SALISBURY — Music is a friend of Bob Wingate’s.

“My guitar and my music are one of my best friends,” he shared when telling of his recently released album and the fact that music, which has been a part of life for a very long time, is definitely more than a hobby, but also not a career.

His first album, titled ‘just wingin’ it,’ contains six original songs, all written by Wingate of Salisbury, and offers an equal mix of vocals and instrumentals as well as having a mix of genres, ranging from folk, jazz, blues, pop and rock gospel.

Two of the songs, Wingate said, were written in his rocking chair on his front porch, telling stories of events that were taking place while he sat and watched his surroundings.

“Squirrel’s World,” he noted, came about after watching the dozen plus squirrels run around the yard, climb trees and make their way across nearby telephone lines.

The second, “Set Me Free,” is like a prayer that he wrote at night in the middle of a thunderstorm as he watched the lightning.

Because of the fun, encouraging nature of his music, Wingate said he felt that people would enjoy listening to the songs.

“I think most of it is upbeat, some of it’s funny and it’s great for families, no profanity,” he said, and, in addition, he’s made it affordable to purchase.

Featured on the album with Wingate, who provides vocals and plays guitar, are Craig Malz on bass guitar and Mike Amico, who plays guitar, synthesizer, drums and percussion.

Amico is also one of the engineers of the project, along with Eddie Snuggs at SNUG Records, who mastered the album.

An additional person who has played an important role in completing this project is his dad, Bob Wingate Sr., who passed away about eight years ago, but who “encouraged me in my music,” he said.

While he didn’t get the album out in time to share with his dad, Wingate did note that it is dedicated to his dad and “it’s certainly in his honor. If he were with us, he would be ecstatic. He would love this! He is an amazing person to me.”

He shared that it was his dad who invited the late Dick Jones, a local folk guitarist, to their home. Wingate said he thought his dad met him at Trexler Brothers Men’s Store, which he managed for about 40 to 45 years. He wanted Jones to come “specifically to play for me to see if I would have any interest in playing guitar.” Eight years old at the time and listening to the Beatles then, Wingate said he “wasn’t really looking for somebody else to give me the incentive to do something. It had to come from within.”

At the age of 17, his interest in music changed when he got involved in a youth group and saw these 10 guys on stage playing guitar before the service. He decided he wanted to learn to play, and went to the music store and purchased a guitar and started learning.

He basically taught himself, only having four lessons, which were about 30 years into his playing. 

“Four lessons don’t teach you a whole lot,” he added, so he would say yes, he taught himself.

Wingate has now been playing for 51 years and since that time has written hundreds of songs with 40 or 50 that he said he would keep, the rest are projects or throwaways he noted.

This album was a dream of his, one that he shared during a men’s group where he met a guy who played bass and would eventually be on the album.

I said to him, “this is a dream of mine, and if you ever meet someone that is involved in recording and they give me a good deal and work with me, let me know.” 

His dream came true with the recording done in three days and he has spent the next nine months, he said, putting it together and getting it out now here at Christmastime.

Wingate said he procrastinated getting it done, but he chose this particular time to follow through because he “wanted it for so long….and also looking around at so many music friends that were putting out album after album, I said if they can do five or 10 albums, I can do one.”

Wingate said that he has multiple avenues people can use to get his music. People can download the album for $5 at bobwingate.bandcamp.com or purchase either a CD or a USB flash drive, each for $10. The drive has two formats on it, a WAV file and an MP3, he noted. For more information, email him at bob.wingate@gmail.com.

With one album complete, Wingate said, he definitely sees another album in his future and his encouragement to other musicians who have not gotten their music out there yet, he said he would tell them, “go for it.”

His next chapter, he said, is he would like to write a book or two. He shared that he does lots of writing while sitting on his porch and likes to write, whether it be songs or just writing.

While Wingate noted that how the title of the album came about is a cute story, there is more to it.

It all began while working with an engineer that he met through the men’s group he was attending. They were preparing to track a song and the engineer looked over at him and asked if he was ready to start.

I said, “yeah, I’m just wingin’ it,” to which he said, ‘that’s your album title.”

But, Wingate continued, “I really think this was orchestrated like it’s almost meant to be and I think in that sense it’s not wingin’ it. It’s like a destiny for me. I have fulfilled one of my dreams. I believe that any abilities and musical talent is a gift from God and ultimately, for his glory.”