 After dropping out of high school, he took lessons from Bert Wilson, a jazz saxophonist known for his facility with the altissimo register.Other than those lessons, he is self-taught on saxophone.In the 1970s and early 1980s, he led the horn section for Tower of Power, a popular session band that backed many musicians in multiple genres, from Elton John to musicians in soul music, rhythm and blues, and funk.