Occupation: Business OwnerSpouse: Pauline
Children: Shane (daughter)
Mike Sexton
West Hills, CA
Photos - 1969 & 1999
Information - 1999
High School Activities - JV Basketball, Intramurals, Varsity Band, Pep Band, Drum Major, National Honor Society, Junior Class Representative, Yearbook Staff, Hall Guard, Voted #1 "Best Musician" and #2 "Smartest"
Occupation: Business Owner
Spouse: Pauline
Children: Shane (daughter)
Mike wrote the following in 1999:
After completing music degrees at Baldwin-Wallace College (1973) and the University of Illinois (1974), I landed a position in the staff orchestra at the Front Row Theatre in Cleveland. My dream was to be a professional trombone player and I was fortunate enough to work with many performers such as Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett, the Temptations, The Pointer Sisters, Michel LeGrand, Tom Jones, Donna Summer, etc. I did a lot of freelance work in Cleveland from 1974-78 with other groups such as the Ohio Chamber Orchestra, The Cleveland Opera, the Cleveland Orchestra (as an extra), the Ojays, and various commercials.
We moved to Los Angeles in late 1978 because of the film and TV recording work that is done here. Although it sounds real exciting, the business side of Los Angeles is very unforgiving and got old after about 6 years. It became clear that I was going to have to make some changes but I was able to do some great gigs while in the music business here such as for ABC, film recording, TV work and a big band album that was nominated for a Grammy in 1984. (Remember when they used to have LPs?)
After a painful career change in 1984, I spent 2 years "wandering" and finally got back into other areas of the music business with several companies that broadcast original artist music into business as a marketing strategy for the business owners. My experience in having to change my original plans to accomplish my dreams left me with an intense hunger to find a way to start my own business where I could control my own destiny. Over the past number of years I have been able to do just that in a brand new arena called the internet.
With e-commerce changing the way that we live, work and shop, it has proved to be an exciting time to be alive and I now own Sexton Associates. We connect business owners and customers to name brand manufacturers on the net. I specialize in helping independent business owners harness some of that power and create income from this new medium.
It was great to see old friends at the reunion and I hope that all of us never stop chasing those personal dreams that make the trip through this life so worthwhile.
Tom Sheilds reported that Mike died in April, 2006.
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