FULL NAME: Stephen Daniel Mason

ALIAS/NICKNAME: "Jerry Lewis Jar"

BORN WHERE AND WHEN: Joliet, IL; July 8, 1975

FAMILY STATS: Mom, Dad, Stepmom, older brother and sister, younger sister

PETS: Border Collie named "Chianti"

FAVORITE LYRIC FROM A SONG: "In the desert, you can't remember your name and there ain't no one for to give you no pain…" (from America's Horse with No Name")

WORD OR PHRASE THAT YOU MOST OFTEN OVERUSE: "Shave Your Back"

FIRST JOB: Walking beans (pulling weeds in miles of soybean fields)

HIDDEN TALENT: Saying a lot of words but not making sense, for hours on end.

MOST EMBARASSING MOMENT: After lots of "cashier/drive-thru" experience at McDonald's, I tried "grill" once and sent up about six Big Macs with no meat.

GUILTY PLEASURE: Chocolate

CURRENTLY IN THE CD PLAYER: Counting Crows' Recovering the Satellites

YOU'VE BEEN HANDED THE KEYS TO A TIME MACHINE, WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO GO FIRST? 1966-1969 Abbey Road Studios

BEST GROSS-OUT STORY: Riding my bike, swallowing a bug

WEDDING DAY MEMORY: Leaving the reception in a gauntlet of people blowing bubbles

MOST ANNOYING HABIT: Biting my nails

FIRST ALBUM: Let It Be by the Beatles

FIRST CHRISTIAN ALBUM: The Choir's Circle Slide

MOST INCREDIBLE DATE: A day at the lake, walking and talking

GOOFIEST THING YOU BELIEVED AS A CHILD: It didn't get better than Peanut Butter Captain Crunch.

WORST TROUBLE YOU GOT IN AS A CHILD: I (with the help of my younger sister) busted a glass case display at a "fine department store."

IF YOU WERE AN ANIMAL, WHAT WOULD YOU BE? A grizzly bear

NUMBER OF MILES ON YOUR ODOMETER: 45,000

BEST ADVICE EVER GIVEN: "Be yourself"

YOU'VE BEEN MADE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE DAY. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? Fly around the world on the taxpayers' money in Air Force One.

WRITE YOUR EPITAPH: He lived, he loved, he died. He's in Heaven not because of his good works, but because of God's grace and unconditional love.

BEST PRACTICAL JOKE PLAYED ON YOU: My bachelor party. Enough said.

WHAT PRODUCT WOULD YOU DEFINITELY ENDORSE IF ASKED? Starbucks Coffee

CARTOON CHARACTER THAT REMINDS YOU OF YOU: Ren & Stimpy

FOOD YOU REFUSE TO EAT: Brussel Sprouts

DREAM ROLE IN A MOVIE: Harrison Ford in Patriot Games

MOST MEMORABLE MEETING: Carole King at a writer's forum

IF YOU COULD SWAP LIVES WITH SOMEONE FOR ONE DAY, WHO'D YOU LIKE TO SWAP WITH? Sting

MOST MEMORABLE CONCERT EXPERIENCE: Peter, Paul and Mary

IF MUSIC WASN'T YOUR CAREER, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'D BE DOING? Loiterer or professional student

SCAR STORY: Under my chin, one-inch scar (slipped in the bathtub at age 3)

FIRST CAR: '81 Plymouth Champ "The Amazing Plastic Car"

DREAM CAR: A car that runs on trash, requires no maintenance

NO. OF FAN LETTERS (OR E-MAILS) ANSWERED MONTHLY: Probably between 50 and 100

BEST GIFT EVER RECEIVED: Homemade chocolate cake with homemade chocolate icing

BEST PRACTICAL JOKE YOU'VE PLAYED ON SOMEONE: Kidnapping Charlie and throwing a surprise birthday party for him

QUESTION NO ONE HAS EVER ASKED YOU BEFORE: "Hey Stephen, stuffing or mashed potatoes?"

ANSWER: STUFFING

FAVES & RAVES

VACATION SPOT: St. Maarten

BOOK: Hungry for Heaven: Rock and Roll and the Search for Redemption by Steve Turner

ALBUM: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hears Club Band by The Beatles

MOVIES: The Court Jester; In the Name of the Father

HYMN: "Be Thou My Vision

FOOD: Creamed corn, crab, mussels

TV SHOW: Seinfeld

BREAKFAST CEREAL: Cinnamon Life

ICE CREAM FLAVOR: Peanut Butter & Chocolate (in a sugar cone)

SEASON: Fall

'70's SITCOM: Chips

SPORTS TEAM: Da Bulls, da Bears, da Cubs

SALAD DRESSING: Caesar

CITY: Chicago, IL

SOAP: Lever 2000

PIZZA: Pineapple and Bacon

FAST FOOD ORDER: Two hard-shell Taco Supremes and one Burrito Supreme

PASTIME: Going to baseball games

HOBBIES: Internet, walks, YMCA, music, travel

BOARD GAME: Scrabble

TOOTHPASTE: Aquafresh

CHILDHOOD TOY: Remote-controlled tank

SCRIPTURE: Romans 5

SHAMPOO: Pantene Pro-V

COMIC STRIP: Dilbert

SONG: "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel

HANGOUT: Barnes & Noble*

*Article transcribed from Release Magazine August/September 1997, page 50.