Handprints

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In March of 2003, there was a packed lineup that included 38 Special, Loretta Lynn and Joe Nichols.

After more than three decades together, 38 SPECIAL continue to bring their signature blast of Southern Rock to over 100 cities a year. And at each and every show, thousands of audience members are amazed by the explosive power of the band’s performance.

Their many Gold and Platinum album awards stand in testament to the endurance of a legendary powerhouse.

With sales in excess of 20 million, most associate the band with their arena-rock pop smashes, “Hold On Loosely,” “Rockin’ Into the Night,” “Caught Up in You,” “Fantasy Girl,” “If I’d Been the One,” “Back Where You Belong,” “Chain Lightnin’,” “Second Chance,” and more – Timeless hits that remain a staple at radio, immediately recognizable from the first opening chord, and paving the way to their present-day touring regimen.

Guitarist/vocalist DON BARNES says it’s all about maintaining that intensity in their live shows. “We never wanted to be one of those bands that had maybe gotten a little soft or complacent over the years. We’re a team, and it’s always been kind of an unspoken rule that we don’t slack up, we stack up. We go out there every night to win.”

It is that steely determination that lives on in the hearts of these ‘Wild-Eyed Southern Boys.’

Completing the team is keyboardist/vocalist BOBBY CAPPS, drummer GARY MOFFATT, bassist BARRY DUNAWAY and guitarist JERRY RIGGS. For 38 Special onstage, it is a celebration of camaraderie and brotherhood, a precision unit bringing the dedication and honesty to a long history of classic songs, as well as surprisingly fresh new material.

Barnes adds, “This music keeps our wheels on the road. We’re a band that’s tried to stay honest with what has driven us over the years. We started out with nothing but bold determination to make our own history and to endure. Looking back now, it has been our greatest pride to have persevered and attained that level of success and longevity. For us, it’s the ultimate validation.”

Around the fall of 2009, the notion of releasing a new live album started to take precedent. The band felt that their in-concert offering many years before had lacked in sound quality not yet available in the technologically-advanced decade since. Additionally, a need to showcase a new spirit of 38 Special was growing, a band that had matured into a tighter unit after three decades on the road, with an innate ability to read each other on the stage.

Barnes explains, “Back then, we had been rushed to release something quickly without having the luxury of choosing between different performances. It was a single show in the 90’s that had been recorded at a venue where logistics were a real challenge, the weather wasn’t cooperating, and we ended up not entirely satisfied with what we got.

For LIVE FROM TEXAS, we were able to carry our digital recording equipment with us to several cities, and now had our own private studio for remixing. So this was going to be a real pleasure to put together. The crowds were massive and all of those classic songs deserved a chance to shine in an enhanced live fashion. We were finally able to deliver what we represent onstage.”

Their initial idea was to make a live recording available exclusively at the band’s shows, with an eye toward having fans take home a copy to carry on the party. But what they found as they listened back – after gleaning select tracks from various cities across Texas – was a blistering new set with a distinct difference in performance as well as audio quality than years before. It grew into an excitedly motivated plan to make available to the world 38 SPECIAL – LIVE FROM TEXAS, a collectively proud history of a band that has made the road a part of its heritage.

“And the magic’s still there,” adds Barnes. “It’s an emotional high for us to keep ‘bringing it’ after all these years. That’s what you hear on the new live stuff, that sense of urgency and power.”

“When those lights go down and we all walk up those steps to the stage and hear that crowd roar, it’s a real rush to the head. It feels like we’re getting ready to strap ourselves in and it just takes off from there.”

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In 1995, Aaron Tippin came to play on the main stage, and we added his hands to the “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT AARON TIPPIN

Twenty-Five years – a huge career accomplishment, especially in the music business. Aaron Tippin – who marks his silver anniversary as a recording artist this year – admits that he looks at his career longevity with a little bit of amazement.

“I think about it and go ‘Wow. What am I doing still here?’ I look at the flight that we took off in,” referring to his fellow newcomers at the time of his career launch. “A lot of them are gone, it seems. Some quit by choice. Some ran out from under it, but to be here twenty-five years doing it, I am the luckiest hillbilly that ever lived.”

Tippin says that nobody was any more surprised that he got an invitation to join the roster of Nashville powerhouse RCA back in 1990 than him. In fact, at the time he inked his deal, he had almost given up hope of success as a vocalist, concentrating on his budding career as a songwriter – with cuts from the likes of The Kingsmen, Mark Collie, and Charley Pride.

“I thought my chances were gone. I came to town when I was about twenty-five years old. I had been seriously trying to get a record deal for about three or four years. I just thought ‘Man, this ain’t gonna happen.’ I really had settled into songwriting, and my songs started to get recognized. One of the gals down at RCA – Mary Martin heard me singing my demos. She said ‘Who is that?’ They said, ‘That’s that Tippin guy down there who writes for Acuff / Rose – the muscle guy.’ She said ‘That’s hillbilly. That’s country. Let me hear what else he’s got. I want to meet him.”

Aaron recalls that walking into the RCA office to meet with label head Joe Galante definitely had a magical vibe, as well it should. “The label was on fire. Clint Black was on top of the charts, along with the Judds and Keith Whitley. What a great team to fall into there. I’m so thankful that Joe took a chance on me. It sure worked out, and I had a great run there. I remember when he sent me my plastic Nipper dog and my Varsity Jacket. I couldn’t believe it.”

He also couldn’t believe that his first single, “You’ve Got To Stand For Something,” hit the Billboard Country Singles chart – eventually peaking at # 6. The success of that record also brought him a career opportunity that completely blew his mind. “When the song started to get played in Los Angeles, we got a call from Bob Hope’s daughter Linda. She heard the song and asked if I’d be interested in going over and entertaining the troops. It didn’t take him long to give her an answer. “I said ‘Are you kidding me? Bob Hope? I never in a zillion years dreamed I would be on the Bob Hope show.”

And, just like that, Aaron Tippin was off to the races. The hits continued to pile up – “There Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong With The Radio,” “My Blue Angel,” and “Workin’ Man’s Ph.D.,” among them. He was building his brand on songs that touched a nerve with his blue-collar audience – and that one-of-a-kind vocal style that definitely was Country. “You either liked it or you hated it. I is what I is,” he says with a smile. “I think several times during my record career, we tried to change and follow trends and stuff. But, it never seemed to work for me. The most success I had in the business was with songs that I crafted. I’m very proud of that. I think it makes a fan able to identify with me easier because these songs are about me – my life, who I am, and how I was raised. I tell people I get recognized a whole lot faster in a truck stop than I do in my tuxedo walking into the back of the Opry. You better check my credentials when I have a tuxedo on because it don’t look right.”

That’s not to say that Tippin was a one-trick pony. His 1995 smash “That’s As Close As I’ll Get To Loving You” showcased a more dramatic side to his vocal approach, something that continued into his next label affiliation – as the flagship artist for Lyric Street Records.

“Everybody saw that with ‘That’s As Close As I’ll Get To Loving You’ that I could do other things. So, when they were pitching songs to Aaron Tippin, it was with a lot broader range. A lot of times, it would be songs that I particularly couldn’t write. It was a new place for my career, and to kick things off at a new label – I think it was a big success,” he recalls of “For You I Will,” his debut single for the label.

Signing with Lyric Street was like a family reunion for Tippin, with many people he had worked with before – such as Greg McCarn, Randy Goodman, Doug Howard, and Kevin Herring, as well as promotional guru Dale Turner – who had helped to build the Tippin brand at RCA. “I was happy to be one of the first people they signed. I enjoyed my time there as well.”

Another important piece of the Tippin story is his wife – and business partner Thea. “She is as much Aaron Tippin as I am,” he says. “She’s only six months behind me in my record deal. I signed with RCA, and then six months later, I signed with Narvel Blackstock and Trey Turner. She was Trey’s assistant, so she started working the Aaron Tippin career six months after it started. She’s got as much stake in this game as I do. She saw me at my lowest days, stood right there, and stayed – even when things weren’t great, and I wasn’t having hit records. She listened to me whine all through it all. I owe her everything.” It’s not just his 25th anniversary as a recording artist in 2015 that Tippin is celebrating, but also his and Thea’s 20th anniversary as husband and wife, as well. Family is the center of Tippin’s universe – with two teenage sons, Ted and Tom, a grown daughter, Charla, and a granddaughter.

As the new millennium dawned, Tippin returned to the top of the charts with “Where The Stars And Stripes And Eagle Fly,” a song that became part of the American soundtrack during the aftermath of 9/11. “I wanted to talk to Americans about who we are at heart and the fact that when the going gets tough, that’s when we really stand up. We may have a lot of differences when everything is calm and fine, but when it hits the fan, I think we’re the best in the world at sticking together, and rallying around the cause. That song served that purpose very well. I wanted us to be proud as Americans, and get back on with living free.”

In the past decade, Tippin has recorded several musically diverse projects – including a well received 2009 truck driving album, In Overdrive. He also partnered with restaurant chain Cracker Barrel for the release He Believed. To celebrate his 25th-anniversary making records, he plans to celebrate in a big way. “We’re looking at putting together a project that has ten old songs, ten new ones, and five recordings that you never thought you would hear Aaron Tippin do. We’ll probably do some big band stuff, like “The Way You Look Tonight” – that’s a song I love. Thea and I love Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Tony Bennett. Her dad was a jazz and big band guy. That was our dance song at the wedding. I would also love to do a little bit of bluegrass – most people probably don’t know that I came from bluegrass back in Traveler’s Rest, SC, where I grew up. Nobody’s ever heard me do any Gospel, so this gives me a chance to do that. I grew up in the south, so southern rock is big in my world. I’d like to take a shot at some of that. I don’t know what the fifth cut is going to be. We’ve got the hits cut, and we’re fine-tuning the new ones. We just want to make sure that it’s everything I want it to be, It’s important to me because I don’t know if I will make fifty years or not!”

And, of course, another place where Aaron Tippin will be celebrating such a notable milestone is on the road. The singer still delights in that hour and a half performing on the stage – and those who come out to see him. But don’t call them “fans” – he thinks of them as family. “They have been so great to me over the years, and they’re still coming out to the shows. That’s why I still sign autographs every night. I just want to get out there and shake their hand and give them a big hug – just to say thank you. They’re not strangers anymore – they’ve been coming for twenty-five years.”

The Aaron Tippin 25th Anniversary Celebration promises to be an unforgettable year of music and fun – After all, he ‘wouldn’t have it any other way,’ would he?

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Fort Worth proclaims January 16  “Aaron Watson” Day. To commemorate the special occasion, he partners with Billy Bob’s Texas to raise more than $10,000 to support Fort Worth homeless population. Watson is inspired by the book Same Kind of Different as Me by local author, Ron Hall.

ABOUT AARON WATSON

Aaron Watson’s career is perhaps summed up best by Forbes, who says he’s “one of country music’s biggest DIY success stories.”

For the past 20 years, Watson has achieved success on his own terms, hand-building a lauded career through songwriting, relentless touring, and more than a dozen self-released albums. His independent Texas spirit and strong work ethic are emblematic of the western lifestyle; virtues that have taken him from humble honky-tonks of Texas to multiple sold-out tours around the world.

In 2019 he released Red Bandana  — “his most ambitious album yet” (Taste of Country) —whose 20 songs were hailed by The Boot as “a pure expression of his traditional country ethos.”

This unprecedented acclaim follows Watson’s previous album, Vaquero, whose Top 10 hit “Outta Style” earned a BMI Millionaire award, and The Underdog, the first independent album in the history of country music to top the Billboard Country Albums chart.

With a dozen additional records under his belt, Watson is exceeding major-label-sized metrics while maintaining his independence, further galvanizing his “Texas country’s reigning indie underdog” (Rolling Stone) brand.  “There may be no more genuine singer-songwriter at the moment than Watson,” says Texas Monthly, pointing to a self-made businessman, chart-topper, and road warrior whose authenticity has made him a country music staple.

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On February 7, 1992, Alabama rocked the main stage and cemented their hands on the “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT ALABAMA

It’s been 40 years since a trio of young cousins left Fort Payne, Alabama, to spend the summer playing in a Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, bar called The Bowery. It took Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry and Jeff Cook six long years of tip jars and word of mouth to earn the major label deal they’d been dreaming of, but then seemingly no time at all to change the face of country music.

ALABAMA is the band that changed everything. They reeled off 21 straight #1 singles, a record that will probably never be equaled in any genre. They brought youthful energy, sex appeal and a rocking edge that broadened country’s audience and opened the door to self-contained bands from then on, and they undertook a journey that led, 73 million albums later, to the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S:

Alan Jackson is inspired to write his hit song “Dallas” after he plays to an enthusiastic crowd. According to his liner notes on his greatest his album, “After that show, he wishes Dallas was in Tennessee.”

Kubota celebrates its 40^th anniversary with a special performance by Alan Jackson. One lucky employee walks away with a $20,000 ruby.

ABOUT ALAN JACKSON

At a time when country music is as much hip-hop and pop as anything, it makes sense that Alan Jackson would emerge with an album that has the same cleansing quality as “Here In The Real World” all those years ago. Having weathered every trend, seen “superstars” come and go, the soft-spoken legend returns with Where Have You Gone, a twin-fiddle’n’steel survey of real country. Classic songwriting that exhumes sorrow, love, life, loss, cheating, drinking, the South, wanting, children growing up and parents dying, these 21 songs are a witness to what country music was born from and will always be.

“It’s a little harder country than even I’ve done in the past,” Jackson concedes. “And it’s funny, I was driving out here where I live and was listening to the final mixes, just listening to what Keith (Stegall, his longtime producer) sent me, and I started to tear up. I was surprised to get so overly emotional, but I just love this kind of music. It’s what I’d always wanted to do.”

When Alan Jackson broke the country charts wide open with “Here In The Real World,” his unadorned classic country was a stark reminder of how gut-wrenching a simple song can be. With the chorus closing revelation, “The one thing I’ve learned from you/ is how the boy don’t always get the girl/ here in the real world,” the future Country Music Hall of Famer deployed the kind of vulnerability only a strong man of deep dignity can. Tall, thin, quiet, Jackson hadn’t come to save country music in 1990. But, somehow, that’s what happened. In the world of jacked up, arena-ready Nashville, Alan Jackson stood as a voice where bruised hearts, small pleasures, words written in red and easy good times were strung like laundry on lines of steel guitar, fiddle and a Telecaster that evoked Merle Haggard, George Jones, and Buck Owens.

Entertainer of the Year. Grammy winner. Headliner. Thirty-five #1s. Enduring hits, including “Don’t Rock the Jukebox,” “Chattahoochee,” “Gone Country,” “Remember When,” “Drive (for Daddy Gene),” “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow,” “Where I Come From,” “Wanted,” “Little Man,” “Who’s Cheatin’ Who,” “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” with Jimmy Buffett and “Murder on Music Row” with George Strait. And when America was stunned in the aftermath of 9/11 and the World Trade Center falling, it was Jackson who took the stage at “The CMA Awards” and in his quiet way expressed the confusion and grief of the entire nation with, “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning).” Once again, he delivered for a country that couldn’t find the words: simple, straightforward and hollow without buckling as only the greatest country songs can be.

“It’s been way too long since you slipped away
I just can’t forget, I can’t pretend it’s okay
No other one could ever replace you
So I’ll keep on believing and dreaming of you…”
>– “Where Have You Gone”

Alan Jackson, more than any artist of the modern era, understands the power of a song to cut loose to, shed tears to, reckon your mistakes to, even marry your daughters to. When it finally came time to go into the studio, those songs kept tumbling out. “You’ll Always Be My Baby (Written for Daughters’ Weddings)” is self-explanatory, as is “I Do (Written for Daughters’ Weddings)”; “Beer:10,” and “Livin’ On Empty” pack the same good-timing wallop as many of Jackson’s best loved rompers. “Boats and cars,” he says about the latter. “I’ve gotten so many good songs out of those things, because growing up boats and cars is what I loved to do, I still do. And a lot of the language suits country music.” As for wedding songs, “The first I wrote for Mattie’s wedding, the summer of 2017. But it was so hard to do, I told ’em, ‘I wrote this for all of you. I’m not writing another! The second just came out one day.” But as he allows, “The fun ones for me are always the sad ones, the sadder the better.”

There was – sadly – an awful lot of inspiration since the 2018 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee released Angels & Alcohol. His mother, Ruth Musick Jackson, passed away in 2017, then his son-in-law died in a boating accident in 2018. The album that was underway was shelved, “and I didn’t really feel like making music for a couple years.” He emerged with, “Where Her Heart Has Always Been (Written for Mama’s funeral with an old recording of her reading from The Bible),” one of the most beautiful songs about leaving this world for the next, written for his mother’s funeral. After the recording was mixed, one of Jackson’s four sisters found a recording of “Mama Ruth” reading Scripture, which was added in. “That was sweet. Towards the last few years, she had a scratchy voice. But she was just such a sweet woman, a sweet, sweet lady, so we had to have that on here.”

That raw ache, the quiver at the very edge of the moment that made Jones’ country so consuming, defines the haunted “Way Down in My Whiskey,” while the lamenting “Wishful Drinkin’” with its piano flourishes and vivid images marinates in a chorus truth of “wishin’ you had never left and drinkin’ ‘cause I’m the reason you won’t stay.” With a mandolin-driven “Chain,” Jackson draws on Hank Williams’ blues for a song from a man who can’t let go of what’s gone.

“Merle and George and Hank,” Jackson intones. “A lot of young people liked that music when I was growing up, but it felt like nobody was making it. Somebody had to go to Nashville to make that kind of country. Randy (Travis) did and was great. But real country music is gone. It feels like 1985 again, and somebody has to bring it back. Because it’s not just 50-year-old people, it’s 20- and 25-year-olds. They have a real ear for country music, because it is real and genuine. They know the difference, and you can’t fake those things.”

“But I can be that whiskey in your bottle
I can be that smile that takes away your tears
I can be that place you just want to run to
I can be that something to get you through…”
— “I Can Be That Something”

To hear the giddy “Back,” a quick “Subterranean Homesick Blues” tumble through everything country life is, the ’67 Telecaster romance sparked “Where The Cottonwood Grows,” the elegant heartbreak salvage “I Can Be That Something” with its gentle invitation is to understand how much life true country music contains. It’s not bumper stickers or emojis, but a 100 proof distillation of a way of living.

“When I write, I visualize back home and growing up,” he admits. “I say this, ‘Real country songs are life and love and heartache, drinking and Mama and having a good time, kinda like that David Alan Coe song.’ But it’s the sounds of the instruments, too. The steel and acoustic guitar, the fiddle, those things have a sound and a tone – and getting that right, the way those things make you feel, that’s country, too.”

Jackson and Stegall rounded up many of the players who helped Jackson forge his ’90s modern traditional sound. Guitarist Brent Mason, drummer Eddie Bayers, bluegrass icon Stuart Duncan, steel legend Paul Franklin, as well as Gary Prim on keyboards, JT Corenflos and Rob McNelley on electric guitars, Scotty Sanders on dobro and steel and Glenn Worf, Dave Pomeroy and John Kelton sharing bass duties. “The playing was just exceptional; they played their rear ends off. It knocked me over the playing was so good.”

The feeling was mutual. Jackson explains, “I don’t know how many of them came up to me, saying, ‘I can’t tell you how good it feels to play on a real country song.’ We always cut live. I’ll go in and sing six or seven times while they’re figuring (the dynamics) out. Listening in the booth, the fiddle and steel stuff just about killed me.”

“’Cause if you’re gonna leave me, just pack up and go
There are just some things, A man don’t need to know
And I don’t wanna hear, What’s going through your head
Just take out your lipstick and write it in red…”
— “Write It In Red”

The cheater confronting “Write It In Red” with its slow cascade of fiddle and pools of steel bears that out. An adult male looks at the woman doing him wrong, acts like a man and tells her to get on with it. “You don’t hear songs like that anymore, especially when it’s the woman doing wrong. That never happens, so I wasn’t sure. I use Keith to guide me a little bit, because when you write, you’re too close to it. Sometimes he’ll say, ‘We can cut it and see how it sounds..’ So, we did.” Pausing, he now enthuses, “And it feels… incredible.”

