From the moment you sit down with Terry Anderson, one thing is clear: he’s a storyteller.

Whether it’s with guitar chords or his own words, Anderson likes to paint a colorful picture.

“At the heart of it all, I’m just a folksinger,” he said. “And I’ve been lucky enough to have real musicians willing to perform with me.”

Anderson has been a musical staple on Orcas Island since he came here with his guitar in 1978. His band, Dr. Dirty and the Band DuJour, has played at every venue imaginable on Orcas – and all the bars in the San Juans. Anderson started the island’s first teen center, he’s been featured in the local papers at least 20 times, and most recently, he’s been an Orcas Idol judge.

But few people know that he’s been living in Bellevue in his motorhome since last fall, and plans to hit the road next April for a musical tour of America’s motor home parks.

He decided to move to the mainland after part-time work as a computer room cleaner for Seattle corporations turned into a full-time job.

“It seemed like a natural progression to work myself into the mainland,” he said. “I like traveling too. I like the space between gigs to look at valleys and mountains and rivers. I just turned 65, and by next April, when I’m 66, I’ll be on the road.”

Anderson plays rhythm guitar and sings songs from the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

“I really enjoy playing for audiences that like this kind of music, and many people in the motor home parks get my music,” he said. “I also miss the personal interaction of solo shows – that’s why traveling on the road is appealing.”

Anderson was raised in Kirkland, and has no musical training at all.

“I can’t read music and I don’t know what most of the chords are that I’m playing,” he said. Anderson learns each song phonetically. He says he taught himself his first tune, “Scotch and Soda,” by taking a photo of someone playing each chord.

In the 1970s, Orcas was part of his route for his restaurant kitchen cleaning business, “Dr. Dirty and the Steam Machine.” He eventually moved to the island in July of 1978. After playing at the Deer Harbor Inn for just one night, he had gathered a five-piece band.

Since that first gig, Dr. Dirty and the Band DuJour has played at bars, parades, barbecues, ceremonies, parties, and, of course, Orcas Center. He named his group the “Band DuJour” because of the rotating cast of musicians.

“The key to me having the band is that I know a bunch of songs and I have a lot of amazing musicians who make it sound really good,” he said. “I never say no. Anything that has to do with the community, I’ll do.”

He raised his two sons on the island, and they both went into the music business. Eli, who is a rapper in San Diego, recently opened for Tech 9, a well-known rap artist. Jesse is a musician who graduated from the Art Institute of Seattle and is an audio engineer.

“They didn’t have much of a choice,” Anderson said. “They’ve been on stage since they were little, shaking tambourines and dancing.”

Before his sons were born, Anderson quit drinking and altered his life approach. Because he was “aware that alcohol and drugs were a problem on Orcas,” Anderson started a teen center at The Grange, which he says “wasn’t able to support itself, but for a few years it gave kids an alternative.” Anderson and other locals set up a recording studio, pool tables, video games, and held open mic night and dances. He also arranged for off-island bands to play shows in exchange for a free demo tape done in the recording studio.

Anderson is also well-known for his love of duct tape, which he demonstrated during a Christmas concert at Orcas Center years ago. His song “The Perfect Gift” was so compelling that the day after his concert the local hardware store sold out of every package on its shelves. He eventually sold the rights to use the tune to Manco, which is a manufacturer of “Duck” tape.

He penned a second song, “The Duct Tape Junkie Blues,” and still sings about the infamous grey tape at his concerts, where he sells a special package of his CD, a duct tape wallet, and a roll of duct tape.

Although Anderson has been living on the mainland, he returns to Orcas periodically for gigs.

“One of the things about living on Orcas is that you become a part of it and it becomes a part of you,” he said. “It’s like an umbilical cord. So I keep coming back.”

He played at Island Hardware’s Anniversary sale on June 20 (his 28th year of playing there) and will perform on the Deer Harbor dock on July 3 starting at 6 p.m.

Anderson’s favorite song to perform is “Summertime,” which he says “feels really groovy when you’re in it. It’s a sweet, sensual song. Because of the key it’s in, it works for all different kinds of instruments, so we’ve had some amazing jams.”

Anderson says he’s looking forward to “letting go of the working world” when he embarks on his road trip next spring.

“I’ve never put direct effort into music – it’s just been a part of my life. I’m interested to see what will happen when I spend my time just playing.”