IT’S A LONG CLIMB TO THE MIDDLE – The Autobiography of Tad Sisler – by Tad Sisler

Throughout his notable career, prolific composer, lyricist, author, entertainer, producer and filmmaker Tad Sisler experienced amazing triumphs and profound tragedies. His climb through the entertainment industry planted him firmly in the middle. During his incredible journey he raised and mentored eleven children, lost his wife to an accidental overdose, agonized over the murder of his young stepsister, lost another sister to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and endured other hardships that could have crushed him, but instead he used these personal traumas as reasons to keep climbing. Tad’s exceptional, candid and transparent story is proof that, with persistence, optimism and faith, it is possible to overcome all obstacles.

Throughout his notable career, prolific composer, lyricist, author, entertainer, producer and filmmaker Tad Sisler experienced amazing triumphs and profound tragedies. His climb through the entertainment industry planted him firmly in the middle. During his incredible journey he raised and mentored eleven children, lost his wife to an accidental overdose, agonized over the murder of his young stepsister, lost another sister to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and endured other hardships that could have crushed him, but instead he used these personal traumas as reasons to keep climbing. In this remarkable recollection of a journey through an extraordinary life, Tad Sisler recounts working for Frank Sinatra as a young man, opening for a slew of headliner artists, promoting stadium concerts, composing feature-film scores, filming documentaries, writing books and screenplays, writing, performing and recording thousands of songs with iconic artists, and performing as a band leader, pianist, keyboardist and singer while meeting and befriending quite a few legends along the way. Meanwhile, he found meaning and extracted valuable life lessons while cherishing his role as a son, brother, husband, father and eventually a grandfather. Illustrated with hundreds of photos and articles from various stages of his history, Tad’s exceptional, candid and transparent story is proof that with persistence, optimism and faith, it is possible to overcome any obstacle.

Prolific Composer, Lyricist, Author, Entertainer, Producer and Filmmaker Tad Sisler experienced amazing triumphs and profound tragedies throughout his notable career. Tad’s exceptional story is proof that, with persistence, optimism and faith, it is possible to overcome all obstacles. Tad has a storied career – working for Frank Sinatra as a young man – opening for a slew of Headliner Artists – Promoting Stadium Concerts – Composing Feature-Film Scores – Shooting Documentaries – Penning Books & Screenplays – Writing, Performing & Recording thousands of songs with Iconic Artists – Performing as a Band Leader, Pianist, Keyboardist and Singer on countless events – he met and became friends with quite a few legends along the way. On a personal level, Tad endured his father’s alcoholism and his parents’ divorce as a child, and later his stepsister’s murder and his wife’s untimely death, somehow finding meaning and extracting valuable life lessons through his odyssey while cherishing his role as a son, brother, husband, father and eventually a grandfather. Tad received accolades in 2011 after being given the honor and challenge of doing the “official” remake of the iconic “Andy Griffith Theme” for the estate of the composer Earle Hagen as a perfect sound-alike, along with his composing associate Andrew Fraga, Jr. Following a stint composing for a series entitled “Famous Families” on Foxstar and working as assistant to composer Jeff Edwards on the television series “Silk Stalkings” and “Renegade” in the late 1990’s, Tad Sisler and founded & developed the Mainstream Source corporation, starting with a production music catalog, containing thousands of high-quality music tracks available for sync licenses in film, television and advertising in more than 150 genres. Under the careful direction of Tad Sisler, the Mainstream Source music division continues to grow to include countless, unique performances by Grammy winners and legendary artists. Most recently, Mainstream Source handled Music Supervision on “The Encore Of Tony Duran”, & on “American M.C.”, “The Ghosts of Brewer Town”, “Tis’ The Season”, the “Journey To an Extraordinary Life” series, the “It’s Everyone Else Who Has A Problem!” series, & placing music on NBC, ABC/Disney, Warner Brothers Television, TNT, US National Infomercial campaigns through Guthy/Renker and Script To Screen, & custom composing for the TV and Advertising industry. Prior to Tad’s experience founding and building Mainstream Source, he produced a series of live headliner events at multiple venues from the ground up, including sold-out performances by Kenny Rogers, Earth, Wind & Fire, Los Lobos, Glen Campbell, The Righteous Brothers, Lou Rawls, Tito Puente, the Power Jam featuring Timmy T, Tara Kemp, Candyman, Soul To Soul & more. As a very young man, Tad Sisler worked as a performer for Frank Sinatra, studied music in choreography under world-famous Broadway Dancer/Choreographer Jacque D’Amboise, received superior ratings in classical piano performance in tough Joanna Hodges international competitions, and received private acting lessons from Richard Burton, a friend of his family. Tad attended the prestigious Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts on vocal music scholarships during the period when it was affiliated with the University of Southern California. In High School, Tad was one of 100 statewide vocalists elected to the prestigious All-State Choir in Missouri. During his storied career, Tad has also had the honor of performing with and working among such greats as Gladys Knight, Rita Coolidge, B.B. King, Marilyn McCoo, Johnny Mathis, Kenny Rogers, Tito Puente, Sonny and Mary Bono, Gene Barry, Teri Cole Whittaker, Shecky Greene, Peter Marshall, Mary Hart, Blackwell, Herb Jeffries, Trini Lopez, Glen Campbell, Jennifer Hudson and other legends. Tad is proud and humbled to be a voting member of the Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. Many of his works have been placed into Grammy consideration