Having written 15, found five from friends including nephew Adam Wright, who contributes the bar wisdom “The Boot” and the philosophical “The Older I Get,” co-written with Hailey Whitters and Sarah Turner, there’s a lot of life and a lot of wonder on Where Have You Gone. It’s a surprise not lost on the 60,000,000+ selling artist.

“I never felt the need to chase anything different than I did. I just did what I liked and was lucky enough to connect with people who love the same kind of country music I do. My heart was in the real country music, that was what I wanted to do, and I thought if my career lasts three or four years, I’d be happy.”

He may joke about being labeled “Merle Haggard on milk” coming up, but Jackson was true to the country that mattered to him. He’s also honoring his influence’s influence with a tender rendering of “That’s the Way Love Goes (A Tribute to Merle Haggard)” which evokes the title track of Hag’s 1983 album. “I’d heard that Haggard cut it for Lefty Frizzell, to honor him,” Jackson explains, “I’d been wanting to do the Haggard song for so long. With everything this album was, it just seemed to be the time.”

With playing so good, songs so classic, his time spent in grief lifting, Jackson, Stegall and the players found themselves waist deep in great songs. Following his longtime producer’s notion to “cut it and see how it sounds,” they suddenly realized they’d amassed more songs than a single project could contain. “There was some discussion of ‘Let’s do a double album, but do it one disc, then a second,’” Jackson remembers. “Sometimes it can be too much. If it’s a lot stuff, it can overwhelm. But the more we talked, the more I realized: people are hungry for this, and I want these songs to stand together.”

Though they barely did get by, I never saw them cry
They said when things get rough, You gotta pick yourself up…”
— “A Man Who Never Cries”

“You listen to these songs, and you realize these things are true. ‘The Older I Get’ sounds like where I am in my life, what I’ve learned and how I feel. “A Man Who Never Cries’ makes you cry. Denise (his wife of 42 years) said, ‘A lot of those lines are you, but you do cry.’ Truth is I’m pretty emotional, and I cry maybe more than she does, but it’s really about when those tears are shed.”

That emotion stains “Things That Matter” and “This Heart of Mine.” It echoes on “I Was Tequila,” a heartbreak reflection on worlds colliding, a stubborn man and the recognition some things can’t be; mirroring his very first single, the jovial optimistic “Blue Blood Woman (Redneck Man),” he looks back on what was lost – and what it truly means now that there’s been time to reflect.

“I know I’ve changed, but I’m still pretty much the same person who came to Nashville all those years ago. I still eat beans and cornbread. I fool with my cars, and I like to go outside and watch the sunset. I fool with my cars, and I like to go outside and watch the sunset…things I did when I was 20 years old. My heart’s still there. I still think like that, have those values. That’s how I was raised, so those things don’t change. I kept what I love and believe in.”

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On New Year’s Day in 2001, Andy Griggs cemented his hands for our “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT ANDY GRIGGS

Andy Griggs often says his influences in music are like a pot of gumbo. Growing up in Monroe, LA, he was raised on Jerry Lee Lewis, Jimmy Swaggert, Waylon, Bill Monroe, hardcore blues, and hardcore rock’n roll, sprinkled with a touch of jazz. He often says, “there is no defining a style of song. As long as there’s soul, it has a place in music.” Andy moved to Nashville in 1995 after a childhood life of major mountains and valleys. Music was such a huge inspiration in his young life that it helped him grieve. And he did plenty of that. His father, the praise and worship leader at their church, died from a brain tumor when Andy was 11 years old. His brother Mason, his only sibling took the baton of music and ran with it. Throughout their teenage years, Mason was Andy’s hero. Mason died at the early age of 21 from heart complications that he had had since birth. Andy grabbed that same baton and he quotes, “when I jumped into the pool of music, I jumped into the deep end and never came out.”

After several years of playing in the blue grass band, ‘Jerry and Tammy Sullivan’ Andy found himself a record deal with RCA and exploded with his first single “You Won’t Ever Be Lonely.” After two #1’s, five top 5’s and 4 other top 10’s, Andy came to a musical crossroad in his life…there was something missing. Feeling that his music was only reaching 99% of his capability of releasing his heart and soul, his life was not complete. “My childhood was a rollercoaster ride and so has been my profession as a singer. I’m at that point in my life, where I either want to make a difference with a song and a worn out guitar or I need to find something else to do. I’ve learned that you don’t come to this town and TRY to fit a certain mold. You don’t TRY to fit a certain style. You don’t TRY to sing your heart out. You either DO or you DON’T.” This awakening in Andy’s restless being caused him to start writing most of his songs and producing his own music. “Heck, I don’t know how to produce, I just know what I hear and feel. That’s what I want and that’s what I have to have.” As you listen, to the songs that come out of his voice now, you will realize that he is finally complete and one with his music. Ladies and gentleman, please make welcome to the stage the new, improved, and REAL Andy Griggs.

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April 18^th of 2003,  Asleep at the Wheel’s “Live at Billy Bob’s” album was recorded back to back with the Gatlin Brothers.

ABOUT ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL

Asleep at the Wheel landed a gig opening for Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna in Washington, DC in 1970. At the height of Vietnam, many Americans were using their choice of music to express their stance on the conflict in southeast Asia. “We wanted to break that mold,” said Benson. “We were concerned more with this amazing roots music, which we felt was being lost amid the politics. We were too country for the rock folks and we were too long-haired for the country folks. But everybody got over it once the music started playing.”

A year later, they were coaxed into moving to California by Commander Cody, leader of Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen. But, the band’s big break came when Van Morrison mentioned them in an interview with Rolling Stone “there’s some relatively unknown group around that I really dig. Asleep at the Wheel, they play great country music.” Van Morrison Rolling Stone Interview (1973). The record offers started coming in and The Wheel got rolling.

The musicianship of Asleep at the Wheel has become the stuff of legends. Reuter’s pegged The Wheel as “one of the best live acts in the business.” Taking a page from Bob Wills’ book, the band has constantly toured at a national level throughout its history; with anywhere from 7-15 of the finest players Ray Benson could talk into jumping in the bus to play a string of dates. The alumni roster is well over 80+ members, and includes an impressive list of musicians who have gone on to perform with artists such as Bob Dylan, George Strait, Van Morrison, Lyle Lovett, Ryan Adams, and many more. A quick scan of awards, such as “Touring Band of the Year” (CMAs, 1976) and “Lifetime Achievement in Performance” (Americana Music Awards 2009), not to mention near dominance of the GRAMMY “Country Instrumental” category over the years, reflects the reputation of the band’s musicianship. Ray Benson fell in love with western swing because of its unique combination of elements of American blues, swing and traditional fiddling but also for its demanding musical chops. Western swing is what Benson calls “jazz with a cowboy hat,” is a thrill to hear live, and thanks in large part to the Wheel’s 40+ years of promotion, is a living and creative genre of music today.

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Legendary Bluesman B.B. King places his hands in concrete and joins the Billy Bob’s Wall of Frame.

ABOUT B.B. KING

His reign as King of the Blues has been as long as that of any monarch on earth. Yet B.B. King continues to wear his crown well. At age 76, he is still light on his feet, singing and playing the blues with relentless passion. Time has no apparent effect on B.B., other than to make him more popular, more cherished, more relevant than ever. Don’t look for him in some kind of semi-retirement; look for him out on the road, playing for people, popping up in a myriad of T.V. commercials, or laying down tracks for his next album. B.B. King is as alive as the music he plays, and a grateful world can’t get enough of him.

For more than half a century, Riley B. King – better known as B.B. King – has defined the blues for a worldwide audience. Since he started recording in the 1940s, he has released over fifty albums, many of them classics. He was born September 16, 1925, on a plantation in Itta Bena, Mississippi, near Indianola. In his youth, he played on street corners for dimes, and would sometimes play in as many as four towns a night. In 1947, he hitchhiked to Memphis, TN, to pursue his music career. Memphis was where every important musician of the South gravitated, and which supported a large musical community where every style of African American music could be found. B.B. stayed with his cousin Bukka White, one of the most celebrated blues performers of his time, who schooled B.B. further in the art of the blues.

B.B.’s first big break came in 1948 when he performed on Sonny Boy Williamson’s radio program on KWEM out of West Memphis. This led to steady engagements at the Sixteenth Avenue Grill in West Memphis, and later to a ten-minute spot on black-staffed and managed Memphis radio station WDIA. “King’s Spot,” became so popular, it was expanded and became the “Sepia Swing Club.” Soon B.B. needed a catchy radio name. What started out as Beale Street Blues Boy was shortened to Blues Boy King, and eventually B.B. King.

In the mid-1950s, while B.B. was performing at a dance in Twist, Arkansas, a few fans became unruly. Two men got into a fight and knocked over a kerosene stove, setting fire to the hall. B.B. raced outdoors to safety with everyone else, then realized that he left his beloved $30 acoustic guitar inside, so he rushed back inside the burning building to retrieve it, narrowly escaping death. When he later found out that the fight had been over a woman named Lucille, he decided to give the name to his guitar to remind him never to do a crazy thing like fight over a woman. Ever since, each one of B.B.’s trademark Gibson guitars has been called Lucille.

Soon after his number one hit, “Three O’Clock Blues,” B.B. began touring nationally. In 1956, B.B. and his band played an astonishing 342 one-night stands. From the chitlin circuit with its small-town cafes, juke joints, and country dance halls to rock palaces, symphony concert halls, universities, resort hotels and amphitheaters, nationally and internationally, B.B. has become the most renowned blues musician of the past 40 years.

Over the years, B.B. has developed one of the world’s most identifiable guitar styles. He borrowed from Blind Lemon Jefferson, T-Bone Walker and others, integrating his precise and complex vocal-like string bends and his left hand vibrato, both of which have become indispensable components of rock guitarist’s vocabulary. His economy, his every-note-counts phrasing, has been a model for thousands of players, from Eric Clapton and George Harrison to Jeff Beck. B.B. has mixed traditional blues, jazz, swing, mainstream pop and jump into a unique sound. In B.B.’s words, “When I sing, I play in my mind; the minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille.”

In 1968, B.B. played at the Newport Folk Festival and at Bill Graham’s Fillmore West on bills with the hottest contemporary rock artists of the day who idolized B.B. and helped to introduce him to a young white audience. In “69, B.B. was chosen by the Rolling Stones to open 18 American concerts for them; Ike and Tina Turner also played on 18 shows.

B.B. was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1984 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. He received NARAS’ Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 1987, and has received honorary doctorates from Tougaloo(MS) College in 1973; Yale University in 1977; Berklee College of Music in 1982; Rhodes College of Memphis in 1990; Mississippi Valley State University in 2002 and Brown University in 2007. In 1992, he received the National Award of Distinction from the University of Mississippi.

In 1991, B.B. King’s Blues Club opened on Beale Street in Memphis, and in 1994, a second club was launched at Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles. A third club in New York City’s Times Square opened in June 2000 and most recently two clubs opened at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut in January 2002. In 1996, the CD-Rom On The Road With B.B. King: An Interactive Autobiography was released to rave reviews. Also in 1996, B.B.’s autobiography, “Blues All Around Me” (written with David Ritz for Avon Books) was published. In a similar vein, Doubleday published “The Arrival of B.B. King” by Charles Sawyer, in 1980.

B.B. continued to tour extensively, averaging over 250 concerts per year around the world. Classics such as “Payin’ The Cost To Be The Boss,” “The Thrill Is Gone,” How Blue Can You Get,” “Everyday I Have The Blues,” and “Why I Sing The Blues” are concert (and fan) staples. Over the years, the Grammy Award-winner has had two #1 R&B hits, 1951’s “Three O’Clock Blues,” and 1952’s “You Don’t Know Me,” and four #2 R&B hits, 1953’s “Please Love Me,” 1954’s “You Upset Me Baby,” 1960’s “Sweet Sixteen, Part I,” and 1966’s “Don’t Answer The Door, Part I.” B.B.’s most popular crossover hit, 1970’s “The Thrill Is Gone,” went to #15 pop.

B.B. passed away in his sleep on May 14th 2015.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

David Bellamy of the Bellamy Brothers met his wife at Billy Bob’s.

BELLAMY BROTHERS

Howard and David continue to prove that the trail they’ve ridden to fame has been as unique as their music itself—music that is now celebrating 40 years of success.  The road that started on the pop music charts in the ’70s, took a winding turn into country music in the ’80s, paving the way for duos to come, such as Brooks & Dunn, Montgomery Gentry, Big & Rich, and previously—The Judds. But before the road forked into country, the musical odyssey of brothers Bellamy started creatively smoldering in their home state of Florida, before exploding nationally amidst the ’70’s pop music culture of L.A. The brothers’ first official gig was in 1968, playing a free show with their father at the Rattlesnake Roundup in San Antonio, Florida. They honed their early skills playing black clubs throughout the south, and singing backup for artists such as Percy Sledge, Eddie Floyd, and Little Anthony & The Imperials. Within a few months, the brothers moved north, immersing themselves and their rock/country sound in the Atlanta market, where the Allman Brothers were the emerging kings of the music world.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Bill Engvall made his debut on June 21, 2008 and cemented his hands on the “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT BILL ENGVALL

The thing that makes any entertainer successful is the ability to connect with an audience. It’s the quality of sharing the humor in everyday situations that has made Bill Engvall one of the top comedians today – and one of the busiest.

Although he currently resides in Park City, Utah with his wife, Engvall is a native of Galveston, Texas. Early on, he moved to Dallas and was working as a disc jockey with plans of becoming a teacher. While in a nightclub one evening, Bill decided to try his hand at stand-up comedy and quickly found that making people laugh was truly his forte. Soon after, he decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue television opportunities.

TV & Film

First, Engvall appeared in a Showtime special, A Pair of Joker’s, with Rosie O’Donnell, followed by hosting A&E’s Evening at the Improv and appearances on both The Tonight Show and the Late Show with David Letterman. Then in 1992, Bill won the American Comedy Award for “Best Male Stand-up Comedian.”

After appearing in episodes of Designing Women, Bill went on to portray Buck Overton on the ABC sitcom, Delta starring Delta Burke. Bill also starred in the NBC series, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, where he played Foxworthy’s best friend.

Bill has hosted numerous television shows including the game show LINGO for GSN, Country Fried Videos and Mobile Home Disaster for CMT as well as several award shows. He had a 3-episode arc on the TNT show Hawthorne, made guest appearances on the TNT show Leverage staring Timothy Hutton and the FOX show Last Man Standing staring Tim Allen, narrated a documentary for the Speed Channel on Darrel Waltrip and starred in the Hallmark Channel movie Kiss at Pine Lake.

Bill starred in and executive produced his own self-titled sitcom, The Bill Engvall Show, for TBS, which ran for three seasons. He was one of the stars of the sketch comedy show, Blue Collar Comedy TV, on the WB network.

In 2008 Engvall starred in Bait Shop, which co-starred Billy Ray Cyrus and had its world premiere on the USA Network. Then in 2013, he voiced an animated character in a show for CMT titled Bounty Hunters.

A star of the big screen as well, Engvall has also appeared in several films including Strawberry Wine with Christina Ricci, and Bed and Breakfast with Dean Cain, as well as Delta Farce. His latest film, The Neighbor, takes him out of his typical comedy scene and into the horror genre.

Comedy

Alongside Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy and Ron White, Bill Engvall was part of the enormously successful Blue Collar Comedy Tour concert films, which have sold more than 9 million units and are some of the most watched movies and specials in Comedy Central history. The soundtrack for Blue Collar Comedy Tour, One For The Road, (Warner Bros./Jack Records) was also nominated for a Grammy Award.

Following the Blue Collar Comedy Tour movies, Engvall was reunited with Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy on the Them Idiots Whirled Tour, which was filmed as a special for CMT and aired 2012. Bill also has several solo specials on Comedy Central including Aged and Confused (2009) and Live (2004), which was certified multiplatinum, 15° Off Cool (2007) and Here’s Your Sign (1996).

Bill’s first album, Here’s Your Sign (1996), has been certified platinum and held the #1 position on the Billboard Comedy Chart for 15 straight weeks, went on to peak at #5 on Billboard’s Current Country Album Chart and reached the Top 50 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album Chart. The single of the same name was ranked #1 on Billboard’s Country Singles Sales Chart for ten weeks, reached the Top 30 on the Billboard’s Singles Sales Chart, and achieved Gold status, which is not a common occurrence in the comedy market. In 1997, Engvall won the “Best Selling Comedy album” award at the annual NARM convention, outselling albums by Chris Rock and Adam Sandler.

Bill’s second album, Dorkfish (1998), was certified gold (500,000 copies), and had the honor of being ranked #1 on Billboard’s Comedy Chart, even surpassing Jerry Seinfeld’s album. All of his following comedy album releases debuted at #1 on the Billboard Comedy Chart, including 15° Off Cool and Aged and Confused.

Albums

Ultimate Laughs – A Compilation of Bill Engvall’s Best (2014)
Aged and Confused (2014)
15° Off Cool (2008)
Decade of Laughs – A Compilation of Bill Engvall’s Best (2008)
Live (2004) – Certified Multiplatinum
Here’s Your Sign Reloaded (2003)
Now That’s Awesome (2000)
Here’s Your Christmas Album (1999)
Dorkfish (1998)
Here’s Your Sign (1996) – Certified Platinum
Books
Bill has written several books, including You Don’t Have to Be Dumb to Be Stupid (1997) and Here’s Your Sign (2005). Most recently in 2007, Engvall penned his autobiography, Bill Engvall – Just A Guy: Notes From a Blue Collar Life.

Awards & Accolades

Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One For The Road (Warner Bros./Jack Records) Received a Grammy Award Nomination
Album 15 Degrees Off Cool Ranked #1 on Billboard’s Comedy Chart
Album Aged and Confused Ranked #1 on Billboard’s Comedy Chart
Album Dorkfish was Certified Gold; Ranked #1 on Billboard’s Comedy Chart
Best Selling Comedy Album Award at NARM in 1997
Album Here’s Your Sign was Certified Platinum; #1 position on Billboard Comedy Chart for 15 weeks; #5 on Billboard’s Current Country Album Chart; and Top 50 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album Chart
Single Here’s Your Sign achieved #1 on Billboard’s Country Singles Sales Chart for 10 weeks; Top 30 on the Billboard’s Singles Sales Chart; Gold status
American Comedy Award for “Best Male Stand-up Comedian” in 1992

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

In September 2004, Billy Currington makes his Billy Bob’s debut.

ABOUT BILLY CURRINGTON

Billy Currington’s latest album bears the breezy title Summer Forever, but the talented Georgia native has spent more than a decade in the spotlight proving he’s truly a man for all seasons. Possessing one of the smoothest and most distinct voices in any genre of music, Currington is equally skilled at delivering upbeat summertime anthems as well as exploring the complexities of life and love with a poignant ballad. On Summer Forever, Currington’s sixth studio album, he brings both with a collection of songs that will take the listener on a riveting musical journey and leave them breathless at the end of the ride.

Since his self-titled debut album bowed on Mercury Records in 2003, Currington has scored eleven career No. 1 singles, most recently, “Don’t Hurt Like It Used To.” His other hits that reached the No. 1 spot include such memorable songs as “Good Directions,” “Let Me Down Easy,” “Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right,” “People Are Crazy,” “That’s How Country Boys Roll,” “Hey Girl,” and “We Are Tonight.” Over the years, the self-effacing Georgia boy has amassed an impressive list of accolades. He won the “Hottest Video of the Year” honor at the fan-voted CMT Music Awards for “Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right” in 2006. The same year, he received an ACM nod for Top New Male Vocalist. His hit duet with Shania Twain, “Party for Two,” earned nominations from both the CMA and ACM. “People Are Crazy” took Currington’s already hot career to another level. He earned Grammy nominations for Male Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song in addition to being nominated for Single and Song of the Year from the Country Music Association.

Currington has come a long way from his rural Georgia roots. He spent his early years on Tybee Island before his family moved inland to Rincon. He grew up listening to vinyl records by Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kenny Rogers, and when his mom took him to one of Rogers’ concerts, 10-year-old Billy knew immediately he wanted to someday be the one on stage performing. However, he wasn’t sure how he was going to get there. “To be honest, I never even heard of Nashville till I was 17 or 18,” he says. All that changed when Currington’s pastor recognized his talent while he was singing in church, and decided to give the youngster some career guidance. “He had been living in Nashville at one point,” Currington recalls. “He said, ‘Man, there’s a town called Nashville that you can get a record deal. Your dreams could come true. I’m going to take you there.’ So he took me and showed me the town. He introduced me to people. When I got back home, I totally made up my mind that when I graduated high school I was going to go back.”

