An Evening with Sam Baker

'Sam isn't a singer, so much as a storyteller; that is his charm and his magic.' 'One of the great Texan storytellers.' Sam Baker makes people happy.The characters in his songs face many challenges - alcoholism, car wrecks, racism, drug addiction, a mother's abandonment - but they persevere. Much like Sam himself. In 1986 Sam got caught up in the middle of someone else's war. When a terrorist bomb exploded in his train compartment, he went from being a young, health tourist enjoying Peru with friends to a broken man surrounded by death and dying. Given his injuries he should have died too. But through a series of miracles and coincidences he survived. There were lots of surgeries and the requisite pain pills. When his brain injuries healed, he had to relearn nouns and after his right eardrum was replaced, he regained some hearing. His severely injured hands eventually learned how to play an upside-down guitar. Physically Sam was still recovering, but his life was filled with pills, booze and rage. Then came the voices and messengers that helped him to see that the greatest gift is life itself. He learned about forgiveness. He needed to tell his story. Songs started to flow from that upside-down guitar. Before he knew it, there were CDs, tours around the world, an interview with Terry Gross and awards in Rolling Stone. Sam feels compelled to tell his incredible story - through his music, art, or any means possible - to one person at at time or to thousands from a festival stage. Go in peace. Go in kindness. Go in love.