Dietrich started playing the guitar at a young age. His depth and vocal stylings became the stuff of legend. Once married, Deke began to write songs that.. well, it doesn't really matter. This is the true story of how Dietrich evolved into the great singer/songwriter that he is today. In his own words...

1968
Born in Boston

1972
Chipped my front tooth because I was laughing like a maniac. I spun around and hit my face on a steel box fan, the kind that would shock you when you turned them on or off.

1973
Caught my first delicious small mouth bass. It bent my drop pole. I screamed, dropped my pole and ran off the dock - the land side. My brother brought it in.

Took a headah off of my bike while chasing after an older sister and brother down Grant Street Hill in Needham, MA. I got three stitches in my lip and a McDonald’s milkshake.

Craig Eaton gave me a black eye - all in fun, of course. We were good friends. I mostly lay the responsibility on Bruce Eicher, Craig’s older neighbor who was his manager and referee for the match. The last thing I remember was Bruce yelling “Give him the Big Mac!”

1975
Did a Pete Rose head first slide into second base in my backyard. Problem was second base was a Chinese Apple tree that had a bed bordered by bricks. I put a dent in my skull - blood everywhere. Later, I got my comb caught in the dent. Thankfully, I didn’t comb my hair often back then.

1980
Baseball: As I was just about to catch a high fly ball in the outfield, I stepped in a hole and my glove dropped. The ball bounced right off my forehead. I laughed and cried at the same time.

Later that year, while cast netting from a relief bridge, I almost gave myself whiplash when the net got caught in my braces.

1982
Played football for the Hoover Hawks in Indialantic, Florida. I lasted two practices. The first practice I spent running the mile in under 8 min and chasing my pads all over the field during wind sprints. And the second? Learning to hit and be hit; I was better at the latter. I cracked a lumbar vertebrae.

1990
Bill Spencer clocked me right in the stomach. Well, almost in the stomach with a football when I wasn’t looking. I am sure I would have cried if I could have caught my breath. He did this out of jealousy – just because I had a girl friend and he didn’t. Yes, of course I forgave him and never mentioned the petty little incident to anyone.

1995
Matt Carroll elbowed me in the forehead while we were playing basketball. And he was on my team. Just imagine if I had been on the opposing team.

1997
Kicked a plastic lawn chair in anger (my wife is now helping me with this) and broke my toe.

Caught a trout in the no motorized zone near Cape Canaveral.

2005
Got knocked off a ladder while cutting branches off a Brazilian pepper tree. Took a chunk of flesh out my ankle and received multiple abrasions.