Woody started out playing with the standard fare of piano lessons at age seven, which he
rebelled against. Probably because of the strictness of only reading other people's notes. Not motivated enough by piano, it took a very special Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 to fully grab his attention. That show, of
course, had the historic performances of The Beatles. His life would never be the same. It brought about a seduction that would sustain him through many "dues paying" situations. He's always said to people, who
ask advice about becoming a musician, "If you want to play music, run for your life. But if you have to play music, do it with every fiber of your being!" Woody's musical life is a tribute to that motto.
After seeing The Beatles, Woody was hooked, and began taking guitar lessons. Once
again, that ugly "reading music" beast reared its head, and he rebelled. It would be a number of years before he embraced the advantages brought by being able to sight-read well. But this time his parents only
agreed with his "need not to read" after a conversation with his teacher. Woody's folks had gotten him two Beatles books with chords, and he had stayed up until he learned every tune in those books. His teacher
felt that if THAT motivated him enough to accomplish things, then so be it. So began a constant flirtation with ear training and writing songs; hence, creativity, a perfect breeding ground for a jazz musician. But that
was to happen later. . .
He continued to grow as a musician, The Beatles always a source of inspiration, keeping him a pop enthusiast. He also
continued to play piano on his own terms, picking out melodies, chord changes and writing songs. Eventually, he did give in and started more piano lessons, which he continued off and on through his college years. He
did a number of performances singing with just his guitar for school and party functions. He had one particular experience when he was nine that would come to be known as his "most embarrassing moment." He was to play
at a Hawaiian Luau Prom, which meant he needed to learn a Hawaiian tune. No problem, he thought. Unfortunately, he worked on his Beatles tune that he would end with, but not so much on the other. The night finally came
to perform, and Woody started the tune but couldn't remember how it went. Assuming Woody needed them, the M.C. brought the lyrics out, and the crowd went crazy, thinking it was part of the act. He got through the tune
by sheer perseverance, sang his Beatles song, and walked off stage, crushed. What he learned from the experience was that you always prepare for every aspect of your performance, even if it's something you don't
particularly like. It's made him super critical of his own performance, with a high expectation for "giving your best." It also gave him the beginnings of a comedy career, if he had wanted it (ha-ha.)
Woody's father, Woodrow
Alexander Lingle, Sr., made his career with the United States Air Force. (Woody's Dad: photo, left ) Being an Air Force "brat," means you move every three years or so, and THAT means you learn to adapt to
different situations: another important aspect of a good rhythm section player. Woody was born in Orangeburg, S.C., relocated to Washington, D.C., Itazuke, Japan, Victorville, CA., and at age nine through eleven
(1966- '69) in Columbia, S.C., he got his first taste of playing in a band, and learned "Girls dig musicians!" He asked a friend of his, who had a band, if he could play. That friend was one of the Lawhead brothers,
Allan and Mike, both players. Allan asked Woody what he played, Woody replied "guitar." Allan said they didn't need another guitar player, which prompted Woody to ask what they did need. Allan's reply changed his
musical life . . . they needed a "bass player." Woody agreed to play bass. One small problem - he had no bass! He made do with a Silvertone electric guitar he had, tuning down the low E string a 4th, so he could play
TheRolling Stones "Satisfaction." Actually, the E string was the only string he played for about six months, until he got his first bass, a Hofner Beatle Bass. The crazy method of playing all on one
string had actually given him the benefit of being able to get around pretty well on the instrument, so playing a real four string bass should be a breeze, right? Wrong! Remember the days of very little information
being available? Woody asked the guy at the music store how to tune the bass. He scratched his head, gave him an
"off the
wall" answer, and secured Woody a place forever in the "hall of fame of weird tunings." Woody kept the A string tuned to A, the low E was flat, so he tuned it down to D. The other two strings, normally D and G, he
tuned to . . . you guessed it, well, maybe you haven't . . . B and E, so he could play "Satisfaction." Unfortunately, what this did to the fingerings and string crossings between the A and D strings was quite a
stretch. But, ultimately this worked in Woody's favor, making him quite agile at moving anywhere on the neck. When he finally switched to the right tuning on his first
Fender Jazz Bass, it was a breeze! That first band was "The Regals," and they became primarily a "soul" band. R & B, Soul, and Funk remain an integral part of
Woody's musical makeup, with a little Latin thrown in for spice.
