Carl Wayne might know a thing or two about following your passion since he started chasing his at just five years old. That’s when he uncovered a set of hot pink sparkling drums in the family attic. Nearby was an old box spilling over with old photographs of two young guys in a band playing their hearts out. The faces in those photos — Carl learned later — were his dad and his Uncle Bill. And while Carl Wayne’s dad didn’t stay around to raise or mentor him in music, the sheer joy captured in those photos lit a fire in that five-year-old that ignited his soul.

A born and bred Virginia boy, Carl Wayne soon started entertaining kids in the cul-de-sac. Later, he and his twin brother or friends became the kings of the talent shows and sock hops. Growing up, he spent weekends laying on the floor in front of his mom’s living room stereo console. He wore out the vinyl (and the neighbor’s patience) on every record from Elvis to Elton, Van Halen to Donna Summer, and Kiss to Glen Campbell.