And so he did. He made the move to Music City at 18 and began paying his dues by pouring concrete and working as a personal trainer at a gym during the day. At night, he was getting a musical education playing in bars all over Nashville. Naturally, he began meeting other aspiring songwriters and artists. He began writing songs and his warm, strong voice made him one of the town’s most in-demand demo singers. “I was doing 10 demos a day,” he says. “Before you know it, I started getting deal offers from record labels.”

He signed with Mercury in 2003 and immediately garnered attention with his debut single, “Walk a Little Straighter,” an autobiographical song about life with his alcoholic stepfather. The song peaked at No. 8, an auspicious debut for a newcomer. He proved the quick success was no fluke when he followed with “I Got A Feelin,” which became his first top-five hit. From there, the hits continued as his sophomore album Doin’ Somethin’ Right spawned his first No. 1 with “Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right” and his second No. 1 with “Good Directions.” Released in 2008, his third album, Little Bit of Everything, featured five songs co-written by Currington. The Bobby Braddock/Troy Jones penned “People Are Crazy” became his third No. 1 and he followed that with a song he co-wrote, “That’s How Country Boys Roll,” which also hit the top of the charts. In September 2010, Currington released Enjoy Yourself, which included No. 1 hits “Pretty Good at Drinkin’ Beer” and “Let Me Down Easy.” His fifth album, We Are Tonight, further fueled his momentum spawning two No. 1 singles – “Hey Girl” and the title track.

Though Currington has grown in knowledge and confidence, his goals in making Summer Forever is the same as when he recorded his debut. “Music is a snapshot of people’s lives and most of all, I want to leave people in a happy place,” he says with a smile. “Whether they’re sitting on a beach listening to this album or they’re walking around their house or cleaning their house or whatever. Wherever they’re at listening to this album, I want to leave them with a happy and peaceful feeling.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On June 14, 1991, Billy Dean made his debut and cemented his hands on to the “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT BILLY DEAN

Born in the small town of Quincy, Florida, Billy Dean started his music career at the age of eight, singing with his father’s band, the Country Rocks. After touring the Gulf Coast circuit in his late teens and early twenties, Billy’s first big break came in 1988 when he won Best Male Vocalist on Star Search, hosted by Ed McMahon. His success on the show led to signing with Capitol Records and the release of his debut album Young Man in 1990. Buoyed by the singles “Only Here for a Little While” and “Somewhere in My Broken Heart,” Young Man became Billy’s first of many Gold records.

His second and third albums, Billy Dean and Fire in the Dark, were also certified as Gold Records and featured the Billboard-charting singles, “You Don’t Count the Cost,” “Only the Wind,” “Billy the Kid,” “If There Hadn’t Been You,” “Tryin’ to Find a Fire in the Dark,” “I Wanna Take Care of You,” “I’m Not Built That Way” and more.

Over the course of his 25+ year career, Billy has released 11 albums and has been recognized with several awards and nominations. In 1992, he was nominated for a Grammy for Song of the Year for “Somewhere in My Broken Heart,” which went on to win Song of the Year at the American Country Music Awards. That same year, Billy was named Top New Male Vocalist of the Year at the Academy of Country Music awards and nominated by the Country Music Association for the Horizon Award. Four years later, Billy won a Grammy for Amazing Grace, A Country Tribute to Gospel, an album featuring Martina McBride, Allison Krauss, the Charlie Daniels Band and others. In 2017, Billy was inducted as a member of the Florida Artist Hall of Fame.

A modern-day American Troubadour, Billy Dean has performed and toured with some of the industry’s biggest country music stars including the Judds, Kenny Rogers, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Wynonna Judd and others.

After making a home in Nashville for decades, Billy has returned to his Florida roots and now lives in Quincy with his wife, Stephanie. Billy continues to perform and write – doing what he does best – telling the stories that have become the soundtrack of our lives.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

July 7, 1989, we asked Billy Joe Royal to join our “Wall of Fame.” (He said yes).

ABOUT BILLY JOE ROYAL

Best known for his country-flavored rock hit “Down in the Boondocks,” Billy Joe Royal had a long career that saw him become one of the first pop performers to successfully revive his commercial fortunes by turning to straight country music. Although he never had another hit as successful as “Down in the Boondocks,” he racked up about 15 singles that hit the country charts over the course of the 1980s.

Royal was born into a family of musical entertainers in Valdosta, Georgia, and made his debut on his uncle’s radio show at the age of 11. He learned to play steel guitar and joined the Georgia Jubilee in Atlanta at 14, performing with Joe South, Jerry Reed, and Ray Stevens, among several other artists. Royal had his own rock & roll band in high school and was regularly singing around Atlanta by the age of 16. He also spent time in Savannah, where he was influenced by African-American vocal styles and began to develop his distinctive vocal sound. Performing at a nightclub that also booked Sam Cooke and other African-American stars, Royal observed their vocal moves and began to practice them on his own time. In 1962, he recorded an independent single that went unnoticed. Royal and South roomed together for a time, and two or three years later South contacted him with a song he wanted Royal to sing as a demo, in the hope that Gene Pitney would record it. Royal flew from Cincinnati (where he was working at the time) to Atlanta and cut “Down in the Boondocks,” whose churchy echo resulted from the use during recording of a large septic tank that had been dragged into the studio.

The demo ended up at Columbia, and the label signed Royal to a six-year deal. The song became Royal’s breakthrough single, reaching number nine on the pop charts and briefly making the vocalist into a teen idol. Following its success, Royal had a string of lesser hits, including the Top 40 pop singles “I Knew You When,” “I’ve Got to Be Somebody,” and “Cherry Hill Park.” By the end of the decade, Royal’s star waned, and he became a regular performer in Las Vegas and around Lake Tahoe. He also did a bit of acting on television, in feature films, and in commercials. In 1978, he recorded a cover of “Under the Boardwalk” and scored a minor hit.

Tell It Like It Is

The wrong-side-of-the-tracks theme of “Down in the Boondocks” was a familiar one to country audiences, and during the early ’80s Royal worked on establishing himself as a country artist. In 1984, he broke through when he recorded the Gary Burr composition “Burned Like a Rocket”; it was picked up by the Atlantic label, which signed Royal to a contract. The single became a hit and reached the country Top Ten in early 1986. Over the next two years he had a string of Top 40 hits, breaking into the Top Ten in late 1987 once again with “I’ll Pin a Note on Your Pillow.” In 1989, Royal released the album Tell It Like Is; the title cut, a remake of the venerable soul standard, became his biggest hit, peaking at number two, while the album itself stayed in the Top 15 for over a year. By 1990, Royal’s style of pop-inflected country had been replaced by neo-traditional honky tonk at the top of the charts, and his popularity began to decline. He continued to have minor hits into 1992 and toured into the 2000s. Royal launched a comeback with the 1998 album Stay Close to Home on the Intersound label, following up with the independent release Now and Then, Then and Now in 2001. “I know exactly what George Jones feels. But I know exactly what Ray Charles feels, too,” Royal once said, and by the beginning of the new century, a host of reissues of Royal’s work testified to his status as a vocal craftsman whose success transcended genre.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

In 1982, A young singer from South Texas named George Strait opened for Billy Joe Shaver.

ABOUT BILLY JOE SHAVER

Billy Joe Shaver never achieved the same level of fame as outlaw country peers like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, but his songs were a significant part of the movement’s architecture and were widely covered by stars ranging from Johnny Cash to Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan. A native Texan who lived the type of rough-and-tumble life that made his songs so appealing, Shaver was well into his thirties by the time he made his album debut. Bobby Bare heard something he liked in Shaver’s earthy honky-tonk paeans to sinning and redemption, and hired him as a staff writer, a move that effectively launched his career in Nashville. 1973’s Old Five and Dimers Like Me has over time earned the reputation as a classic, but in the mid-’70s, Shaver originals like “Honky Tonk Heroes” and “Good Christian Soldier” were far better known as hits for Jennings and Kris Kristofferson among others. Kind-hearted but often full of bluster and mischief, Shaver could be difficult, a trait that infused his songs with a sense of authenticity; this awareness of his flaws made songs like 1981’s “I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I’m Gonna Be a Diamond Someday)” work like a charm. As his career wore on, the consistent quality of his work remained undiminished and his perennial underdog status for better or worse became a part of his cultural identity. A streak of strong releases in the 1990s and early 2000s kept him current and further bolstered his reputation as one of America’s great unsung songmen, as did ongoing plaudits from Nelson, Cash, Dylan, and so many others. It’s one of the great ironies of his career that after four decades, his final album, 2014’s excellent Long in the Tooth, marked his first-ever entry on the Billboard Country Albums chart. Shaver died six years later in 2020 from a massive stroke.

Born in Corsicana, Texas in 1939, Shaver’s early years seem like a blueprint for the type of outlaw country fare he and other songwriters would later immortalize. Largely raised by his grandmother while his mother worked in a Waco honky-tonk, he dropped out of school after eighth grade to pick cotton alongside his uncles, then enlisted in the U.S. Navy the day he turned 17. He later bounced from job to job, trying his luck as a rodeo clown and then working at a sawmill, where an accident claimed a pair of fingers from his right hand. In a display of the tenacity he carried throughout his life, Shaver quickly adapted and taught himself to play guitar without them. Around this same time, he met and married Brenda Joyce Tindell, with whom he had a son, Eddy, in 1962. In a strange twist of fate, he and Tindell divorced and remarried twice, seemingly bound together until her death in 1999. Their first divorce purportedly came about as a result of Shaver’s decision to pursue a songwriting career, and in 1966, after Tindell filed the papers, Shaver promptly hitchhiked to Nashville in the back of a cantaloupe truck.

It took a couple of years and some retreats back to Texas, but his tenacity once again paid off after an unannounced visit to Bobby Bare’s Nashville office (where he practically demanded to be heard) earned him a contract as a staff songwriter. Bare went on to record a number of Shaver’s songs, including the hit “Ride Me Down Easy,” but he wasn’t the only one who heard potential in the Texan. Shaver’s own debut single, 1970’s “Chicken on the Ground,” may have sunk without a trace, but he soon began landing other songs with big names like Tom T. Hall (“Willie the Wandering Gypsy and Me”), Kris Kristofferson (“Good Christian Soldier”), and Waylon Jennings. The latter was so taken by Shaver’s songs that he recorded an entire collection of them for his 1973 LP Honky Tonk Heroes, a landmark record often cited as helping launch the outlaw movement. That same year, Kristofferson produced Shaver’s own debut, Old Five and Dimers Like Me, which featured a number of originals already made famous by others, while also yielding one of his own signature cuts in “Georgia on a Fast Train.”

Despite his status as one of the original outlaw songwriters, Shaver’s career as a singer never blossomed in the same way as his more celebrated contemporaries. Still, he remained in the thick of it and even appeared on the platinum-selling 1976 compilation Wanted! The Outlaws, playing a support role to Jennings, Nelson, and Jessi Colter. During this period, he recorded two more solo albums, When I Get My Wings and Gypsy Boy, for the Capricorn label, garnering yet more industry respect without coming near star status. Meanwhile, his songs continued to live on through other acts, with Johnny Cash recording a version of Shaver’s aspirational honky-tonk gem “I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I’m Gonna Be a Diamond Some Day).” Shaver’s own version headlined a 1981 album of the same name and marked his first release for Columbia Records.

Throughout the ’80s, he remained a prolific writer, turning in a handful of quality albums rife with the kind of hard-earned wisdom of the criminally underrated. Flying under the radar for so long does have its advantages, though, and by the early ’90s, Shaver had achieved something of a vaulted cult-hero status that also happened to line up with a career peak in creativity. Teaming up with his guitar-slinger son Eddy, he recorded the 1993 classic Tramp on Your Street under the family name Shaver. Eddy remained a part of his father’s band over the coming years and helped out on subsequent late-’90s highlights like Highway of Life and Victory. In a catastrophic end to what had been a banner decade, Shaver endured not only the 1999 death of his wife Brenda, but also of his mother. Compounding these losses was the unexpected death of his son Eddy a year later from a heroin overdose.

Turning to his music for comfort, Shaver entered one of the most prolific periods of his career, kicking off an impressive five-year run with 2001’s excellent The Earth Rolls On and managing a new studio album each year, along with a live release. Flirting with alt-country, folk, rock, and Americana, he even turned to spiritual matters on 2007’s gospel-inspired Everybody’s Brother, which earned him a Grammy nomination and featured duets with his old friends Cash and Kristofferson. During this period, he also dabbled in acting, an endeavor he’d begun in 1996, playing opposite Robert Duvall in The Apostle. His mid-2000s roles included parts in Secondhand Lions and The Wendell Baker Story. Additionally, his song “Live Forever” was featured in the 2009 film Crazy Heart, sung by Duvall.

Shaver continued to tour regularly, releasing a couple more live albums before returning to the studio for what would end up being his final LP. Released in 2014, Long in the Tooth was a lovingly crafted set of world-weary songs that ironically marked the singer’s first-ever appearance on the Billboard Country Albums chart, peaking at number 19. Harking back to his outlaw days, it featured a duet with longtime friend Willie Nelson on “It’s Hard to Be an Outlaw.” The album and its long-overdue commercial performance served as a fitting swan song from one of country music’s most enduring and respected songwriters. Shaver died on October 28, 2020 in Waco, Texas from a stroke.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On May 11, 2001, Blackhawk played Billy Bob’s Texas but before they took the main stage, we had to get them to add their hands to our “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT BLACKHAWK

For more than 20 years, BlackHawk has shared a unique sense of harmony with their voices, their songs and their fans. It’s a harmony that has sold over 7 million albums, scored some of the most distinctive country radio hits of the ‘90s, and still draws tens of thousands of fans to their electrifying live performances. Today BlackHawk continues to honor its past as it forges its future, and does it all with a commitment that takes their music – and the harmony – to a whole new level.

“When we started,” says BlackHawk co-founder & lead vocalist Henry Paul, “our individual careers as writers and performers gave us somewhat of a more creative sensibility. We were three guys whose goal was to approach country with smart songs and unique harmonies for people who may not automatically like country.” Paul had previously co-founded Southern Rock legends The Outlaws, as well as leading the popular ‘80s rockers The Henry Paul Band. Van Stephenson had mainstream pop success as an ‘80s singer-songwriter-guitarist (“Modern Day Delilah”). And Dave Robbins had written hits for Eric Clapton and Kenny Rogers while partnering with Stephenson to write a series of classic #1 hits for Restless Heart, including “The Bluest Eyes In Texas” and “Big Dreams In A Small Town”.

“Even though the three of us had a love and appreciation for traditional country music,” says Dave, “we knew we weren’t going to be that. Henry was coming from Southern Rock, Van & I were in Nashville, but were writing country songs with pop sensibilities. When it came to our vocals, we wanted the three of us to be up front in the choruses like Crosby, Stills & Nash or The Eagles. What set us apart from the very beginning musically was being true to who we were individually.”

BlackHawk’s 1993 self-titled Arista debut album launched with the smash single “Goodbye Says It All”, followed by the Top 5 hits “Every Once in a While”, “I Sure Can Smell the Rain”, “Down in Flames” and “That’s Just About Right”. The album soon certified Double-Platinum, and the band received an ACM nomination as Best New Vocal Group Of The Year. BlackHawk followed up with the hit albums Strong Enough, Love & Gravity and Sky’s The Limit, which collectively featured such hits as “I’m Not Strong Enough To Say No”, “Like There Ain’t No Yesterday”, “Big Guitar”, “Almost A Memory Now”, “There You Have It” and “Postmarked Birmingham”. It was an unprecedented run of hits for a band that never quite fit the standard country mold. “Getting a BlackHawk record on the radio was often a tough sell,” explains Henry, “for the same reason country radio rejected bands like The Mavericks, The Dixie Chicks and Alison Krauss. But we were committed to smart, strong songs whether they fit the format or not. And the fans responded.”

But at the height of the trio’s success in 1999, Van Stephenson was diagnosed with an aggressive form of melanoma. “Van’s contribution to the group was enormous,” Henry says. “He could be a tremendously gifted songwriter and a deeply spiritual guy. We found ourselves at a crossroads as a band, and it would have been an easy time for country music to count us out.”

“Two days before Van passed away, Henry and I went to visit him,” Dave remembers. “Van was in a wheelchair at this point, and we took him for a stroll around his neighborhood. We spent the morning just talking, reminiscing about our career and good times together. Towards the end of our visit, Van said ‘I’ve got two things to ask of you guys. First, do what you can to help raise awareness and find a cure for this thing. The other is, don’t quit. There’s still a lot of great music left in BlackHawk.’” Since Van’s death on April 8th, 2001, the band and its fans have raised nearly a quarter of a million dollars for The Van Stephenson Memorial Cancer Fund at Nashville’s Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

Henry and Dave regrouped and soon returned to the album charts with their Greatest Hits – dedicated to Van and featuring his final track “Ships Of Heaven” – as well as 2002’s Spirit Dancer and 2011’s Down From The Mountain, along with a touring schedule that brought the music to fans like never before. “Our audiences today are often full of 18 to 30 years olds,” says Dave. “They listened to us as kids, and still have a love for the music we made. That’s a big part of what propels us to keep creating as writers and performers.”

For the fans, for the music and for the brotherhood of Henry and Dave, harmony remains a powerful force. BlackHawk continues to record new music – including their well-received 2015 Brothers Of The Southland album, a forthcoming Christmas record and an acoustic greatest hits album – and deliver stellar live shows, backed by an all-star band of veteran country and southern rock players. “BlackHawk has a 20-year history of a certain kind of song craft as well as a quality of performance,” Henry says with pride. “People have always come to our shows expecting a concert that is emotionally and musically engaging, and the band still sounds even better than the records, night after night, show after show. When we take the stage, we work as hard as we ever have. We owe it the music, we owe it to ourselves, and Van, and we owe it to the fans. Now more than ever, that’s the true legacy of BlackHawk.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

In 2001 Blake Shelton makes his debut and says “I’ve heard of Billy Bob’s all my life.” His song “Austin” spends several weeks at No. 1.

ABOUT BLAKE SHELTON

Blake Shelton may have been an unlikely candidate for superstardom, but that’s hardly due to a lack of charisma. Shelton possesses a warm, masculine ease that has given his rowdier numbers a sense of sly humor, but this relaxed touch also made him an effective crooner of ballads, the ace in the hole that helped him cross over from country to the mainstream in the 2010s. His transition to household-name status was certainly assisted by his starring role as a judge on NBC’s hit musical competition The Voice, but by that point Shelton had racked up plenty of number one country hits, beginning with his 2001 debut “Austin” and running through “Some Beach,” “Home,” “Doin’ What She Likes,” “She Wouldn’t Be Gone,” “Hillbilly Bone,” “All About Tonight,” and “Honey Bee,” the 2011 single that went triple platinum around the time The Voice hit the airwaves. Over the next few years, Shelton was at the apex of his stardom, appearing regularly on The Voice and earning headlines through his romances with fellow singers Miranda Lambert and Gwen Stefani, the latter proving to be his foil on television and on record. The former No Doubt singer duetted with Shelton on the 2020 Billboard Country Airplay number ones “Nobody But You” and “Happy Anywhere,” singles that extended a streak of Top Ten hits that included “Sure Be Cool If You Did,” “Boys Round Here,” and “Neon Light” — smashes that proved he was one of the biggest country stars of the 21st century.

A native of Ada, Oklahoma, Blake Shelton picked up the guitar in his early adolescence and started writing songs not long afterward. Bitten by the musical bug, he started working the local bar circuit, earning a large enough following to win the Denbo Diamond Award, a prize given to young Oklahoma entertainers. He left his home state for Nashville just two weeks after his high-school graduation in 1994, peddling his songs to Music City publishing houses, including Warner/Chappell Music, Jerry Crutchfield Music, and Naomi Martin Music. Bobby Braddock, the legendary songwriter behind George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” discovered Shelton in the late ’90s and brought the singer to the attention of Giant Records in 2001. Braddock wrote “I Want to Talk About Me” with the intention of making the rap-influenced number Shelton’s first single, but Giant rejected the notion (it was recorded instead by Toby Keith, who turned it into a country number one).

