And maybe when I have a bigger platform, I'll be able to do that.

Vic: That's a very interesting concept, and I admire your dedication to the environment. Okay. Ryan Storm is a musician. A drummer

Ryan: No, Kenny Jones is a musician.

Vic: Okay. (I'm thinking he is talking about another musician he admires.)

Ryan: That's my real name.

Vic: Excuse me?

Ryan: That's my real name.

Vic: That's your real name?

Ryan: Yes.

Vic: What is it? Kenny?

Ryan: Jones.

Vic: REALLY! And where did Ryan Storm come from??

Ryan: I don't know, it was just sort of born. (Shy chuckles here.) It just sort of came out.

Vic: From your music? Or from the contest or ...

Ryan: No, I started out - and not many people know this, and I'm sure it'll come out eventually, so I might as well tell you - I started out dancing about six years ago.

Vic: DANCING? (Do you see my ears perking up here, ladies???)

Ryan: Yes. In a top male revue. Not a strip club. Not a ... I don't have any way of explaining it to you that you wouldn't think that it is degrading. It's hard to say because whenever ... you know, our group always took pride in our routines, the costumes, the acts that we portrayed. We tried to make fantasies come true by being certain heroes. It's sort of like doing romance novel covers. You want to make some of those dreams and fantasies come true. It's a great way to make a living as well. So that's where I got my contest outfit and being different characters and portraying things onstage. That's probably where I got a lot of that skill from. And ... what was the question?

Vic: About the name ... (Ryan seems very uncomfortable on this topic - as if he thinks we may pass an unfair judgement on him for this segment of his career!) but you need to understand something, Ryan. The "other" gorgeous male blond whose interview we have at our site is a stripper - one of the best - and we admire him very much. So see, we don't "look down" on a male who makes an honest living at "dancing."

Ryan: Well, okay, our troupe danced in Las Vegas, Germany, and Japan. We've danced in very large venues. It's one of the world's top shows, and it's something that I'm pretty much out of now. When I was younger, it was great and it sort of came up with "Storm" - that was my name first. Then Ryan Storm just kind of came from it, and it just helped me separate the two worlds, because it is a totally different world, and if you try to be yourself and live in a world like that you'll lose yourself. I have always tried to make Ryan Storm my "character." More of my character side. At home, when I'm Kenny, I'm a drummer. It's my little bit more "grounded" side, I suppose.

Vic: So most people that know you, know you as Kenny?

Ryan: Hmmm, I don't know. I know a lot of people and it seems to be equal. People call on one phone and it's Ryan, and on another phone it's Kenny. Depends on what business they're talking about.

Vic: Well, Ryan Storm is most definitely a very romantic name.

Ryan: Thank you. (He says with some relief!)

Vic: Okay. You are a drummer

Ryan: Yes.

Vic: Why don't you start from the beginning and tell us all about it. You know, where'd it start?

Ryan: Well, I've been playing for 15 years. I was the youngest of four children, and my mom always told us, I always knew growing up that I had to take at least one year of band. I started in seventh grade, and my brother actually played drums, so I didn't want to be like brothers competing, you know? So I said, well, my brother's playing the drums, I think I'll play the saxophone. So I signed up for band that year, and in the first year of band they separate; brass and percussion is one band and woodwinds is the other band. And they separate them until the next year. And I guess there was a mix up in the office and somebody put me in the brass and percussion band. I guess they thought that the saxophone was a brass instrument, and when I got in the class, they asked me what I wanted to play. I said "Saxophone," and my teacher told me, "Well, that's a different band class, we'll have to transfer you to second period, rearrange some of your classes." And, well, I actually liked about three of the cute girls that were my other classes. I had some really good classes, so I decided, well, I'll play drums. That'll be fine. My brother's already got a snare, I can do that. So as I played, I just kind of picked up on it naturally. By the end of my seventh grade year, my very first year, I was playing with the ninth grade band and marching with them, and by my third year I was marching with the high school band.

So I went through that pretty quick, and it started naturally for me, and then my first band experience was in high school. I had a high school band. My best friend was my guitarist and lead singer, and his dad was Dwayne Allen, the lead singer with the Oakridge Boys, so that definitely gave us huge avenues to explore our music career. We had studio time. We were the only kids in high school that had two albums out that we sold in the Oakridge Boys fanmail letter, and you know, we really knew a lot by the time we were 17 years old about recording, the industry, publishing. We were all published writers. And that really got me started.

Vic: You've written music?

Ryan: Yeah, I've written lyrics and drum parts that I play. But also, at the same time, my mom also tried to get us in plays at church and tried to get us on stage, and she really pushed us towards entertaining. And I sang one time at church. I was probably nine. This was probably just before I started to play drums, and there was a person there who was putting together a children's group for a kids' album, and she liked my voice so I started singing with that group. We recorded our first album. Got paid pretty good, you know, for a nine or ten year old kid. We then joined a group and we had to play out and to play live gigs, and we ended up playing at "Twitty City."

Vic: Say that again.

Ryan: Twitty City? Conway Twitty's house. That's in Hendersonville, Tennessee.

Vic: Oh, okay.

Ryan: We ended up singing with him there, so that was another big advantage to being around the music business and seeing a lot of what's going on and meeting a lot of people.

Then, I guess somewhere around puberty, I lost the really good tones in my voice. I don't sing lead hardly at all, but I will sing backups and I will teach people to sing, because I know my notes and I know my music, but that's when I guess singing sort of turned to drums. So that probably helped me as well. Anyway, I've been involved in being on stage and entertaining for, goodness, 18 years now. So it's sort of what I've always wanted to do and what I've always done.

Vic: What sort of music do you play?

Ryan: I play all kinds of music. I love just about every kind of music that's ever been made. You know, I truly appreciate all good music. My favorite is probably rock-n-roll. I was raised with 80's rock-n-roll: Kiss, Bon Jovi, Skidrow, Rolling Stones, Arrowsmith, stuff like that. But I also like funk - I like 70's funk a lot. Something with a good beat, that's great drumming music. I like country because I was raised around the Oakridge Boys, and we got to play with the Oakridge Boys on the road when we'd go on tour with them. You know, I got to play 300,000 person venues with them. So you can't help that being one of your favorite types of music. Everything pretty much, but rock-n-roll is really where I want to make my career.

Vic: Do you have a band right now?

Ryan: I am currently working on getting into a band. I give drum lessons out of my house. I've got about 12 students right now. Which really helps because I can work out of the house and be around my daughter - I always want to be around her as much as possible. But I am working on a project right now.

Vic: I think you mentioned to me that you have a CD deal going.

Ryan: Yeah, there is already a demo CD out, and we're shopping it around and trying to get different label interest. I foresee having a record deal hopefully within a year.

Vic: That's wonderful!

Ryan: Let's hope so!

Vic: I'd like to thank you very much, Ryan, for spending time with us. You are a very romantic person. We wish you all the success in the world.