Cortez started playing the guitar when he was 8 years old at the urging of his parents. They also encouraged his singing & songwriting as a means of expressing himself when words could not. He took lessons for about a year & preformed in school talent shows & at private functions. The teenage years were spent absorbing all the different styles of music that he could trying to figure out the musical direction his life would take. One night by complete & utter chance he was watching a re-run of Austin City Limits on PBS. Not knowing if it was luck or fate a skinny young man with a beat up Fender Stratocaster guitar & a big black hat starting playing a song & that was all it took. EC was hooked on the Blues. The very next day EC when out & bought every album he could find that featured his new musical hero Stevie Ray Vaughan. Delving deeper into the music, he went on to discover the artists that inspired the music he was hearing. On & on it went & has been a life long learning experience for him. These days EC spends his time writing & recording music that is inspired by everyday life. While trying to be true to the roots of the music EC often takes the Blues in directions that are different from the standard 12 bar style. Heavily influenced by Cream & Eric Clapton you can hear the British flavor & stylings in the songs he writes & the music he plays.