The Dreamer

What came instead was “Austin,” a single that outlasted its record company. Giant shuttered not long after the release of “Austin” and Warner took over Shelton’s contract, keeping the single in print and helping it reach number one on the country charts. Spending five weeks at the top of the charts, the single — along with its follow-ups “All Over Me” and “Ol’ Red,” which reached 18 and 14, respectively — helped his eponymous 2001 full-length debut reach three on the Billboard country charts; it would also earn a platinum certification. The Dreamer, his sophomore set, appeared in February 2003 and although its lead single “The Baby” was a hit, spending three weeks at the top of the Billboard country charts, the album was something of a commercial underperformer, with neither “Heavy Liftin'” nor “Playboys of the Southwestern World” cracking the Top 20. “When Somebody Knows You That Well,” the first single from 2004’s Blake Shelton’s Barn & Grill, didn’t reverse this downward trajectory as it reached a peak position of 37, but the next single, “Some Beach,” was his biggest since “Austin,” spending four weeks at number one and becoming a 21st century standard. Blake Shelton’s Barn & Grill spawned two other Top Ten hits — “Goodbye Time” and “Nobody But Me,” which made it to four — and he kept the momentum going on 2007’s Pure BS, which featured “Don’t Make Me,” “The More I Drink,” and the number one single “Home.”

Startin’ Fires

Pure BS also featured a cameo from Miranda Lambert, a runner-up on Nashville Star who had started dating Shelton. Over the next few years, their relationship strengthened — they appeared on each other’s records and married in 2011 — and this romance helped elevate the profile of both singers. Shelton’s 2008 Startin’ Fires boasted two big hits — the number one “She Wouldn’t Be Gone” and Top Ten “I’ll Just Hold On” — but the album was his first record not to be certified gold. This proved to be a minor bump in the road for Shelton. In 2010, he released a pair of successful EPs (Hillbilly Bone, All About Tonight) along with the hits collection Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton (which contained the title tracks from the two EPs), and then in 2011 his breakthrough into the mainstream arrived via the NBC televised singing competition The Voice. As one of four celebrity coaches — he was paired with Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Christina Aguilera, and Cee Lo Green, each representing a different style of music — Shelton became a household name and he soon had record sales to match.

Red River Blue

Red River Blue, his summer 2011 album, was his first to reach number one on the Top 200 (it also topped the country charts), and that was on the strength of four hit singles: “Honey Bee” and “God Gave Me You,” both certified triple platinum, and “Drink on It” and “Over,” which topped out at platinum. After a pit stop for a holiday album in 2012 (Cheers, It’s Christmas, which featured appearances by Lambert, her band Pistol Annies, Kelly Clarkson, Reba McEntire, and Michael Bublé), Shelton’s streak intensified in 2013 with Based on a True Story…, his biggest-selling album to date. Anchored by the hits “Sure Be Cool If You Did,” “Boys Round Here,” “Mine Would Be You,” “Doin’ What She Likes,” and “My Eyes,” Based on a True Story sold over 1.4 million copies and generated hits into 2014, which is when he delivered Bringing Back the Sunshine. Another hit right out of the box — debuting at number one on Billboard’s Top 200 — it had the hit singles “Neon Light,” the Ashley Monroe duet “Lonely Tonight,” and “Sangria.” As his career rolled on, Shelton experienced personal loss when he and Lambert announced their divorce in the summer of 2015. Shelton released a second hits collection named Reloaded: 20 #1 Hits in October 2015; it was accompanied by a new single called “Gonna.”

If I’m Honest”Came Here to Forget,” the first single from Shelton’s tenth studio album, appeared in March 2016, followed quickly by “Savior’s Shadow” in April. The full-length If I’m Honest appeared that May. A year later, in September 2017, Shelton returned with “I’ll Name the Dogs,” which was the first single from his November LP Texoma Shore. Two other singles — “I Lived It” and “Turnin’ Me On,” both making the Country Airplay Top Ten — followed in 2018. In the spring of 2019, the single “God’s Country” went to number one on both of Billboard’s Country singles charts on its way to becoming Shelton’s biggest hit in six years, also earning him a Grammy nomination for Best Country Solo Performance. “God’s Country” anchored the December 2019 compilation Fully Loaded: God’s Country, which featured three additional new songs, along with the hits from If I’m Honest and Texoma Shore, including the Billboard-charting single “I’ll Name the Dogs.” Two new singles, “Happy Anywhere (featuring Gwen Stefani)” and “Minimum Wage,” appeared in early 2021 ahead of the release of Shelton’s 12th long-player, Body Language, which arrived later that May.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Bobby Bare, played Billy Bob’s the second month it was open on May 16, 1981 and then got to cement his hands on to the “Wall of Fame” on March 22, 1991.

ABOUT BOBBY BARE

Bobby Bare scored nearly five dozen top 40 hits from 1962 to 1983. In a laconic vocal style that embraces both wry country wit and poignant folk storytelling, his literate, cross-cultural appeal has earned him the sobriquet “the Springsteen of country.”

Born Robert Joseph Bare in Ironton, Ohio, he had a rough early life. “Well, my mother died when I was five,” he told the author of Country Music Changed My Life. “That was in early ’41. I had two sisters, one was seven, one was two. My dad couldn’t take care of all us. So my younger sister was adopted to some people who lived down the road. Then, my other sister stayed with my grandparents and different relatives.” To cope with the unease of being shifted around so much, the youngster dreamed of being a country singer and even made his first guitar. “Yeah. I’d get me a coffee can, put a flat stick in it, get some screen wires to make some strings–your imagination really works good when you’re young,” he laughed before adding, “It sounded like s**t.”

Although he lived and worked on a farm, Bare picked up some surprisingly eclectic musical influences during his youth. “We didn’t have any rock ‘n’ roll or other country, really all we had was the Grand Ole Opry, that was my favorite,” Bare recalled, “but I always listened to the big bands of the ’40s and I liked different songs–Phil Harris singing ‘That’s What I Like about the South,’ the Dominoes doing ‘Sixty Minute Man’–I loved that song. I found out later that was Shel Silverstein’s favorite song too. And then, of course, there came Hank Williams, Carl Smith, Webb Pierce, Hank Thompson, and Little Jimmy Dickens. I loved all of that, still do. The first song I ever sang in public was one of Little Jimmy Dickens’ ‘Sleepin’ at the Foot of the Bed.”

By his own account a bright student–he was in eighth grade at age eleven–Bare never finished his education. “I couldn’t get along with my stepmother,” he explained. “So, I left home and stayed with my grandmother, my aunts and my uncles, and put a little band together.” He was still a teenager when he and his first group began playing on an early morning radio show in and around Springfield, Ohio. Eventually he parlayed that experience into a much better weekly radio gig approximately 59 miles away in Wilston. “Looking back, I was really hot. We were broadcasting live from a radio station which was a farm house out in the middle of a field. This was before TV completely took over in about ’52 or ’53. On Saturday afternoons, it wasn’t unusual to look out the window of the radio station while we were broadcasting and see a hundred cars parked in that field watching the farm house.”

After figuring that he had gone as far as he could in Ohio, Bare got a ride to the West Coast with a man who claimed to know famed country instrumentalists Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West. “The reason he wanted us to go was because he didn’t have any money and he needed someone to pay for gas,” Bare recalled with a chuckle. After an adventurous ride that necessitated playing for tips to raise gas money, the singer arrived in California to a pleasant surprise: “[I]t turns out this old boy we were riding with really did know Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West,” chuckled Bare. “Speedy loved my singing and started taking me around. I wrote songs for his publishing company, met Cliffie Stone, and I’d do his radio show…. Speedy was the one who got me a record deal with Capitol.”

First Hit under Another Name

Recording for legendary producer Ken Nelson (who worked with Wanda Jackson, Buck Owens, Gene Vincent, etc.), Bare’s future seemed assured. However, the young singer’s first country single–a cover of Buck Owens’s “Down on the Corner of Love”–stiffed, so Nelson and Capitol decided to make his next outing a rockabilly record. “That didn’t work,” Bare told this writer. “I did one thing called ‘The Living End’ and ‘I Beg Her.’ They weren’t very good records.”

Rebuffed when Nelson wouldn’t let him pursue his own musical ideas, Bare asked for his release from Capitol so he could sign with the relatively small Challenge label. There he recorded with his friends the Champs (of “Tequila” fame), but these sides–released on the Jackpot subsidiary– didn’t click either. Friend and country legend Wynn Stewart helped keep him housed and employed in California clubs, but just as he was making headway in his own nightspot, he received his draft notice.

Back in Ohio awaiting induction, Bare ran into his friend Bill Parsons who was just being discharged from the Army. Parsons wanted a record deal and Bare advised him to cut some demos. “So, we got some musicians off the streets of Dayton, Ohio, I was staying there with my sister, and got this old boy who bought the club I used to work in–his name was Cherokee–and he wanted to be in the record business,” Bare recalled. “So, he was paying for the studio time and the musicians. We went to King Records in Cincinnati and did some demos, spent most of the three hours working on a thing called ‘Rubber Dolly,’ with Bill [Parsons] singing it. In the meantime, I was making up this talking blues song about going into the army. We had 15 minutes left and I said, ‘Let me put this down real quick so I don’t forget it.’ So, I did. That was ‘The All-American Boy.’ Cherokee, who was paying for all of it, wanted to get a copy made but Syd Nathan was revamping his studio then and had all of his equipment tore down–his copy machines and everything. So, he suggested that maybe Harry Carlson of Fraternity Records and Cincinnati could make a copy off that tape. Bill and I went back up to Dayton to a bar we used to hang out in and Cherokee went down to the record company to get an acetate made and they heard it and wanted to put it out. While he was there, he called us at the club and said that they had offered him 500 bucks, I said, ‘Hell, take it. Just don’t put my name on it.'”

The next time Bare heard “The All-American Boy” was during his basic training stint at Fort Knox. By the time he came home on leave, the satirical allusion to both his and Elvis Presley’s rise to fame and subsequent army hitch was one of the hottest records in the country, hitting number two on the pop charts in 1959. Fraternity had put Bill Parsons’s name on the label–since Bare was still under contract to Challenge– and had him lip-synch the record on tour. Although he never received any royalties for the song, Bare didn’t begrudge his friend the hit. “No. No, not at all,” Bare stated. “Fact is, it was really good that my name wasn’t on that record. Because then I probably wouldn’t have had any serious hits like ‘Detroit City.’ I would’ve been pegged as a novelty type guy.”

Became a Star at RCA

During his two-year army hitch, Bare entered several talent competitions and even appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show with an instrumental combo called the Latin Five. By then Fraternity had discovered that it was his voice on their biggest hit and began recording sides crediting Bare on the label. (All of Bare’s Capitol, Challenge, and Fraternity sides are included on the 1994 Bear Family boxed set All American Boy.) None became hits, but he recalls that the Barry DeVorzan-produced “Book of Love” was a near-miss in 1961. Bare recorded three songs for the Jimmy Clanton teen flick Teenage Millionaire, but the singer-songwriter, who ached to record his version of country music, was floundering at Fraternity, a fact not lost on his friends. “I made records for about a year or so for Fraternity,” explained Bare, “by then all my friends that I started out with in California–Harlan Howard, Hank Cochran, and all them people had moved back [to Nashville], and became really successful…. But, they all ganged up and told [RCA vice-president and guitarist extraordinaire] Chet [Atkins] how great I was and he wanted to meet me. So, I met Chet who said, ‘Come back in a week and we’ll have you a contract and look for songs, cut you a record.'”

At RCA, Atkins was willing to listen to Bare’s ideas. When he singer wanted to use horns on a country record–a first for Nashville–and strings, the producer made it happen. The result was Bare’s breakout hit “Shame On Me.” Better still was his Grammy-winning rendition of the Mel Tillis and Danny Dill-penned “Detroit City,” which became a classic anthem for displaced southerners everywhere. “I heard Billy Grammer’s record of ‘Detroit City’ while I was driving down the street one day and I damn near wrecked my car,” laughed Bare. “I thought it was the greatest song I ever heard in my life.”

During his early period with RCA, Bare’s records seemed as much folk as country. “That was just the taste I had in songs at the time,” the singer explained. “I wrote ‘500 Miles away from Home,’ that’s an old folk song. Me and Don Bowman were driving back home from San Diego one night when I lived in California and I heard Peter, Paul, & Mary sing that and I said, ‘Godd**n that’s great!’ I remembered that title–Glen Campbell lived right down the street from me at the time, and he had just done a bluegrass album or something with [an instrumental version of] that in it and brought it to me. So, I just wrote a new set of lyrics and recorded it.”

Bare’s music became increasingly country with such hits as “Miller’s Cave” and “Four Strong Winds” and he became a regular, if not overwhelming, presence in that genre’s top 40. He used his power as a hitmaker to introduce his friend Waylon Jennings to RCA, and to craft unusual projects such as the narrative-oriented Bird Named Yesterday. By decade’s end, he’d scored a major hit with his former bass player Tom T. Hall’s song, “(Maggie’s at) The Lincoln Park Inn,” which shocked listeners with its matter-of-fact approach to adultery. Despite the controversial hit, which he was not allowed to sing on a scheduled American Bandstand appearance, Bare’s career had obviously cooled.

Worked with Shel Silverstein

In 1970, Bare switched to Mercury Records where he recorded Tom T. Hall’s “How I Got To Memphis,” along with Kris Kristofferson’s “Come Sundown,” and “Please Don’t Tell Me How the Story Ends.” Keenly appreciative of the great country songwriters, he produced albums on such legendary songsmiths as Harlan Howard, Mickey Newberry, and Billy Joe Shaver. That said, the songwriter most in tune with his own sensibilities was Shel Silverstein.

“Well, I loved Shel’s songs before I even knew he wrote them,” Bare disclosed. “Years ago I heard Burl Ives singing a song on TV called, ‘Time.’ I had no idea that Shel wrote that but I loved that song, eventually I cut it a couple of times. Once I was in Europe and I heard Marianne Faithfull sing ‘The Ballad of Lucy Jordan,’ and I said, ‘God, that’s great!’ I found out years later that Shel wrote that. Then, of course, I heard ‘Sylvia’s Mother,’ and I thought, ‘Man that’s great!’ Anyway, Shel is the greatest lyricist there ever was.”

Silverstein figured prominently upon Bare’s return to RCA where he wrote what many have claimed to be the first country music concept album, Lullabys, Legends & Lies, (1973) which contained the singer’s duet with his five-year old son Bobby, Jr., “Daddy What If” and his lone chart-topper “Marie Laveau.” Another popular and witty Silverstein–Bare collaboration was the Grammy-nominated Singin’ in the Kitchen which sported a catchy, informal family sing-along atmosphere. Many other Silverstein songs figured prominently during Bare’s renewed chart run, most notably “The Winner” and the controversial “Drop Kick Me, Jesus (Through the Goalposts of Life),” the latter said to be former President Clinton’s favorite song.

Dubbed the Springsteen of Country

Due to his outsider stance and willingness to record material by Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, and the Rolling Stones, Bare has always had credibility with rock audiences. Acknowledging his ability to convey a song’s story, famed promoter Bill Graham christened Bare the “Bruce Springsteen of country” in 1977. One of the few country veterans to regularly receive airplay on FM rock radio, he garnered a surprisingly strong following among college audiences of the era.

Bare’s final important chart singles came at Columbia Records where he nearly cracked the country top ten with “Sleep Tight, Good Night Man,” and “Numbers,” which both hit number eleven in 1978. Equally fine was his duet with Roseanne Cash “No Memories Hangin’ Around.” Although Bare had done much to widen the parameters of mainstream country music, radio playlists couldn’t find room for his work during the neotraditional 1980s. A few of his EMI singles dented the bottom of the charts and he hosted his own talk show on TNN, but his career devolved to a largely leisure-time activity.

A notable exception came when he teamed with friends Waylon Jennings, Jerry Reed, and Mel Tillis for an album of geriatric country comedy called Old Dogs. Shel Silverstein penned all the songs. “We spent about a year in the studio working on that,” recalled Bare. “We had a ton of fun. That’s the last thing Shel ever did. I was just devastated when he died…. It just floored me because he was the last one I expected to go. He was the only one of all my friends who took care of himself…. With most of my other friends, you could see it coming. With Chet, I could see that coming for two or three years at least. With Cliffie Stone, I could see that coming … And, Harlan [Howard], I didn’t expect him to last as long as he did because he drank so hard there at the end. Waylon, we knew that was coming. But with Shel, we weren’t ready for that, we were blindsided.”

The early 2000s found Bare playing country legends tours, casino dates, and doing as much fishing as he desired. Yet, he still occasionally dabbles in music, guesting on the eclectic alt. rock/country albums of his son, Bloodshot recording artist Bobby Bare, Jr. Asked if he has been able to advise his son’s career, Bare chuckles with pride, “It’s a brand new ballgame what he’s doing. My phrase to him was, ‘Son, I can’t help you with this.'”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Brandon Rhyder recorded his “Live at Billy Bob’s” album on February 25^th of 2011. His remake of the Don Williams hit, “Lord, I Hope This Day is Good”, is a bonus track on the album.

ABOUT BRANDON RHYDER

For over a decade, singer-songwriter and musician Brandon Rhyder has been living the high life as one of the most celebrated music artists to come out of Texas. Widely exalted for his exquisite ability to couple gorgeous melodies with superb storytelling and deeply admired for his signature songbird vocal style, Rhyder is an artist’s artist. His resume boasts 18 years of highly praised albums, a rigorous tour schedule of 175 plus dates a year, and the privilege of working with top-notch songwriters like Liz Rhodes, Keith Gattis, Lori McKenna, and Radney Foster to name a few. Born and raised in Carthage, Texas, Rhyder grew up singing in church, where his voice, even then, stood out. In college, he discovered the guitar and began writing songs. He moved to Austin in 1999, quickly becoming part of the Red Dirt scene. His first album, “Because She Loves Me,” appeared in 2001, with his second, “Behind the Pine Curtain” released in 2003. The Walt Wilkins-produced “Conviction” was released in 2005 that included the timeless classics “Freeze Frame Time” and “Back Roads.” By then Rhyder was firmly established on the Texas scene. Arriving in 2007 “Live” on Apex Records delivered Rhyder’s first charting Texas single, “Before I Knew Your Name.” Radney Foster produced “Every Night,” which appeared in 2008, while Rhyder went back to Wilkins as a producer for 2010’s “Head Above Water.” “Live at Billy Bob’s Texas” appeared in 2011, with “That’s Just Me following “ in 2013. After a four-year break, Rhyder returned with a self-titled album in July of 2017 that was praised by the media including Rolling Stone Country, Taste of Country, TheBoot.com, Wide Open Country, and Lone Star Magazine. On September 13th Brandon Rhyder will release his new single “I Felt Good Today,” a magnum opus of a song inspired by his resurrection and layered with the poignant sentiment of loss. His live acoustic album “Main Street Crossing” will follow in November. At his core, Brandon Rhyder is a songwriter who has the uncanny ability to create songs that mean different things to different people. He writes the stories of our lives exposing all the milestones that make us human. Today he travels a brand new road and the new music fueling this ride has never been better.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Poison front man Brett Michaels makes his Billy Bob’s Texas Debut and brings the TV crew to tape VH1’s “Rock of Love” series.

ABOUT BRET MICHAELS

With his glammed-up good looks and commercial songwriting skills, Bret Michaels became one of rock & roll’s most recognizable frontmen during the 1980s. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Bret Michael Sychak migrated west in 1984, trading the blue-collar ambience of his native Pennsylvania for the seedy gloss of Los Angeles. Along with his three bandmates in Poison — guitarist C.C. DeVille, bassist Bobby Dall, and drummer Rikki Rockett — Michaels became an integral part of the popular hair metal scene, mixing feel-good party anthems and sensitive ballads into some of the decade’s top-selling singles. Poison’s popularity took a hit in the ’90s, however, when the advent of grunge music (not to mention the group’s unstable lineup) resulted in sluggish sales. Poison continued to record sporadically, but Bret Michaels also took time to focus on other projects, eventually launching a film company with actor Charlie Sheen. He also made his solo debut in 1998 with Letter from Death Row, the soundtrack to a movie that Michaels wrote, directed, and co-produced with Sheen. Poison reconvened the following year, and Michaels balanced his continued frontman duties with his growing singer/songwriter career, releasing the solo efforts Songs of Life and Freedom of Sound during the first half of the 2000s. He also participated in the 2005 season of Nashville Star, and later returned to reality TV with his own dating competition series, Rock of Love with Bret Michaels. The show ran for two seasons and was followed by 2008’s Rock My World compilation, which also featured several new tracks. As the new decade began, Michaels continued his reign as a reality TV star: Rock of Love faded away after 2009’s Rock of Love Bus, then in 2010 he won the NBC game show Celebrity Apprentice 3 in the spring and prepped for a fall show, Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It, in the fall. In between these two shows he released Custom Built which combined songs from his previous solo albums and new cuts.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

In 2005, bluesman Buddy Guy has to cancel his September concert due to Hurricane Rita.

