A Little Bit About Me

I was born February 16th 1961 at Mercy Hospital in Sacramento, California, the son of Laura Joan Bates and James Smyth Yamamoto. (My parents were never married)

My family moved to Portland, Oregon in 1974 and I attended Adams H.S. in NE Portland. I eventually I transferred to Jefferson H.S. in North Portland, the school I like to call, "Where the minority is the majority." I graduated from Portland Night School because I got myself in trouble and was kicked out of Jefferson my senior year of school.

While at Jefferson I studied music and television. Both of which I find useful to this day. I learned to play the saxophone and performed with the stage band and was a roadie for the Sounds of Jefferson Band. In 1974 we traveled to Reno, Nevada to compete in the International Jazz Festival where we won 3^rd place in our class (AA). Television was a passion I had. I learned about production and was able to procure a job at the ABC affiliate in Portland right out of high school.

During my senior year of high school I also emancipated myself; I wasn’t getting along very well with my mother (but who really does?). I worked at Radio Shack as a salesman and living with my ex-girlfriend’s mom. I soon found my own place and then landed the job at KATU Television (more to come on that).