Born and raised in East Tennessee until the age of 10 and thereafter in St. Louis, MO, Joel heard his first awesome hi-fi from his less derelict and more affluent fraternity brothers at Southwest Missouri State. Skynyrd and some local boys called The Ozark Mountain Daredevils vied with the Doobie Brothers and Jefferson Starship for their attention.
After making a name for himself as a stage actor and putting the hurt on Snake Plissken in Escape from New York, he moved to Hollywood. After four or five years of semi-regular work in soaps, some prime-time TV, and starring in the cult film American Drive-In, he started a family and semi-retired from acting. He soon found another noble profession that he did not hate: Selling hi-fi.
He has two fine sons and lives near Upscale Audio in Upland with his high-school sweetheart.
Three On-Repeat-for-Life Albums: Tumbleweed Collection by Elton John, Live at the Cellar Door by The Seldom Scene, Beethoven, Symphonies Nos. 7 & 8 by Frans Brüggen and the Orchestra Of The 18th Century