ABOUT BUDDY GUY

Buddy Guy is one of the most celebrated blues guitarists of his generation (arguably the most celebrated), possessing a sound and style that embodies the traditions of classic Chicago blues while also embracing the fire and flash of rock & roll. Guy began his recording career in 1959 and scored his first hit in 1960 with “First Time I Met the Blues.” He spent much of the next decade a well-regarded journeyman, praised by peers and blues fans without breaking through to a larger audience; his best album of the ’60s originally didn’t even have his name on it (Junior Wells’ Hoodoo Man Blues). However, he found an audience in Europe in the ’70s and rock fans began discovering his work through the endorsements of noted fans Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Mark Knopfler. Guy released little material in the ’80s (his best-known album of the decade was 1981’s Stone Crazy, one of the few that received an American release), as he focused on live work. But in 1991, Guy finally enjoyed a commercial breakthrough with Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues, and since then he’s been one of the biggest names in contemporary blues, touring frequently and cutting new material on a regular basis. In the 21st century, Guy was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, kept recording (2001’s Sweet Tea, 2008’s Skin Deep, and 2010’s Living Proof are high points from this period), played an annual residency at his Chicago nightclub Legends, and even played at the White House, inviting President Barack Obama on-stage for a duet on “Sweet Home Chicago.”

George “Buddy” Guy was born in Lettsworth, Louisiana on July 30, 1936, and is said to have first learned to play on a home-made two-string instrument fashioned from wire and tin cans. Guy graduated to an acoustic guitar and began soaking up the influences of blues players such as T-Bone Walker, B.B. King, and Lightnin’ Hopkins; when his family relocated to Baton Rouge, Guy had the opportunity to see live performances by Lightnin’ Slim (aka Otis Hicks) and Guitar Slim, whose raw, forceful sound and over-the-top showmanship left a serious impression on him. Guy started playing professionally when he became a sideman for John “Big Poppa” Tilley, and he learned to work the crowd and overcome early bouts of stage fright. In 1957, Guy cut a demo tape at a local radio station and sent a copy to Chess Records, the label that was home to such giants as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Etta James, shortly before buying a one-way train ticket and moving to Chicago, eager to make music his career.

Guy didn’t enjoy immediate success in Chicago, and struggled to find gigs until his fiery guitar work and flashy stage style (which included hopping on top of bars and strutting up and down their length while soloing, thanks to a 100-foot-long guitar cable) made him a regular winner in talent night contests at Windy City clubs. Guy struck up friendships with some of the city’s best blues artists, including Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, Freddie King, and Magic Sam, and landed a steady gig at the 708 Club, where he became known as a talent to watch. In 1958, Magic Sam arranged for Guy to meet Harold Burrage, the owner of local blues label Cobra Records, and Guy was soon signed to Cobra’s sister label Artistic Records. Willie Dixon produced Guy’s debut single, “Sit and Cry (The Blues),” as well as its follow-up, “This Is the End,” but in 1959, Cobra and Artistic abruptly closed up shop, and like labelmate Otis Rush, Guy found a new record deal at Chess. His first single for Chess, 1960’s “First Time I Met the Blues,” was an artistic triumph and a modest commercial success that became one of his signature tunes, but it was also the first chapter in what would prove to be a complicated creative relationship between Guy and label co-founder Leonard Chess, who recognized his talent but didn’t appreciate the louder and more expressive aspects of his guitar style. While Guy enjoyed minor successes with outstanding Chess singles such as “Stone Crazy” and “When My Left Eye Jumps,” much of his work for the label was as a sideman, lending his talents to sessions for Muddy Waters, Koko Taylor, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, and many others. And one of Guy’s definitive ’60s recordings wasn’t even issued by Chess; Guy had been performing occasionally with blues harpist Junior Wells, and Guy and his band backed Wells on the 1965 Delmark release Hoodoo Man Blues, a masterful exercise in the Chicago blues style, with Guy credited as “Friendly Chap” on initial pressings in deference to his contract with Chess.

Chess didn’t issue an album of Guy’s until the 1967 release of I Left My Blues in San Francisco, and when his contract with the label ran out, he promptly signed with Vanguard, which put out A Man and the Blues in 1968. As a growing number of rock fans were discovering the blues, Guy was finding his stock rising with both traditional blues enthusiasts and younger white audiences, and his recordings for Vanguard gave him more room for the tougher and more aggressive sound that was the trademark of his live shows. (It didn’t hurt that Jimi Hendrix acknowledged Guy as an influence and praised his live show in interviews.) At the same time, Guy hadn’t forsaken the more measured approach he used with Junior Wells; Buddy and Wells cut an album that also featured Junior Mance on piano for Blue Thumb called Buddy and the Juniors, and in 1972, Eric Clapton partnered with Ahmet Ertegun and Tom Dowd to produce the album Buddy Guy and Junior Wells Play the Blues. In 1974, Guy and Wells played the Montreux Jazz Festival, with Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones sitting in on bass; the show was later released as a live album, Drinkin’ TNT and Smokin’ Dynamite, with Wyman credited as producer.

By the end of the ’70s, Guy was without an American record deal, and his career took a hit as a result; while he recorded some material for specialist labels in Europe and Japan, and Alligator issued two collections in 1981, Alone & Acoustic and Stone Crazy, for the most part Guy supported himself in the ’80s by extensive touring and live work, often appearing in Europe where he was more well-respected than in the United States. Despite this, he continued to plug away at the American market, buoyed by interest from guitar buffs who had heard major stars sing his praises; in 1985, Eric Clapton told a reporter for Musician magazine, “Buddy Guy is by far and without a doubt the best guitar player alive…he really changed the course of rock & roll blues,” while Vaughan declared, “Without Buddy Guy, there would be no Stevie Ray Vaughan.” In 1989, Guy opened his own nightclub in Chicago, Buddy Guy’s Legends, where he frequently performed and played host to other top blues acts, and in 1991, after a well-received appearance with Clapton at London’s Royal Albert Hall (documented in part on the album 24 Nights), he finally scored an international record deal with the Silvertone label, distributed by BMG. Guy’s first album for Silvertone, Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues, featured guest appearances by Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Mark Knopfler, and featured fresh versions of several fan favorites as well as a handful of new tunes; it was the Buddy Guy album that finally clicked with record buyers, and became a genuine hit, earning Guy a gold album, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Guy wasted no time cutting follow-ups, releasing Feels Like Rain in 1993 and Slippin’ In in 1994, both of which racked up solid sales figures and won Guy further Grammy Awards.

In 1993, Guy reunited with Junior Wells on the stage of his Legends club; it would prove to be one of Wells’ last live performances, and the show was released in 1998, several months after Wells’ passing, on the album Last Time Around: Live at Legends. While most of Guy’s work in the late ’90s and into the new millennium was the sort of storming Chicago blues that was the basis of his reputation, he also demonstrated he was capable of exploring other avenues, channeling the hypnotic Deep Southern blues of Junior Kimbrough on 2001’s Sweet Tea and covering a set of traditional blues classics on acoustic guitar for 2003’s Blues Singer. In 2004, Guy won the W.C. Handy Award from the American Blues Foundation for the 23rd time, more than any other artist, while he took home his sixth Grammy Award in 2010 for the album Living Proof. Guy also received the National Medal of the Arts in 2003, and was awarded Kennedy Center Honors in 2012. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, with both Eric Clapton and B.B. King presenting him with his award, and in 2012 he performed a special concert at the White House, where he persuaded President Barack Obama to join him at the vocal mike for a few choruses of “Sweet Home Chicago.” Guy continued his late-career revival with the 2012 memoir When I Left Home: My Story and the summer 2013 release of the ambitious, guest star-laden, double-album Rhythm & Blues. The record reached number one on Billboard’s Top Blues Albums chart and 27 on their Top 200. Two years later, Guy returned with Born to Play Guitar, another album recorded with producer Tom Hambridge, who has helmed the guitarist’s albums since 2008’s Skin Deep. In 2018, Guy took time off from his busy road schedule to release a studio album, The Blues Is Alive and Well, which featured guest appearances from Keith Richards, Jeff Beck, and Mick Jagger. The album earned Guy the Grammy Award (his eighth) for Best Traditional Blues Album.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Buddy Jewell made is debut and cemented his hands on the “Wall of Fame” the same night, on August 29, 2003.

ABOUT BUDDY JEWELL

Buddy Jewell burst onto the country music scene after winning the inaugural season of the USA Network’s hit television series “Nashville Star.” After Buddy’s win, Columbia Records released his self-titled debut album “Buddy Jewell” which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Album charts as well as #13 on the Top 100 Pop Album Charts. The album was certified Gold later that same year, selling over ½ million copies. Buddy’s first two singles, “Sweet Southern Comfort” and “Help Pour Out the Rain (Lacey’s Song)” both landed in the top 5 on the singles chart. Jewell has since followed up with 5 more albums, “Times Like These,” “Country Enough” , “I Surrender All”, “Wanted : LIVE “and his newest release, “My Father’s Country.”

After living throughout the Arkansas Delta in Dyess, Helena-West Helena and Forrest City, Buddy’s family finally settled in Osceola. That’s not far from Dyess, where his mother and father grew up with the Cash family…as in Johnny Cash. Conway Twitty hailed from nearby Helena, and Glen Campbell is a native of Delight. Jewell was influenced by the music of all three. Both of his parents were musical, and there were stacks of classic country records around the house. His uncles Clyde and Hubert taught Jewell to play guitar. Enthralled with the instrument, he began performing publicly, mainly in church, at age 15.

Buddy Jewell was also a natural athlete, playing baseball, basketball and football. He was team captain and quarterback of his high school team and played college football at Arkansas State University as well. While in college, he began to perform in clubs and talent contests, igniting his passion for performing and country music.

Buddy Jewell’s voice is the voice of experience. It has a friendly, “lived in” quality because, as the old saying goes, he has “been around.” Born to a working-class family in Arkansas, Jewell has been singing for his supper since the age of 21, from coast to coast. He has also driven a beer truck and worked as a nightclub bouncer. Buddy knows the meaning of hard work and perseverance.

In 1985, Jewell became the lead singer of the country band White Oak based in Camden, Arkansas. The group signed up with a booking agency that also represented Canyon, Lariat and Bayou Speak Easy, the last of which was fronted by the then-unknown Trace Atkins. Buddy was making progress, but finally realized that if he was going to get anywhere musically, the family would have to move to Nashville. In January of 1993, Buddy, his wife Tené and their 3 year old son, Buddy III, took that giant leap of faith.

In between all those working-stiff jobs, Jewell began to make contacts on Music Row. His larger-than-life voice eventually made him Nashville’s most popular “demo” singer. That’s an anonymous vocalist who is hired to record a demonstration of a song that is then played for a star’s consideration. George Strait’s “Write This Down,” Lee Ann Womack’s “A Little Past Little Rock,” Clay Walker’s “You’re Beginning to Get to Me” and Gary Allan’s “The One” were all first sung as Buddy Jewell demos. He has recorded more than 5,000 such projects. In 1997, alone, Jewell sang 663 song demos. But he yearned for something more. He wanted a shot at the country-music big time.

Songwriters and music publishers loved him. The record companies did not. Buddy Jewell became increasingly frustrated as he was turned down for a recording contract by one label after another on Music Row. One offer evaporated when the interested label shut down. Another one vanished when the label was sold. And believe it or not, he missed out on another opportunity because a tornado struck blocks away from a label showcase, knocking out the power! Buddy kept on patiently singing demos with dignity, slowly letting his recording-contract dream die. Daughter Lacey came along in 1993. Second son Joshua was born in 2000.

Fast forward two years…encouraged by his wife, Tené, Buddy entered the USA Network’s contest Nashville Star in 2003. Thousands of performers tried out for the show; 125 of them made it to the semi-finals; 12 were chosen for the nine-week series. Buddy was the true viewer favorite from the premiere episode, capturing 65% of the nationwide voting among the 12 contestants and beating out, most notably, a young Miranda Lambert, by over 2 million votes on the final episode. TV audiences and critics alike fell in love with Buddy Jewell’s gentility, enthusiasm and true musical passion. Columbia Records rushed him into the studio with producer Clint Black, and within two weeks Buddy Jewell delivered his superb debut CD.

“I had a little website. The first night I sang ‘Help Pour Out the Rain’ on the show, it had so many responses that it crashed the website and cost me about $1000 in overages. I didn’t have a clue that the song would have that kind of impact. Tené and I started printing out emails off the site. A lot of them were from parents whose children had died. I got hundreds of letters. We collected the print-outs and letters and put them in a binder. Not for public consumption. Just for ourselves. I’m honored that I had a hand in creating something that means so much to people. But it was bittersweet. You wish that it was for a happier reason.”

The year that followed his win on Nashville Star was truly a dream fulfilled for Buddy. He earned major award nominations from the ACM for Best New Artist, the CMA for the Horizon Award, their version of the Best New Artist of the Year and a Grammy nomination for his participation in Amazing Grace III, a special gospel project. He was also named “New Artist of the Year” by the prestigious ABC Radio Networks.

In April 2005, Buddy was honored by the National Fatherhood Initiative as a recipient of their annual Fatherhood Award. Recipients of this award are individuals who exemplify the ideals of involved, responsible and committed fatherhood. First Lady Laura Bush spoke at the event. In 2011, Jewell was named “Entertainer of the Year” and “Crossover Artist of the Year” by the International Country Gospel Music Association. Most recently, in September 2015, he was inducted into the Arkansas Entertainer’s Hall of Fame, taking his place alongside music legends Johnny Cash and Glen Campbell.

Jewell’s fan base is stronger than ever in 2016. The success of that relationship has always been built on mutual respect and admiration. Buddy remains as immensely loyal to his fans as they are to him. “They are amazing”, says Buddy of his fans. “They have followed me and supported me through thick and thin. They have kept me motivated and I’m grateful to them for that. I couldn’t have done this without them”

Having shared the stage with the likes of Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Brooks and Dunn, and ZZ Top, Buddy Jewell is a well-rounded performer, a true entertainer, and an absolute crowd pleaser.

Buddy, an Arkansas native, is a true southern gentleman both on and off the stage. Above all these things, Buddy is a proud Arkansan, a loving father, a devoted husband, passionate patriot and an outspoken Christ follower. He has always reached out to his community and beyond, and considers his roles as spokesperson for The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation and work with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as some of the most important of his career.

Jewell has also been a constant supporter of our men and women in uniform throughout his career. In December 2010, Buddy traveled with the Sergeant Major of the Army, Kenneth O. Preston to Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait on an extensive USO tour, visiting and performing for our troops in remote forward operating bases, “If they can put their lives on the line for me and my family on a daily basis, spending a couple weeks facing the same challenges and hostile environment as they do is the least I can do to show my appreciation.” “I believe in giving back”, asserts Jewell. “Everyone can make a positive difference. With a little time and a little effort, we can make this world a better place.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On December 28, 1991, Carlene Carter put her hands in concrete for us to add her to the “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT CARLENE CARTER

Carlene Carter comes full circle with her latest CD, Carter Girl, on Rounder Records. As the daughter of country music legends June Carter Cash and Carl Smith, and granddaughter of “Mother” Maybelle Carter of the original historic Carter Family, Carlene said it was her lifelong goal to make this record. “The songs on the album cover three generations of Carter Family music,” she explains. “The original Carter Family (A.P., Sara, and Maybelle); Momma’s ‘Tall Lover Man’ and Aunt Helen’s ‘Poor Old Heartsick Me’; then two of mine: ‘Me and the Wildwood Rose’ and a new song about Momma and John’s passing called ‘Lonesome Valley 2003.'”

Carlene shares writing credit on “Lonesome” with her great uncle A.P. Carter (recently in the Billboard Top 10 as co-writer of the pop phenomenon “Cups”), and the track features vocals by Vince Gill. Other guest artists on the CD are Willie Nelson on “Troublesome Waters,” Kris Kristofferson on “Blackjack David,” and “Elizabeth Cook steps in as an honorary Carter Girl,” Carlene adds, “singing harmonies on six of the twelve songs.” Family is represented by cousin Lorrie Carter Bennett (daughter of Anita Carter), and Carlene’s husband Joe Breen, each heard on two songs.

The CD was produced by Don Was and mixed by Bob Clearmountain, both on Carlene’s wish list for the project, and she says Carter Girl has “lots of fabulous musicians: Don on bass, Jim Keltner on drums, Rami Jaffee (from The Wallflowers and Foo Fighters) on keyboards. Greg Leisz plays steel guitar, acoustic, and electric too. Sam Bush is playing mandolin on three songs. Blake Mills plays most of the stringed instruments, electric guitars, and tiple, which is a kind of mandolin. I play piano, and acoustic guitars in the style of my grandma, but it’s different from the 1920s! I’m really glad I was able to pull together all of these perfect people.”

“Cowboy Jack Clement played acoustic guitar on ‘Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow,'” Carlene continues, “and we used an old track for that to have Helen, Anita, Momma, and me, along with Big John, singing background on the chorus. We built a new track around our vocals from the Wildwood Flower album we did back in 1986. Kind of a cool thing to have the technology to bring it as a part of this project.”

Looking back on her own musical history, Carlene remembers, “I started my career singing with The Carter Family at 17. My first album came out in 1978.” Recorded in England with rock band Graham Parker & the Rumour, that self-titled debut was named “Tops in Pops” by Time magazine, while Newsweek called Carlene “a stunning newcomer.” At the album’s release party in L.A., Dolly Parton whispered in her ear, “Keep on smiling, no matter what!” Advice, Carlene says, has served her well. When Maybelle Carter died later that fall, Chet Flippo wrote in Rolling Stone that she “lived to see her granddaughter Carlene merge Nashville with contemporary rock and roll.”

Her third album, Musical Shapes, still often cited as being ahead of its time for its blend of country and rock, was recorded with her then-husband and producer Nick Lowe and his group Rockpile in 1980. Making their home in London, Carlene spent a year on the West End stage in the musical Pump Boys and Dinettes, then filled in for her aunt Anita one night when The Carter Family played Wembley with the Johnny Cash show. She ended up touring with them for the next two years, until she felt ready to go out on her own again, encouraged by Dwight Yoakam, who told her, “Carlene, there is a place for you in country music.”

More advice came from the man Carlene affectionately refers to as “Big John,” her stepfather Cash. “He was a huge influence on my becoming an entertainer and a strong woman, not just a chick singer-songwriter, because of his encouragement,” she recalls. “‘All music is good if you’re being yourself,’ he told me. ‘Don’t let labels of being country or rock ever hold you back! Just be yourself. Then you are unique and can’t be held in a box musically.'”

Working with producer Howie Epstein (of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers), Carlene Carter became Nashville’s homecoming queen of 1990 when her rockin’ “I Fell In Love” topped the country singles and video charts, and the album was named one of the year’s 10 best by Time, People, and Stereo Review. Award nominations followed for the Academy of Country Music’s Top New Female Vocalist, and Best Country Vocal Performance, Female (for the I Fell In Love album) at the 1991 Grammy Awards. Her dynamic personality made her a natural as VH1’s first country video hostess with her own daily hour, The Carlene Carter Show, and she had another smash hit single and video with “Every Little Thing,” from Little Love Letters, in 1993.

Producing her next album, Little Acts of Treason, in 1995, Carlene got her father Carl Smith out of retirement for a duet of his hit “Loose Talk” (#1 for 7 weeks in 1955), and included The Carter Family and Johnny Cash on “The Winding Stream.” Back on television with a series of specials for TNN, Carlene Carter: Circle of Song featured many friends and family members; and she made history with two other famous Nashville daughters, Lorrie Morgan and Pam Tillis, on what USA Today called “the first all-female major country tour” in 1996. Her first “best of” collection, Hindsight 20/20, with 20 songs spanning 20 years of her recording career, was also released that year.

