A native of Los Angeles, he started his career at an early age listening and singing along to his parents' recordings of Hank Williams, Sr., Dean Martin, Lefty Frizzell, and Elvis. By high school he was playing in cover bands and was soon a regular sitting in with the house band at the legendary Palomino Club. Initially, Intveld worked with his younger brother Ricky and friend Pat Woodward in a band known as the Rockin' Shadows. The group dissolved