Amid the world ’ s chaos , confusion , and division , quite a story pierces through the darkness with love , hope , and imagination . Yes , Zoro may be one of the most interesting men in the world today .
He met Lenny Kravitz on the lawn at Beverly Hills High School while pretending to be a new student , introduced Whitney Houston to Bobby Brown , and sat on a plane next to Frankie Valli when the icon shared his “ Jersey Boys ” vision . He traveled with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen on his Octopus , the world ’ s most expensive privately owned yacht , held court with Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 for twenty minutes and was honored at the White House . Jimmy Fallon sang Happy Birthday to him on the set of “ The Tonight Show .”
But before Zoro became one of the world ’ s top drummers who played for everyone from Lenny Kravitz , Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons to Bobby Brown , New Edition , and Lincoln Brewster , he was abandoned by his father at six months of age . As a young boy growing up in the impoverished streets of Compton , California he helped his family move from one apartment to the next with his Radio Flyer wagon . In rural Oregon , he lived in a car and tent with his immigrant mother and six siblings , showered in city parks , rummaged through Goodwill dropoff boxes for his clothes , experienced extreme racism , and raised exotic chickens .
He wanted to play the drums so badly he played with his hands on a cardboard box for his elementary school talent show . But his fate changed while working an after-school job as a janitor at his high school . One day after cleaning the band room he jumped on the drums and secretly wailed away . Unbeknownst to him , the band director who was working quietly in his office recognized his talent and invited him to join all the school bands . That day , a future drumming star was born .
How did Zoro defy the odds ? Faith in God , hard work , and the incomparable love of his immigrant mother , Maria , who raised seven children alone . When Zoro was seven , she knelt beside him , tied her orange silk scarf around his neck , and whispered , “ One day , my precious son , you will do something fantazmical with your life .”
I do believe Zoro may be one of the most interesting men in the world , with the most amazing stories . But he is so much more . In addition to his illustrious music career , he served as a staff pastor at Bayside Church for five years and has ministered the Gospel of Jesus around the globe in every place imaginable for the past forty years . From San Quentin Prison to Grammy and Oscar parties , Zoro is a radical evangelist and teacher who knows his calling and carries it out unashamedly with love and great expectation . I know him to among the most inspiring , encouraging , and passionate people I have ever meet . His story of overcoming is for a time such as this .
[ WM ] Your new memoir is called , Maria ’ s Scarf . Tell us how it came about ?
[ Zoro ] Over the years , I ’ ve entertained friends , fans , celebrities , strangers , and even royalty with the adventures and misadventures of my boyhood . Their response was always the same : “ Your story would make a New York Times Bestseller , a blockbuster movie , and hit television series .” Prompted by their enthusiasm and encouragement , I initially thought I would tell my story to a writer voilà , that would be it . That ’ s not what happened . I realized the book would never have my voice or heart unless I wrote it .
Before writing Maria ’ s Scarf , I had written two motivational books , The Big Gig : Big-Picture Thinking for Success and SOAR ! 9 Proven Keys for Unlocking Your Limitless Potential . Before that , I wrote The Commandments of R & B Drumming , a series of drum instructional books . Still , I knew writing a memoir was more complex , requiring a higher degree of skill I did not possess . But I knew that sharing my story was the best way to inspire others and that ’ s what I wanted to do more than anything .
That burning desire led to me studying the craft for several years . I immersed myself in over 300 books on writing and worked extremely hard to hone my writing chops .
But I guess you could say I was destined to write it because , in one way or another , I ’ ve been writing it all my life . At ten , I started a diary that I kept writing in through early adulthood , having no idea I would one day use its contents to pen a part of my memoir .
What began as one-line diary sentences over 50 years ago morphed into short paragraphs and vignettes , then into skeletal chapters that turned into the book . Like all worthwhile endeavors , it was a labor of love that evolved over time . Most importantly , there has been enough distance from the events depicted in my story to see them from the proper perspective . With the passing of decades came the freedom to write with transparency and vulnerability .
[ WM ] How did you remember so many vivid details from your childhood ?
[ Zoro ] My mother was sentimental and loved to share stories of her life in Mexico . Because she treasured nostalgia and memories , I came to value those same ideals . My siblings and I kept our stories alive through continuous reminiscing , a family passion , and a pastime .
I am also fortunate that my brother Bobby has an astonishing memory , recalling details with an uncanny accuracy . So does my older brother , Ricardo . Along with Bobby and Ricardo , I have four other siblings who contributed to retelling the events in the book .
[ WM ] What kind of research did you do to write the book ?
[ Zoro ] Memories have memories of their own . To ensure the story was as close to the truth as possible , I revisited every place mentioned in the book numerous times , stirring up the shadows of my childhood and formative years . Each visit brought more clarity . In addition , I
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