European tours and appearances on other albums continued, including a Waylon Jennings tribute covering his anthem “I’ve Always Been Crazy,” but Carlene’s life was devastated by the deaths of longtime partner Epstein, mother June, stepfather Cash, and sister Rosey Nix, all in 2003. Her performance of “Jackson” with Brooks & Dunn at the Johnny Cash Memorial Tribute Concert (which The Tennessean named “the show’s emotional highlight”), led to Carlene being cast as her mom in Wildwood Flowers: The June Carter Story, a 2005 Nashville stage musical about June’s early years with Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters. The show ended with Carlene’s emotional tribute to her grandmother and Rosey on “Me and the Wildwood Rose” segueing into “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.”

Carlene continued to honor Rosey on the title track to her next CD, Stronger, produced by old friend and musical collaborator John McFee (of The Doobie Brothers and Southern Pacific) in 2008. Elvis Costello called the record “astounding,” and Bernie Taupin wrote that it was “a staggering achievement by one of the great voices and fearless hearts of country rock.” USA Today said simply, “It’s great to hear her again.”

Carlene Carter’s songs have continued to be heard again too, as “It Takes One To Know Me,” her long-lost birthday present to her stepdad when she was 19, closed the Johnny Cash box-set The Legend in 2005; and “Easy From Now On,” first recorded by Emmylou Harris in 1978, was included on the 2007 #1 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend CD by Miranda Lambert, who said, “That’s a ridiculously great song.” Another one of the current generation’s strong female country singer-songwriters, Ashley Monroe, is a distant relative of both the Carter and Smith families, and as she told CMT News, “I grew up knowing Carlene was my cousin as well. Wore her little tapes out.” Sirius Outlaw Country radio host and frequent Grand Ole Opry guest Elizabeth Cook says, “Carlene is my hero.”

With the release of Carter Girl, Carlene is excited to be singing some of the songs from the CD to live audiences for the first time, including Farm Aid 2013 and 2014, another full circle for her since she attended the first Farm Aid in 1985. “It was the sweetest reunion to be with Willie (Nelson) again,” Carlene said. “He’s the last living person who knew my two sets of parents in a very close way.” She also returned to the musical theater stage in the Ghost Brothers of Darkland County 2014 North American Fall Tour (written by Stephen King, with music and lyrics by John Mellencamp), and was the Special Guest on all 80 dates of the John Mellencamp 2015 Plain Spoken North American Tour, an opportunity she called “an honor and a privilege. I’m thrilled to have been chosen to share the stage with one of America’s greatest songwriters. He has a strong appreciation for our Carter Family roots, and of course, he and my mom were mutual admirers, as were he and ‘Big John’.”

Wherever she performs, Carlene knows that she is doing her part to honor those who came before her, in her own way. “From the day I first touched a guitar or piano,” she recalls, “my mom said, ‘You have to carry on the legacy of the Carter Family music. It’s supposed to be passed on and passed around.'” Nearly a century after their first recordings changed the course of American music, that circle remains unbroken by Carlene Carter.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

August 22^nd of 2020, Casey Donahew returned to his backyard here in the stockyards and lit up the stage in front of a sold-out crowd.

ABOUT CASEY DONAHEW

In just over 10 years, Casey Donahew has risen from being a favorite on the local Texas music scene to a nationally popular touring act who has racked up 13 No. 1 singles and consistently sells out venues across the country. Donahew has released four independent albums to critical and commercial acclaim. His 2011 release, DOUBLE WIDE DREAM, spawned three No. 1 singles: the title track, “Double Wide Dream,” “Let’s Not Say Goodbye Again,” and “One Star Flag.” Casey’s last CD, STANDOFF, quickly topped the iTunes Country Chart at No. 1, upon its release, and yielded five No. 1 radio singles “Whiskey Baby,” “Small Town Love,” “Lovin’ Out of Control,” which is Donahew’s fastest rising single to date, “Not Ready To Say Goodnight” and “Loser.” His most recent #1 single “Feels This Right,” from his EP release PRE-PARTY, marks his latest Texas radio hit. Donahew released his most recent studio album ALL NIGHT PARTY on August 19, 2016, and it immediately rocketed to No. 3 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart, No. 13 on the Top Album Sales Chart and Top Current Album Sales Chart, and No. 40 on the Billboard 200 Chart. The hot new project also took the No. 2 spot on the Internet Albums Chart and landed at No. 3 on the Independent Albums Chart. Donahew worked with acclaimed producer Josh Leo (Love & Theft, Timothy B. Schmit, and Alabama, among others) on this latest project, marking the first time he has engaged an outside producer. Leo has performed on over 150 records, produced 21 singles that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, written six singles that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Singles chart, and has won 6 BMI Millionaire awards.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On November 17, 1995, CBS This Morning aired live its entire two-hour show. Anchor Harry Smith donned a white Western hat, and weatherman Mark McEwen took a ride around the arena on the longhorn steer, Lonestar.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On June 6, 1992 when Pride cast his handprints for Billy Bob’s “Wall Of Fame.” Charley performed at Billy Bob’s Texas about a dozen times during his career. And as recently as November 16, 2018, he joined his longtime friend Willie Nelson on stage at Billy Bob’s to sing a few songs.

ABOUT CHARLEY PRIDE

Becoming a trailblazing Country Music superstar was an improbable destiny for Charley Pride considering his humble beginnings as a sharecropper’s son on a cotton farm in Sledge, Mississippi. His unique journey to the top of the music charts includes a detour through the world of Negro league, minor league and semi-pro baseball as well as hard years of labor alongside the vulcanic fires of a smelter. But in the end, with boldness, perseverance and undeniable musical talent, he managed to parlay a series of fortuitous encounters with Nashville insiders into an amazing legacy of hit singles and tens of millions in record sales.

Growing up, Charley was exposed primarily to Blues, Gospel and Country music. His father inadvertently fostered Charley’s love of Country music by tuning the family’s Philco radio to Nashville’s WSM-AM in order to catch Grand Ole Opry broadcasts. At 14 years of age, Charley purchased his first guitar—a Silvertone from a Sears Roebuck catalog—and taught himself how to play it by listening to the songs that he heard on that radio.

By the age of 16, Charley began emerging as a talented baseball player. He first played organized games in the Iowa State League and then professional games in the Negro American League as a pitcher and outfielder for the Memphis Red Sox. In 1953, he signed a contract with the Boise Yankees, the Class C farm team of the New York Yankees. But during that season a shoulder injury hampered his pitching. He was first sent to the Yankees’ Class D team in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and then released. Over the next several years, Charley rejoined the Memphis Red Sox, moved to the Louisville Clippers and then was sold, along with another player, to the Birmingham Black Barons in order to fund a replacement for the Clippers’ broken-down team bus. He also played for the El Paso Kings and the Yaquis in Nogales, Mexico. Upon rejoining the Memphis Red Sox in 1956 he won 14 games as a pitcher and earned himself a position on the Negro American League All-Star Team. It was during the 1956 season that Charley transitioned into a knuckleball pitcher—he had cracked a bone in his elbow early in the season but had managed to recover quickly enough to rejoin the team during the latter half of the season.

As an all-star player in 1956, Charley played against a group of major-league players (the Willie Mays All‑Stars) that included Willie Mays and Hank Aaron. At the end of the season, these teams barnstormed together all over the south playing exhibition games that the major-league all-stars almost always won. However, one October night in Victoria, TX, Charley sealed a rare victory for the negro-league all-stars by closing out a game with 4 innings of shutout ball.

In late 1956 Charley was drafted by Uncle Sam and ordered to report to Fort Chaffee, Arkansas for basic training. During Christmas leave from basic training, he married his wife Rozene, whom he had met earlier in the year while playing baseball in Memphis. After basic training, he was stationed at Fort Carson, near Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he was assigned to quartermaster duty and the baseball team. While serving at Ft. Carson, Charley was known to sing in the barracks and occasionally perform at the officer’s club (which was very unusual for a black man at the time).

The fort’s baseball squad was stacked with baseball talent in 1957 and won the “All Army” sports championship at a tournament at Ft. Knox. In addition to Pride, the team included several other players who had been playing or would go on to play professionally, including George Altman (Cubs, Cardinals, Mets), Willie Kirkland (Giants, Indians, Orioles, Senators), Eddie Kopacz and J.C. Hartman.

Upon receiving his discharge from the US Army in early 1958, Charley rejoined the Memphis Red Sox and returned to doggedly pursuing his dream of becoming a major league baseball pitcher. As an all-star player again that year, Charley pitched against major league all-stars including Al Smith, Gene Baker and Ernie Banks.

In 1958, he also made his first attempt to launch his singing career. Charley dropped by 706 Union Avenue in Memphis with his guitar and cut a professionally recorded demo at Sun Studio. Several takes were recorded on a song titled “There’s My Baby (Walkin’)”, a thinly disguised adaption of the 1957 pop hit “The Stroll” by the Diamonds. For better or worse, Charley was still trying to find his voice as a singer and the demo didn’t prove very helpful in furthering his aspirations as a music artist at the time.

In 1960, Charley moved to Montana to play for the Missoula Timberjacks in the Pioneer League, but ended up working at a smelter operated by the Anaconda Mining Company and playing for its semi-pro baseball team, the East Helena Smelterites. In 1961, he was invited to try out for the Los Angeles Angels during spring training but found himself heading back home to Helena, Montana after just two weeks in camp.

During the first half of the 1960’s, Charley continued to work at the smelter and play baseball for its semi-pro team. But he also began making a name for himself as a local performer by singing the national anthem at baseball games and performing at honky-tonks, churches and nightclubs in the Helena, Anaconda and Great Falls areas. In 1962, with the help of Tiny Stokes, a local disc jockey, Charley was introduced to Country singers Red Sovine and Red Foley and invited to perform “Lovesick Blues” and “Heartaches By The Number” during one of their shows. This brief initial encounter with Red Sovine would turn out to be crucial in laying the groundwork for Charley’s future music career.

After a disastrous 1963 tryout with the New York Mets in Clearwater, Florida it became clear that a major league baseball career was not in the cards. Charley chose to return to Montana via Tennessee because Red Sovine had told him that if he ever became serious about a singing career and decided to visit Nashville, he should stop by Cedarwood Publishing, the company that booked Sovine’s shows.

From the Greyhound bus station in Nashville, Charley walked over to Cedarwood’s office and by sheer luck ended up meeting Jack Johnson, who had been actively searching for a promising black Country singer. Johnson made a simply produced recording of Charley performing a couple of songs and then drove him straight back to the bus station with the promise of a management contract. Johnson quickly made good on that promise and it was the beginning of a working relationship that would start off slow, but prove to be very fruitful over the next decade.

While Johnson attempted to stir up interest in Nashville, Charley continued to perform in and around the Montana area. Sometimes he performed as a solo artist and other times as a member of a combo or group. One of these groups, The Night Hawks, was an unusually progressive Country music ensemble for the 1960s. Founded by a young guitarist named Jimmy Owen, the group featured Charley on guitar and vocals, Jimmy’s father George on steel guitar and a 14 year old girl by the name of Monty Cowles on the drums!

In Nashville, Johnson ran into significantly more resistance than he had anticipated as he shopped around the crude demo recording that he had made of Charley to the record labels. It wasn’t until 1965 that forward progress was made. Charley returned to Nashville and Johnson introduced him to producer “Cowboy” Jack Clement. Clement gave Charley seven songs to learn and within a week they cut two of these songs – “The Snakes Crawl At Night” and “Atlantic Coastal Line” – during a split studio session with top-notch session players.

Even with the professionally produced sides, Johnson and Clement continued to have a difficult time as they shopped Charley around to the Nashville labels. But finally in 1966, Chet Atkins, the legendary guitarist and a rising executive at RCA Records, decided to trust his ears and with his backing RCA signed Charley. Atkins took Charley under his wing, nurtured his talent and spearheaded a shrewd promotional campaign that addressed the racial challenges of mid 1960s America.

Charley’s first two singles, “The Snakes Crawl At Night” and “Before I Met You”, set the groundwork for “Just Between You and Me”, which caught fire in 1967, breaking into the Top-10 Country chart and garnering Charley his first GRAMMY® nomination. What happened next is Country Music history. Charley Pride quickly became Country Music’s first black superstar. Between 1967 and 1987, he amassed no fewer than 52 Top-10 Country hits and went on to sell tens of millions of records worldwide. In 1971, Charley won two GRAMMY® Awards related to his Gospel album DID YOU THINK TO PRAY–“Best Sacred Performance, Musical (Non-Classical)” for the album, as well as “Best Gospel Performance Other Than Soul” for the single “Let Me Live.” Later that year, his #1 crossover hit “Kiss An Angel Good Morning” sold over a million singles and helped him to win the Country Music Association’s (CMA) “Entertainer of the Year” award and the “Top Male Vocalist” awards of 1971 and 1972. It also brought him a “Best Male Country Vocal Performance” GRAMMY® Award in 1972. Some of Charley’s unforgettable hits from the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s include “All I Have To Offer You Is Me,” “Is Anybody Goin’ To San Antone,” “Amazing Love,” “Mississippi Cotton Pickin’ Delta Town,” “Burgers And Fries,” “Roll On Mississippi” and “Mountain Of Love.” After parting ways with RCA Records in 1986, Charley spent the remainder of the decade releasing albums on the 16th Avenue Records label.

Charley wrote an autobiography in the early 1990s, with the assistance of Jim Henderson, called PRIDE: THE CHARLEY PRIDE STORY. That book covers the events of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s in significantly more detail.

In 1993, Pride was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, 26 years after he had first played there as a guest. Charley is always quick to point out that he’d always had an open invitation to join the Opry from as early as his first appearance in 1967. “It was purely an economical decision for me. When I was first invited to join the Opry, they had a requirement at the time that you had to perform 26 Saturdays per year. Fridays and Saturdays were the best days for drawing people to shows and making money out on the road–and my career was starting to take off. So I had to politely decline.”

Many of Pride’s other honors clearly underscore his impact on American Music. In 1994, he was honored by the Academy Of Country Music (ACM) with its prestigious Pioneer Award. In 2000, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. And in 2017, The Recording Academy®, renowned for its GRAMMY® awards, honored Charley with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

As an international superstar, Charley has performed all over the world and continues to tour regularly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, The United Kingdom and Ireland.

Interestingly, Charley’s popularity with many of his Irish and UK fans can be can be traced back to the insurgent territorial conflict known as “The Troubles.” Characterized by bouts of intense political violence, The Troubles were primarily centered in Northern Ireland. And because of the risks, international music acts were routinely skipping Belfast. In 1975, at the height of The Troubles, legendary Irish concert promoter Jim Aiken flew out to a rural Ohio concert and persuaded Charley not to bypass Belfast during his upcoming European tour. In November 1976, Charley’s appearance at Belfast’s Ritz Cinema brought the community together and he subsequently became a hero to both sides of the conflict for helping to break the informal touring ban of Northern Ireland after several other international music acts such as Rod Stewart and The Rolling Stones followed suit. Shortly thereafter, “Crystal Chandeliers” became considered a ‘unity song’ in Ireland and the UK when it was subsequently released as a single.

Although he no longer dominates the Country radio airplay charts, Charley has never stopped recording new music. Since 1990, Pride has released many new studio albums, including MUSIC IN MY HEART in July 2017.

One of the more surprising aspects about Pride’s rise to fame is how easily he was accepted by the Country music audience once they heard him sing. “People often say to me, ‘You must have had it hard,’ and when I say, ‘No, I didn’t,’ they give me that you-gotta-be-lying look. But there was never one iota hoot-call at any of my shows. The big problem early on was that [concert] promoters were reluctant or scared to book me,” says Pride. “But they finally came around.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

In 1990, CBS tapes another Happy New Year, American television special at Billy Bob’s featuring Charlie Daniels and Tanya Tucker.

ABOUT CHARLIE DANIELS BAND

From his Dove Award-winning gospel albums to his genre-defining Southern rock anthems and his CMA Award-winning country hits, few artists have left a more indelible mark on America’s musical landscape than Charlie Daniels. An outspoken patriot, beloved mentor to young artists, and still a road warrior at age 81, Charlie has parlayed his passion for music into a multi-platinum career and a platform to support the military, underprivileged children, and others in need. Raised among the longleaf pines of North Carolina, Charlie began his career playing bluegrass music with the Misty Mountain Boys. After moving to Nashville in 1967, he began making a name for himself as a songwriter, session musician, and producer. Elvis Presley recorded a tune Charlie co-wrote titled “It Hurts Me,” which was released on the flip side of “Kissin’ Cousins.” He played on such landmark albums as Bob Dylan’s Nashville Skyline and tried his hand at producing the Youngbloods’ Elephant Mountain and Ride the Wind.

His own unique voice as an artist emerged as Charlie recorded his self-titled solo album in 1970 for Capitol Records. Two years later he formed the Charlie Daniels Band and the group scored its first hit with the top ten “Uneasy Rider.” Since then the CDB has populated radio with such memorable hits as “Long Haired Country Boy,” “The South’s Gonna Do It Again,” “In America,” “The Legend of Wooley Swamp” and of course, his signature song, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” which won a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group in 1979 as well as single of the year at the Country Music Association Awards. The CDB performed 100+ concert dates in 2017, including performances on the Grand Ole Opry, and will perform another full concert schedule in 2018. “I love what I do,” says Charlie of his 60-plus years in the music business. “I look forward to entertaining people. When show time gets here, I’m ready to go, ready to go play for them. It’s a labor of love. I just thank God I make a living at what I enjoy doing.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Charlie Robison makes his Billy Bob’s debut with Cory Morrow in April of 1999

Charlie Robison got a tattoo on his arm to commemorate his “Live at Billy Bob’s” recording.

ABOUT CHARLIE ROBISON

Let’s just get it out of the way right up front: In the five years between his last and most successful album yet, Good Times, and his new Dualtone Records release, Beautiful Day, Charlie Robison got divorced from his wife Emily (of The Dixie Chicks). So it’s only natural to assume that this is his “divorce album,” which is not altogether untrue.

But as with all devoted songwriters, Robison writes from a perspective that draws from and speaks to larger matters and issues within human experience and life in these times. And as the title indicates, even if this album is to a notable degree about and informed by the end of his marriage, there’s something different and more at work here.

Beautiful Day is ultimately an album that chronicles the processes and resulting growth one goes through and finally the redemption to be found within such a major life event. And it reflects a change in approach is the way Robison writes his songs. “In the past most of my songs were stories written from a third-person perspective,” he explains. “This is the first album where I’m writing in the first person. It wasn’t like I did it by design; I didn’t have any choice.”

Hence Beautiful Day is a musical and emotional journey that travels through a vivid landscape of feelings and moods from certain places to other ones new and wholly different. Like such certified classics as Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks and Willie Nelson’s Phases & Stages, its narrative center is the end of Robison’s marriage. Yet unlike too many divorces, where rancor and pointed anger is a key part of the mix of feelings, this story is one of two people who love each other and their children, but due to their situations, themselves and the demands of their careers, the marriage is no longer tenable. And that’s what makes Beautiful Day another significant creative work about divorce with a different tale to tell than any other.

Robison’s divorce, which was finalized in August of last year, is by no means typical. “It was a completely amicable thing,” he explains. “We didn’t even have separate lawyers. We did the whole thing ourselves, and we get along better now than we had the last four years of our marriage. We hang out all the time,” he notes.

The distinctly different nature of this break-up is clear from the opening title track, with its upbeat vibe, tempo and theme, albeit tinted with a slightly sardonic edge. And by the time one reaches the final number, Robison’s decidedly Texan reading of Bruce Springsteen’s classic “Racing in the Streets,” an exhilarating sense of freedom and new beginnings is at hand.

In between one finds such compelling new Robison compositions as the psychedelically tinged “Yellow Blues,” the upbeat and spry “Feelin’ Good,” the emotionally stormy “If The Rain Don’t Stop,” the somber “Middle of the Night” and the kicking country-rock hoedown of “She’s So Fine.” As with his last album, Robison includes two numbers by one of his favorite songwriters, Keith Gattis, “Down Again” and “Reconsider,” both of which fit the album’s theme perfectly, as does Bobby Bare Jr.’s “Nothin’ Better to Do.” All told, it’s an album that takes the listener through a gamut of feelings that by its end leaves one wiser and more mature as well as wonderfully entertained.