Woody's first real involvement with playing for the Lord was in high school in Dayton, Ohio (1969 -'72.) He played in various
church groups, touring and performing all over the Ohio area, constantly being asked to "fake" songs he didn't know, honing that "ear" once again. He learned a lot about trusting God, and his faith as a Christian
strengthened. He put together a number of bands to help premiere
Christian Musicals that were quite revolutionary for
their time: "Tell It Like It Is," "Life," "Natural High," "Love," and finally, in his senior year in Dayton, "The Carpenter," a huge production with full rhythm section and small orchestra, which Woody rehearsed for
the performance, bringing in many of his pals from school and other bands, to play. At the last minute, before the performance started, the director, Greg Hochstetler, informed Woody that he would have to conduct both
the Chorus and the Band/Orchestra because of a technical lighting problem. He pulled it off somehow, and felt proud of his years with The Crestview Singers.
After seeing The Beatles, Woody was hooked, and began taking guitar lessons. Once
again, that ugly "reading music" beast reared its head, and he rebelled. It would be a number of years before he embraced the advantages brought by being able to sight-read well. But this time his parents only
agreed with his "need not to read" after a conversation with his teacher. Woody's folks had gotten him two Beatles books with chords, and he had stayed up until he learned every tune in those books. His teacher
felt that if THAT motivated him enough to accomplish things, then so be it. So began a constant flirtation with ear training and writing songs; hence, creativity, a perfect breeding ground for a jazz musician. But that
was to happen later. . .
Woody's father, Woodrow
Alexander Lingle, Sr., made his career with the United States Air Force. (Woody's Dad: photo, left ) Being an Air Force "brat," means you move every three years or so, and THAT means you learn to adapt to
different situations: another important aspect of a good rhythm section player. Woody was born in Orangeburg, S.C., relocated to Washington, D.C., Itazuke, Japan, Victorville, CA., and at age nine through eleven
(1966- '69) in Columbia, S.C., he got his first taste of playing in a band, and learned "Girls dig musicians!" He asked a friend of his, who had a band, if he could play. That friend was one of the Lawhead brothers,
Allan and Mike, both players. Allan asked Woody what he played, Woody replied "guitar." Allan said they didn't need another guitar player, which prompted Woody to ask what they did need. Allan's reply changed his
musical life . . . they needed a "bass player." Woody agreed to play bass. One small problem - he had no bass! He made do with a Silvertone electric guitar he had, tuning down the low E string a 4th, so he could play
The Rolling Stones "Satisfaction." Actually, the E string was the only string he played for about six months, until he got his first bass, a Hofner Beatle Bass. The crazy method of playing all on one
string had actually given him the benefit of being able to get around pretty well on the instrument, so playing a real four string bass should be a breeze, right? Wrong! Remember the days of very little information
being available? Woody asked the guy at the music store how to tune the bass. He scratched his head, gave him an
"off the
wall" answer, and secured Woody a place forever in the "hall of fame of weird tunings." Woody kept the A string tuned to A, the low E was flat, so he tuned it down to D. The other two strings, normally D and G, he
tuned to . . . you guessed it, well, maybe you haven't . . . B and E, so he could play "Satisfaction." Unfortunately, what this did to the fingerings and string crossings between the A and D strings was quite a
stretch. But, ultimately this worked in Woody's favor, making him quite agile at moving anywhere on the neck. When he finally switched to the right tuning on his first
Christian Musicals that were quite revolutionary for
their time: "Tell It Like It Is," "Life," "Natural High," "Love," and finally, in his senior year in Dayton, "The Carpenter," a huge production with full rhythm section and small orchestra, which Woody rehearsed for
the performance, bringing in many of his pals from school and other bands, to play. At the last minute, before the performance started, the director, Greg Hochstetler, informed Woody that he would have to conduct both
the Chorus and the Band/Orchestra because of a technical lighting problem. He pulled it off somehow, and felt proud of his years with The Crestview Singers.
