An Athlete and a Musician

Despite his success on the court, Tisdale never forgot his first love: music. Known to bring his bass guitar along for away games, Tisdale spent every free moment on the road meeting musicians and visiting jazz clubs.

While he initially had trouble convincing others to take him seriously as a musician, he was encouraged by his family and friends, including his mentor, noted producer, composer, and arranger Marcus Miller, to persevere and pursue his dream.

Tisdale began recording studio albums while still working as a full-time athlete in 1995. His debut album Power Forward (1995) reached no. 4 on the Billboard Jazz chart.

"Since playing the bass is not as physically demanding as an 82-game NBA season, Wayman Tisdale says the music he set aside as a youth likely will become more important in the coming years.

For now, he says, the two complement each other nicely.

'For me, Wayman Tisdale, not having one of them would make me feel that there was a void in my life,' he told the Tulsa World. 'I've been able to balance the two; if I'm not doing well in one of them, the other one kind of comes up and pats me on the back.'"

Associated Press, Tuesday, June 13, 1995. Chickasha Daily Express.