Throughout his career, Charlie Robison has forged his own path within the country music world as well as the Lone Star music scene and popular music at large. He grew up in the small scenic town of Bandera in the Texas Hill country — known as “The Cowboy Capital of the World” — where his family has ranched the land for eight generations. Music wasn’t just a staple around the Robison household; from even before he could walk, Charlie would spend Saturday nights with his parents at The Cabaret, the local C&W dancehall in downtown Bandera. But the fare playing in the family home ran the gamut from rock’n’roll to singer-songwriters and much more. So it should come as no surprise that Charlie, his brother Bruce and sister Robyn Ludwyck all enjoy respected and critically acclaimed music careers as singers, songwriters and recording and performing artists.

While attending college at Southwestern Texas State University — now known as Texas State University, and the alma mater of George Strait and many other musicians on the Lone Star scene — Robison found he wasn’t cut out for academics, and a long held desire to try his hand at making music came bubbling to the surface. He managed to persuade his brother Bruce to also drop out of college, and the two headed to Austin.

The brothers Robison soon both landed in the band Chaparral, which in the late 1980s was a seminal act that seduced young generations of Texas to hit the dance floor to two-step, waltz and more, arm in arm in the old-school style, to a new sounds and style within the greater realms of country. It was ground zero for what became a thriving Austin scene rich with emerging talent by the 1990s. Charlie began writing songs in earnest, and after a stint in the popular Austin roots rocking combo Two Hoots and A Holler as well as a collection of local talents know as The Millionaire Playboys, he struck out on his own as an artist.

His 1995 debut album, aptly titled Bandera and released on the tiny Austin Vireo Records label, was a potent opening salvo that included such Robison favorites as the rowdy nightlife celebration “Barlight” and “Red Letter Day.” After a brief deal with a Nashville major label that ended because of his refusal to be artistically boxed-in and packaged as the latest hunky hat act, he signed with Sony Music’s Lucky Dog label and released two studio albums (1998’s Life of the Party and 2001’s Step Right Up, which hit the Top 40 of the country album chart) as well as two live recordings: Unleashed Live with brother Bruce and labelmate Jack Ingram from a tour the three did together and his own 2003 Live album that showcased Robison’s dynamic and hard-charging performing style which has made him a Lone Star State favorite and a popular national country-rock attraction.

In what now may seem rather ironic, Robison’s 2004 Dualtone label debut, Good Times, found him celebrating wedded and domestic contentment as a husband and father (of son Gus and twins Juliana and Henry). It enjoyed the best record sales of his career, and the video for “El Cerrito Place” was a Top 10 hit at CMT.

Beautiful Day promises to build upon and expand Robison’s public impact even further. But even if his divorce was amicable, the experience still wasn’t an easy one for him, as the end of any profound love is bound to be. “When I was writing this record, I was going through the quintessential divorce thing of living in a one-bedroom apartment in downtown San Antonio across from the bus station,” Robison recalls. “When it’s over, it’s over.”

Beautiful Day captures the panoply of feelings one experiences with the break-up of a marriage. “It goes through the range from, man, this sucks worse than anything in the whole world to, man, I’m really pulling out of this and really feel good. I’d be up and write a redemptive song like ‘Beautiful Day’ or ‘Feelin’ Good.’ And then I’d write something like ‘If the Rain Don’t Come Today,’ where the guy in the song wants to go out and have fun tonight, and then it fades into the reality of where you’re at on ‘In the Middle of the Night.’ You’re by yourself and you don’t feel as good as you did earlier. But I still tried to give it that Sinatra twist where even if it feels lonely and bleak, a girl walks in at the end, and you think, well, maybe my life isn’t quite over yet.”

Despite the high-profile fame of The Dixie Chicks, the Robisons managed to keep their separation and divorce out of the tabloids and gossip columns. “Although the order of the songs on the album is more musical than following any storyline, as you hear the record you’ll know what was going on with the divorce,” Charlie admits.

Beautiful Day is also a musical departure for Robison as his first self-produced album, recorded at his brother Bruce’s Austin studio, Premium Recording Service. The vibrant electric guitar work throughout is by artist in his own right as well as producer Charlie Sexton, while the acoustic guitars that fill out the sound are by Robert Earl Keen’s guitarist and producer Rich Brotherton. Longtime Robison sideman Kim Deschamps brings the colors of his steel guitar and mandolin to the mix, while the bottom end is held down with grooving solidity by the veteran rhythm section of Robison’s backing band The Enablers, bassist Scott Esbeck and drummer Keith Robinson.

“I’ve wanted for a long time to make a record that sounds like a great American rock band,” explains Robison. And just as Beautiful Day closes one emotional chapter in his life and opens another, it’s also an album on which his always strong rock’n’roll leanings come to the fore to transcend his country roots, while also bringing them along, to create a sound that is simply great American music.

All told, it’s an album of deep and rich emotional and musical content that anyone who has ever lived, loved and lost can find themselves within as well as experience what Charlie Robison has been through. And all of us, the artist included, find a redemption and the prospect of new beginnings by the time the record ends, and find ourselves better, wiser and stronger thanks to it all.

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ABOUT CHEAP TRICK

With over 5,000 performances spanning four decades, 20 million records sold worldwide, and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, CHEAP TRICK is undoubtedly one of the most influential classic rock groups of the past 50 years. The band was formed in 1974 and while it has evolved throughout the years, CHEAP TRICK has continued to reach mainstream and critical success.  Hits such as “I Want You To Want Me,” “Dream Police,” and “Surrender” have cemented the group as one of America’s top rock ‘n’ roll bands of all time.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On July 14, 2001, Chely Wright rocked out on the main stage for her first time and even cemented her hands on to Billy Bob’s “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT CHELY WRIGHT

Chely Wright rose to fame as a commercial country singer in the ’90s, and has since released eight studio albums and charted more than 15 singles on the Billboard charts. The Academy of Country Music named Wright “Top New Female Vocalist of 1995.” Her first hit came in 1997 with “Shut Up and Drive,” followed two years later by her first number one single, “Single White Female,” and in 2005 “The Bumper of My S.U.V.” In 2010, Chely Wright released her eighth album, Lifted Off the Ground produced by Rodney Crowell, revealing a dramatic artistic transformation and emerging as a singer songwriter of the first order. Chely made history by being the first country music star to publicly come out as gay, which she revealed in her 2010 memoir entitled “Like Me,” published by Random House. In 2016, Wright released her critically- acclaimed studio album entitled I Am The Rain, produced by Joe Henry. The end of 2018 saw the release of the holiday EP Santa Will Find You, which No Depression called the “warmest, most-family oriented” of recent holiday records. Chely released a new Americana EP entitled Revival in May of 2019.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Chris Cagle once serenaded a fan over the phone while playing on the main stage here at Billy Bob’s Texas.

ABOUT CHRIS CAGLE

When he was four years old, Chris Cagle moved from Louisiana to the outskirts of Houston, where he grew up. He began taking guitar lessons at six, but gave them up after a year. He took piano lessons during high school and returned to the guitar in his senior year. After high school, he enrolled at the University of Texas at Arlington, but dropped out at 19 to pursue a musical career. He moved to Nashville in 1994 and struggled for five years. His earliest songs were published by famed Nashville songwriter Harlan Howard, after which he landed a publishing deal and placed some of his songs with David Kersh. He was discovered by the assistant to the president of Virgin Records Nashville, whom he met in a restaurant where he was working. Virgin signed him and released his debut single, “My Love Goes on and On,” which reached the country charts in July 2000, eventually peaking in the Top 20. His first album, Play It Loud, followed in October. It reached the country charts, and its track “Laredo” made the country Top 40. In 2001, Cagle switched from Virgin to Capitol Records (both are subsidiaries of EMI), and his new label reissued Play It Loud in June 2001 with two bonus tracks. A self-titled album came in 2003, followed by Anywhere But Here in 2005, which reached the Top 40. My Life’s Been a Country Song appeared in 2008. The compilation album The Best of Chris Cagle appeared on Capitol in 2010. After a few years spent away from the music industry, during which time he built a ranch, got married, and had his first child, Cagle signed with the label Big Picture Music Group. In 2011, Cagle issued the single “Got My Country On” as a precursor to the studio album Back in the Saddle, which was set for a 2012 release.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Chris LeDoux arrived at his first Billy Bob’s performance in a motorhome with a small equipment trailer.

Chris LeDoux wish Billy Bob’s a “Happy 10th Birthday” in April 1991. He gives his well wishes saying “My name is Chris LeDoux and someday I’m going to play Billy Bob’s.” This Came true less than a year later in January of 1992!

ABOUT CHRIS LEDOUX

Enough tears have fallen to fill the Powder River through Kaycee, Wyoming where Chris LeDoux called home. He died of a rare form of cancer in March of 2005. During his all-too-short 56 years of life, LeDoux was indeed a rare breed. Beloved by the rodeo world, LeDoux’s music captured the spirit of the sport – and of the American West – as few will ever likely match. The young Chris put pen to paper often. Poem after poem reflected his love of rodeo and of a young girl, Peggy, who would become his wife and bear him five children. His sense of humor and self-deprecating manner were constants even in the most painful of times. Besides writing words to become songs, Chris liked to sketch cartoons ala Charlie Russell and “Ole Chuck” would have been honored to ride alongside LeDoux. Many heroes don’t quite live up to their reputations. This Wyoming, and rodeo, hero outshined them all. A practical joke player extraordinaire, who would not intentionally hurt even the squirrels on the golf course, Chris will forever be thought of with a certain amount of reverence in these parts. There is a hole in Wyoming’s heart.

He was world champion professional bareback rider in 1976. When speaking about that accomplishment LeDoux chuckled recalling his bounty. “I won a saddle and a buckle and I got a hat and a pair of boots – and a little bit of money. The money’s gone. The boots are worn out. The hat’s gone – someone bit a big chunk out of it at Fort Worth that next winter. I still have the saddle and the buckle. But that championship gave me credibility in the music that I’m doing and helped tremendously,” LeDoux believed. His stage act came to represent a rodeo complete with mechanical bull, pyrotechnics, and pulsating energy that kept standing-room-only crowds on their feet for two hours – always howling for more. The moment the net fell and the first strains of “Copenhagen” rang out is one all Chris LeDoux fans cherished. Flinging tins was a sport in itself. It was a way to show love too, sort of like resting a bunch of roses at Barbara Streisand’s feet. Forgive the comparison but it is just the kind of image that would make Chris smile and say, “Yeah.”

His interest in rodeo stemmed from a childhood in Texas surrounded by friends and neighbors for whom rodeo was a way of life. LeDoux decided to give it a try, won a buckle, and was “bitten by the bug.” The family moved to Wyoming where rodeo continued to peak his interest. Before he gave much thought to girls or hot cars, Chris LeDoux dreamt of becoming a rodeo champ. He wrote his classic tune “Bareback Jack” while a student at Casper College. His mom had bought a guitar for Chris at Jay’s Music Store in Cheyenne a few years earlier. He first strummed and sang along to Marty Robbins “Big Iron.” He had many rodeo stars to gaze upon while living in Cheyenne and musicians then started to gain his attention. Favorites included Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Charlie Daniels. “I started listening to country music and loved it. I wanted to be able to play the guitar and sing some of those songs,” LeDoux remembered.

Football competed for some of his extracurricular time while at Central High School in Cheyenne but it was always Cheyenne Frontier Days that gave him “Gold Buckle Dreams.” His bareback riding skills rose measurably as fellow contestants offered pointers. Soon Chris LeDoux was among the top riders. He could have chosen many different paths during that period in the late 1960s and 70s but decided a wife and family – settling in rural Wyoming – was the best course for his life. A successful rodeo career was overtaken by music. Hundreds of songs about the West, cowboy and rodeo life, and love ensued. It was Garth Brooks who kicked things up several notches by singing the line “Worn out tapes of Chris LeDoux” in Brooks’ 1989 hit “Much Too Young (to Feel This Damn Old).” Almost immediately millions more fans of Chris launched a career that brought recognition and a degree of fame well outside the rodeo world.

Writing songs became more work than fun and Chris would come to depend on others for many of his recordings during the latter part of his long musical journey. “Writing to me is like sitting in a room by yourself all day pulling one hair out a time. I did enough of that. I’m ready to enjoy other things – be outside,” he said. He would get back home to the Kaycee ranch often and when there fix fence and do ranch chores his father-in-law saved for him. “I’m usually home calving time,” LeDoux recalled. “I kind of wish I was out on the road then.”

Another passion entered LeDoux’s life in the latter half of the 1990s. Golf. That surprised the cowboy musician. “I hate to admit it. I cussed the game for years. But it’s addicting. I don’t understand it. Maybe it’s just the nice little parks you get to walk through.”

Aren’t we glad he walked through our lives? More like leaped, and sang, and helped teach us to believe there is a lot of good out there we can do for others while at the same time enriching our own souls beyond measure.

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With a dark baritone well beyond his years and a keen ear for the melodic country music of his childhood, Chris Young went from Nashville Star champion to actual Nashville star over the course of just a few years. Young won the reality show competition in 2006, securing a recording contract with RCA. After a slow start, he hit radio paydirt with his second record, 2009’s The Man I Want to Be, featuring the sweet, seductive smash “Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song).” He stayed right near the top, hitting number one on the country charts with subsequent smashes like “Tomorrow,” “You,” “Neon,” “I’m Comin’ Over,” and “Losing Sleep” and hit a career goal with his 2017 induction into the Grand Ole Opry. Beginning in 2020, Young issued several tracks including “Famous Friends” from his next album.

The grandson of onetime Louisiana Hayride performer Richard Yates, Young hails from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and first drew the public’s attention when he appeared on the Nashville Star television show in 2006. Young’s singing abilities first surfaced in children’s theater productions in grade school, and with his family’s full support, he threw himself into learning all he could about music, and country music in particular. By the time he was a senior in high school he was already playing clubs in the Nashville area, and his self-released debut album was out before he even graduated from high school. Young attended college at Belmont University in Nashville and then Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, all while still managing to do some 150 live shows a year. He was offered and accepted a gig fronting the house band at Cowboy’s in Arlington, Texas, and it was there that a fan kept insisting that he audition for the Nashville Star TV show.

Young eventually made the trip to Houston and passed the audition, and the whole affair paid off handsomely with a contract from RCA Records. Young’s debut single, “Drinkin’ Me Lonely,” a song he wrote with Larry Wayne Clark, was released in 2006, followed later in the year by a Buddy Cannon-produced album called simply Chris Young. A second album, The Man I Want to Be, produced by James Stroud, appeared in 2009. Young’s third album, 2011’s Neon, may not have gone gold — The Man I Want to Be had — but it did have “Tomorrow,” a heart-wrenching ballad that was his biggest hit to date, reaching number one on the Billboard country charts and cracking the pop Top 40 on its way to going platinum. “You,” the second single from Neon, also went to number one on the country charts, and two other hits followed: “Neon” and “I Can Take It from There.”

Young delivered his brighter, happier third album, A.M., in the fall of 2013; it was preceded by the party anthem “Aw Naw,” which peaked at 16 on the Billboard charts. A.M. produced two further country Top Ten hits with the softer “Who I Am with You” and “Lonely Eyes,” singles that appeared on the charts in 2014. Young returned in the fall of 2015 with “I’m Comin’ Over,” another Top Ten hit that was also the title track to his fifth album, which saw release in November of that year. “Think of You,” a duet with Cassadee Pope, followed “I’m Comin’ Over” to number two on Billboard’s U.S. Hot Country chart, while the Vince Gill duet “Sober Saturday Night” went to number 31 later that year. During the holiday season of 2016, Young released It Must Be Christmas; it peaked at four on Billboard’s Country Albums chart. He released his sixth album of originals, Losing Sleep, in October 2017. After promotion of that effort concluded, Young continued into 2019 with the singles “Raised on Country,” “Drowning,” and “Town Ain’t Big Enough,” the latter of which was a duet with Lauren Alaina. He returned in 2020 with the singles “If That Ain’t God” and “Famous Friends.”

HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

RCA recording artist Chris Young appears for the first time in July.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On May 13, 1994, Clay Walker made his debut and got to add his hands to the “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT CLAY WALKER

Multi-Platinum country music artist and East Texas native, Clay Walker, rocked the country scene in 1993 with his debut album that included the smash hit “What’s It To You.” He continued to make a splash releasing a string of number one hits including “If I Could Make A Living”, “This Woman and This Man” and “Rumor Has It”. In 1996 he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis but he didn’t let that set him back. He has continued touring and recording steadily since the diagnosis and is well known for his high-energy concerts and performance style. He later founded the Band Against MS foundation after realizing the impact the disease has on others. Since its’ formation in 2003, Clay has helped Band Against MS raise upwards of $5,000,000 through charity performances, golf tournaments, bike rides, auctions, etc. Clay has had 4 RIAA Platinum albums, 2 Certified Gold albums, and 11 #1 singles to date. After “She Won’t Be Lonely Long” reached the top 5 on the radio, Clay began working on new music with a fresh sound. He recently released his single “Right Now” to The Highway on Sirius XM this past fall, teasing an impending album release. The full album is expected to debut later this year.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

In 1989, Clint Black and his manager visit Billy Bob’s Texas to meet with Robert Gallagher. Black was decked out in a black duster and black cowboy hat – a look that would come to be a staple of his early wardrobe. By the end of the year, he was performing on the BBT stage.

In 1991, Clint Black played the Tarrant County Convention Center and Billy Bob’s booked his brother, Kevin Black. The show drew a large crowd suspecting Clint might show up at his brother’s performance. He didn’t, and the next day’s paper read, “Black & Black, Back to Back.”

ABOUT CLINT BLACK

It has been three decades since the release of Clint Black’s groundbreaking debut album, Killin’ Time. The genre altering record cemented the Country music icon as one of the truest traditionalists in the game and his widespread influence can still be felt in the works of artists today. Now, the seemingly unstoppable legend is set to release his incredible 12th studio album, Out of Sane, dropping on June 19th. The record, self-produced by Black, not only stays true to sounds that birthed Country music but also progresses the genre to today’s sensibilities.

Having sold over 20 million records, earning 22 #1 career singles, nearly two dozen gold and platinum awards (U.S. and Canada), a Grammy Award, numerous CMA, ACM and American Music Awards, and being honored with at star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Clint Black has had one of the most storied careers in modern music. The Houston raised musician has certainly come a long way from the Texas nightclub circuit where he first began.

In his latest effort, Out of Sane, Black continues to hold firm in making great music that doesn’t fit a mold or conform to current popularity.

“I try to make records that don’t fit into a trend,” explains the Houston-born producer/guitarist. “I never wanted to start a trend, and I’m not going to chase a trend, either. To me, a great band will always sound great, today and in ten years. If you listen to this record, it’s not about fitting into today’s country, or yesterday’s country, or tomorrow’s country, it just is.”

The Grammy-winning Country superstar, understands that people consume music in the real world; but to create something that endures, a whole lot of lab time is required. Laughing, he explains the album’s title – a lyric from the road boogie “What I Knew Then” — comes from the dual states of mind that come into play with making records.

“I have a studio on my property, so I can walk out there and never finish working because I have this passion for it. But so many hours can drive me insane: I don’t sleep, I’m exhausted and completely consumed. It’s like a radio that clicks on in my sleep, to get up and get back to work. The music comes out of the sane part of me, and the record itself the insane…”

The lead track from Out of Sane is the unadorned piano ballad “America (Still In Love With You),” which is currently available on all digital streaming platforms. It plays as an intimate song of romance, yet serves as a pledge to the fundamental truths and values of the country at a time of incredible divisiveness.

A collection of material that will certainly stand the test of time, Out of Sane, is one of the most personally gratifying albums Black has ever recorded.

“Out of Sane is made up of all original songs, except for one cover. I recorded it with a varied collection of musicians; some from my band and some with session players. I believe it’s one of my best albums ever and I think my fans will love it. They’ve been asking for new music for a while and I’m thrilled to finally be able to deliver after five years since the last studio album,” says Black.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Cody Johnson is the only artist to have two signature logos on the backstage wall.

ABOUT CODY JOHNSON

With more than one billion career streams, COJO Music / Warner Music Nashville recording artist Cody Johnson has clearly established a rabid following of loyal fans who thirst for his authentic brand of country music. The aptly named “COJO Nation” purchased half a million concert tickets in one calendar year and regularly pack out shows across the country. Johnson sold out 45+ shows in 2019 alone including a sold-out show at the historic Ryman Auditorium and RODEOHOUSTON for the second consecutive year. His first major-label release Ain’t Nothin To It skyrocketed to No. 1 on both the Billboard Top Country Albums and All-Genre Digital Sales charts. Also reaching Top 10 on Billboard 200, it became the third-highest pre-added album of all time in the country music genre on Apple Music at the time of release. Johnson’s “On My Way To You” has been RIAA-certified Platinum and marks his first Top 10 hit at country radio. Now he returns to country airplay with his latest single “Dear Rodeo,” which MusicRow described as “a beautiful piece of work,” going on to state Johnson “just might be the future of real country music.” Co-written by Johnson and Dan Couch, the reflective song serves as Johnson’s ode to his previous bull-riding career and has already surpassed 30 million streams to date.

The country star is known for his explosive live shows and electrifying stage presence. Even prior to signing a joint venture with Warner Music Nashville, Johnson’s independently released project reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and No. 11 on the Billboard 200 Chart. With ACM and CMA nominations to his name, Johnson has been recognized as one of The Tennessean’s “Nashville’s Next Stars,” MusicRow’s “2019 Next Big Thing,” iHeartRadio’s “Artists to Watch in 2019,” and highlighted on Pandora’s “Artist to Watch 2019” playlist.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Cole Swindell concreted his hands to add to Billy Bob’s “Wall Of Fame” on September 22, 2017.

ABOUT COLE SWINDELL

As a songwriter and a singer, Cole Swindell is one of the linchpins of the breezy country-pop sound that became known as bro-country in the 2010s. Swindell first came to prominence as a songwriter for Luke Bryan, a fellow alumnus of Georgia Southern University, but around the time Bryan took “Roller Coaster” to number one, Swindell began his own climb up the charts. He racked up several big hits in the middle of the 2000s — “Chillin’ It,” “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight,” “Ain’t Worth the Whisky,” “You Should Be Here” — that became emblematic of the sound of the mainstream country of its era: friendly, melodic, and sunny, blending elements of rock and hip-hop with country.

Born in Bronwood, Georgia on June 30, 1983, Cole Swindell began to pursue music while he was a college student. After spending time at Dawson’s Terrell Academy, he transferred to Georgia Southern University, where he happened upon Luke Bryan, a fellow member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. Bryan returned to GSU to play a show while Swindell was attending college and the two became fast and enduring friends. Once he left university in 2007, he entered Bryan’s team, selling merchandise for the star and spending his spare time writing songs.

Swindell signed with Sony/ATV Publishing in 2010 and soon began landing prominent placements. Bryan recorded a number of Swindell songs, including the hit “Roller Coaster,” but the fledgling songwriter also had Thomas Rhett, Scotty McCreery, and Craig Campbell cut his tunes. As he gained a foothold as a songwriter, Swindell made tentative steps toward a performing career, releasing “Chillin’ It” independently in 2013. It did well enough to earn the attention of Warner Music Nashville, who signed Swindell in July of 2013, then re-released the single to country radio. “Chillin’ It” wound up climbing to number one on Billboard’s Hot Country charts, crossing over to 28 on the pop Top 40.

Down Home Sessions”Chillin’ It” launched Swindell into the mainstream, setting up the release of his eponymous debut in February 2014. The album generated two number one hits on the Country Airplay charts that year — “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight” and “Ain’t Worth the Whiskey” — and they shared space on the charts with “This Is How We Roll,” a song he co-wrote with Luke Bryan, who recorded the tune with Florida Georgia Line. As he worked on a new album, Swindell released an EP called Down Home Sessions in November 2014; the Down Home Sessions would become a late-year tradition for the singer, who released an EP every November or October into 2017.

You Should Be HereSwindell’s purple patch extended into 2015 when he won ACM’s New Artist of the Year award and “Let Me See Ya Girl” was pulled from his debut; it went to number two on the Country Airplay charts. “You Should Be Here,” the first single from the album of the same name, was released in December 2015 and worked its way to number one on the Country Airplay charts in early 2016. “Middle of a Memory” reached the same position a little after the May 2016 release of You Should Be Here. “Flatliner,” a duet with Dierks Bentley, kept the album in the charts into 2017 — it peaked at two on Country Airplay — after which time, Swindell turned to record his third album. Entitled All of It, the record appeared in August 2018, preceded by “Break Up in the End,” which peaked at six on Country Airplay. The following year saw the release of the singles “Down to Earth,” “All Nighter,” and “Drinkin’ Hours.” 2020 brought the ruminative but punchy “Single Saturday Night.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

In December of 1992, Collin Raye shoots the video for “I Want You Bad,” using Billy Bob’s regulars for the crowd shots.

Collin recorded parts of his music video for “I Want You Bad [And That Ain’t No Good]” the same night as his “Live at Billy Bob’s” recording.

ABOUT COLLIN RAYE

Born Floyd Elliot Wray on August 22, 1960, in De Queens, Arkansas, country artist Collin Raye was one of the true hit makers of the 1990s. Collin still continues to crank out soulful, heartfelt material with the honesty and richness that is signature to his vocals alone. With 24 top ten records, 16 #1 hits, and having been a 10-time male vocalist of the year nominee (5 CMA and 5 ACM), this truly electrifying performer of his era remains one of the great voices of our time.

Collin Raye is nothing if not passionate. His soulful delivery has set country standards in such searing ballads as “Love, Me,” “In This Life,” “Not That Different” and “If I were you”. Always an energizing showman, he has also blazed through such vivid rockers as “My Kind of Girl,” “That’s My Story,” “I Can Still Feel You” and “I Want You Bad.”

Collin shot to fame with “Love, Me” in 1991. Listeners were so moved by this golden and pure voice that this song set the cornerstone for a career built on meaningful and emotional songs that have often been used for weddings, anniversaries, memorial services, and funerals. When “Little Rock”, an anthem for those struggling with addiction recovery, hit the chart in 1994, its video led to over 100,000 phone calls to Alcoholics Anonymous from folks seeking help in their addictions. “Not That Different” was a song that pleaded for tolerance. “In This Life” became a wedding favorite, and, “I Think About You” won awards for its song and video which exposed the exploitation of women and children.

Collin Raye has consistently used his stardom to advance social causes. Among the organizations he has supported are Boys Town, First Steps, Al-Anon, Special Olympics, Country Cares About AIDS, Catholic Relief Services, Parade of Pennies, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, The Tennessee Task Force Against Domestic Violence, The Emily Harrison Foundation, Childhelp USA, Silent Witness National Initiative, Easter Seals, The Life and Hope Network, and Make a Difference Day. It came as no surprise when in 2001 at the Country Radio Seminar, Clint Black presented Collin Raye with the organization’s Humanitarian of the Year award in recognition of Collin’s issue-oriented music and his tireless charity work.

The man who has topped the charts with such great songs as “On the Verge,” “One Boy, One Girl,” “What the Heart Wants,” “Every Second”, “That Was a River”, “Anyone Else”, and “If I were you” continues to touch hearts across the globe in both traditional and new ways. Collin Raye’s new outreach is very personal. In 2010, after the loss of his precious 10-year-old grandchild, Haley, Collin and his daughter Britanny (Haley’s mother) established The Haley Bell Blessed Chair Foundation to honor her memory. The Foundation supports and assists families of the cognitively and physically disabled with a primary emphasis on supplying wheelchairs and other necessary medical equipment to elevate the quality of life for a disabled family member in need. Collin wrote a very special song for Haley called, “She’s with me”, which carries a powerful message for families of special needs children. Additionally, in 2011 Collin released his first inspirational album, His Love Remains, which quickly shot to #1 on Amazon for inspirational and religious music. Collin continues to perform his traditional country music across America and abroad and has added Christian and Catholic concerts to his tour schedule as well. His autobiography, That’s My Story: The Undefeated Life of Collin Raye is set for release in early 2014. He currently resides in Nashville, TN with his daughter, Britanny, and granddaughter, Mattie.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Country Legend Conway Twitty died June 5, 1993, only a few weeks before his scheduled performance at Billy Bob’s on June 26. With many tickets for the show already sold, Skip Ewing performed a tribute to the late singer. Ticket holders were allowed to enjoy the for free, and were also offered a refund of their tickets. Around 50 percent of the concert-goers did not ask for a refund so they could keep their ticket as a memento.

ABOUT CONWAY TWITTY

By any measure, the career of singer, songwriter, producer, entertainer and recording artist Conway Twitty stands among the greatest in the history of popular music. His 55 No. 1 singles are an astounding and singular accomplishment in the annals of the recording industry. Those hits drove sales of more than 50 million records, powering literally thousands of live performances for tens of millions of fans, and led to more than 100 major awards.

Numbers, however, don’t tell the whole story. They don’t even tell the most important part of the story. Because in Conway Twitty, the world has a refreshing example of a natural — a natural athlete, a natural singer, a naturally caring and charismatic person who never took his abilities for granted. Instead, Twitty respected his gifts by working at them, and by respecting everyone he touched. There is no tortured artist in this story. There is no grand comeback from the brink of self-destruction. Just the remarkably steady journey of a man who never drank, never used drugs, but simply worked hard at what he loved, a family he loved deeply and the fans that cared for him.
From Sun Studios in Memphis and the infancy of rock and roll to the top of the country charts and induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Conway built an astounding musical legacy that spanned five decades. The truest assessment of that legacy will never make it onto history’s pages, however, because it is written on the hearts of everyone he knew and everyone who knew him through his music. This is Conway Twitty. Even as a small child, it was apparent there was something special about Twitty. Born Harold Lloyd Jenkins on September 1, 1933 in rural Friars Point, Mississippi, the boy had uncommon abilities and a penchant for helping those around him.Given his first guitar, a Sears & Roebuck acoustic, at the age of four, Harold demonstrated a musical gift. He formed his first band, the Phillips County Ramblers when he was 10 after the family had moved to Helena, Arkansas. His mother was the breadwinner and his father found spotty work as a Mississippi riverboat pilot. Harold obtained employment as a carhop and used his earnings to buy clothes and shoes for his brother and sister.
When one of a group of friends horsing around in a local cemetery was pinned under a fallen tombstone, young Harold started to flee with the rest of the frightened pack of boys. He stopped short, however, returning to assist his friend and lifting the stone enough for the boy to scramble free. When the full group returned the next day to reset the stone, they marveled at the feat, as the entire group of them were unable to lift it.

He landed a weekly radio show, and in his other passion, baseball, developed his skills to the point of playing semi-pro and being offered a contract by the Philadelphia Phillies after high school. Jenkins figured his destiny was decided when he was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies. Fate intervened, however, when he was drafted by a much bigger team — the U.S. Army. While stationed in Japan, he kept both his dreams alive by forming a band and playing on the local Army baseball team. The band was called the “Cimmarons” and played at different clubs. After his release from the army it was the mid 1950s and the sudden popularity of a young man named Elvis Presley drew a still very young Harold Jenkins to Memphis.

While recording at Sun Studios with Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis, Jenkins began developing a sound that would lead to a record deal with MGM. He also took a stage name, contracting the names of two cities — Conway, Arkansas and Twitty, Texas. In 1958, Conway Twitty scored his first No. 1 hit titled “It’s Only Make Believe.”

His career as a rock-n-roll act took off, with the single topping the chart in 22 different countries and going on to sell eight million copies. Despite making a name for himself as a rock n roller, Twitty had always loved country music. In fact, his reverence for the genre and its seasoned performers factored into his decision to become a rock n roll performer. Twitty also enjoyed a short-lived movie career, appearing in films like Sex Kittens Go To College (with Mamie Van Doren), Platinum High School (Mickey Rooney), and College Confidential (Steve Allen) and writing the title and sound track songs for the films. A play and movie was created titled “Bye Bye Birdie” which was a story about a young rock-n-roll star. It was written with the idea that Conway would do the starring role. The lead character’s name, Conrad Birdie, was created specifically with Conway in mind. Conway did a lot of soul searching and decided that theatre and the movies were not for him, so he turned down the offer and remained focused on his true love of music.

At first, rock n roll seemed to be a place where a young man with a lot of raw talent could thrive. Through his early recording and touring (including three gold records), Twitty got to know a fair number of country stars, eventually abandoning his insecurities so he could “compete with my heroes.”

After eight years of playing sock hops and dance clubs, Twitty heard the ticking of an internal clock that seemed to guide all the major decisions in his life. One night on a stage in Summer’s Point, New Jersey, Twitty looked out at a room full of people he didn’t know. With a wife and three kids at home, he realized his days of providing background music for sweaty teens were over. Twitty put down his guitar, walked off the stage and embarked on one of the greatest country careers in history.

Signed by legendary producer Owen Bradley to MCA/Decca in 1965, Twitty released several singles before 1968’s “Next In Line” became his first country No. 1. And thus began a run unmatched in music history. Twitty reeled off 50 consecutive No. 1 hits.

Widely regarded by Nashville’s songwriters as “the best friend a song ever had,” Twitty was pitched top shelf material for the better part of two decades. Much of it he turned away, even passing eventual smash singles on to other artists. One of his many gifts, beyond the elusive art of
knowing which songs would be hits, was knowing which of those songs would work for him. Of course, he was one of Music Row’s best songwriters in his own right, writing 19 of his No. 1s and earning Grammy nominations for compositions including his signature song “Hello Darlin’.”

Twitty’s tunes are the mile markers for three decades of country music: “Hello Darlin’,” “Goodbye Time,” “You’ve Never Been This Far Before,” “Linda On My Mind,” “I’d Love To Lay You Down,” “Tight Fittin’ Jeans,” “That’s My Job.” Conway also entered into a duet partnership with the top female vocalist of that time, Loretta Lynn. They became the most awarded male/female duet in history recording with songs like “After The Fire Is Gone,” “Lead Me On,” and “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man

His way with hits extended beyond writing, choosing and making great records to arranging them in a way that brilliantly paced his live performances. As an entertainer, he was a master of understatement and mystery who was nicknamed the “High Priest of Country Music” by his peers.

He avoided onstage banter in favor of a tightly woven journey through his beloved hit songs. “I’m often asked why ,” Conway said, Why don’t I talk at my concerts. My answer is always the same. I do talk, but the communication is through my music” Conway said.

His voice even reached into outer space when “Hello Darlin” was played around the world during the link up between America’s orbiting astronauts and Russia’s cosmonauts in a gesture of international good will.

Twitty had a tremendous respect for women and sang many of his biggest hits directly to them. By choosing to perform songs with adult themes, many of which were controversial at the time, he built a passionate fan base. Perhaps the most dramatic example of this is illustrated by a California performance where an audience member suffered a heart attack. The woman refused paramedic’s urgings that she accompany them to the hospital, saying she wasn’t leaving until she heard “Hello Darlin’.” A note was passed to the stage and Twitty performed the show closer earlier than planned so his fan could receive proper medical care.

Despite such adoration, Twitty remained a genuine and unpretentious person. He regularly stayed hours after his shows signing autographs, once staying so long as to be engaged in a discussion with the venue janitor as his bus left without him. At home, he drove an old Pacer station wagon and favored jogging suits and ball caps. On many occasions people would stop him and ask if he’d been told he resembled Conway Twitty. “I’ve heard that,” he’d reply, “but I don’t see the resemblance.”

In 1982, Conway opened one of the largest tourist attractions in the state of Tennessee. Twitty City, located north of Nashville in Hendersonville, was a true testament to his deep love and appreciation for his fans. Hundreds of thousands of them roamed the grounds year round, taking in views that included the mansion of Conway and his wife, Mickey, the home of his mother and the homes of his four adult children. The Twitty City complex also included Conway Twitty Enterprises, a gift shop, a
theatrical showcase of Conway’s life, beautifully landscaped grounds with water falls and a pavilion area.

His love of Christmas led to an annual light festival that eventually included live reindeer, snow machines and millions of visitors. Twitty donated proceeds from tours of the grounds to help the families of local fallen police and firefighters. Another regular event was a Christmas For Kids concert that raised funds to help underprivileged children. He also built a ball field for the local Little League that still bears his name.

Giving back was not simply a reaction to his wealth, however. It was part of his nature. In the early rock days when he was barely clearing enough money to cover expenses, Twitty was approached at a truck stop by a man asking for $20 so he and his pregnant wife could buy enough gas to return home. Twitty gave the man $200. Years later, Twitty and his children were dining at a restaurant in Oklahoma City when a man asked to speak to the star. Twitty’s children watched their father talking quietly with the man, and saw him grow misty eyed as the man handed their father an envelope.
Despite Twitty’s insistence that the money was a gift, the man from the truck stop was determined to repay him.

Charitable endeavors were something rarely discussed. “If you have to talk about it, it’s not from the heart,” Twitty would say. And though his pairing with Loretta Lynn was one of the most celebrated duets in history, he never complained that the Country Music Association never recognized him with an award for his accomplishments as a solo artist. “Each one of my fans is enough of an award for me,” he’d say.

Nevertheless, he was a hard working, determined and quietly ambitious man who believed he was called to do more than rest on his God-given abilities. And so he pushed to evolve his gifts, driving to improve upon his last album, to record another smash, to break another concert attendance record. In 36 years of touring, he never missed a show — an example of consistency that, to use an analogy from his favorite sport made him a musical DiMaggio or Ripken. This came from a man who would turn down so much as an aspirin, and coming out of an era when entertainers were often encouraged to medicate by their own traveling physicians.

Asked in the midst of his incredible streak what he’d do if one of his songs didn’t reach No. 1, the unassuming Twitty replied, “I’ll just start over.” And when the follow up to “Don’t Call Him A Cowboy” peaked at #2, that’s exactly what he did — scoring five more chart-toppers, the last being “Crazy In Love,” before his untimely death in June, 1993. His last album, Final Touches, was released after his death later that year.

If there’s an unfortunate addendum to Twitty’s story, it is that his place in the history of country music has largely been overlooked. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, but a legal battle over his estate kept his sons and daughters from endeavoring to tell his story for almost 14 years. Until now.

And yet as they begin work on the reissues, the box sets and the retrospectives so long overdue, they are continually reminded of the foundation upon which their father’s unparalleled achievements were built. Those who worked with Conway, knew him or were influenced by him approach with stories of a true gentleman, someone who, as one fellow performer described him, “wore a white hat.” Throughout his life, Conway would tell people, “If you do what you love and you’re able to take care of the people you love, it doesn’t matter what you do. You’re a successful man. ” Undoubtedly, that is the legacy that would have meant the most to Harold “Conway Twitty” Jenkins. Which makes the rest of his story — the accomplishments and accolades — that much sweeter.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

The Song “Llano Estacado” from his “Live at Billy Bob’s” album was featured in a Dodge truck TV campaign.

ABOUT COODER GRAW

Cooder Graw barreled out of the gate in 1997, amidst a ferocious stampede of Texas artists including Jason Boland and the Stragglers, Cross Canadian Ragweed and Roger Creager, on a trail blazed by legendary Texas musicians turned national stars like Robert Earl Keen, Pat Green, and Jack Ingram, in the heat of the uprising Texas and Red Dirt music revolution. No shortage of excitement on stage, their unpredictable live show, and hard-charging, guitar-driven sound – uniquely branded “loud country” – coupled with that enigmatic yet unforgettable name, set Cooder Graw firmly among the landmark acts that built the Texas music machine around the turn of the millennium.

From modest beginnings playing covers at the Golden Light Cantina in Amarillo, the band – including lead singer/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Matt Martindale, lead guitar Kelly Turner, and Paul Baker on bass guitar – quickly earned a loyal fan base and in 1998 released their debut album, Home at the Golden Light, which credits Matthew McConaughey, a fraternity brother of Martindale, as executive producer. The live offering led to opening shows for such renowned country artists as Willie Nelson, Alabama, Dwight Yoakum, Robert Earl Keen, and Asleep at the Wheel, among others. In 2000 came their debut studio release, the self-titled Cooder Graw, co-produced by multiple Grammy Award-winner Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel and Hayden Nicholas, nine-time #1 country songwriter and guitarist for Clint Black. The sophomore effort made itself at home on the national radio charts for 13 straight weeks and delivered classic favorites like “18 Wheels of Loving,” “Dirty Little Hometown Girl,” and “My Give a Damn is Broken.” In early 2001, Cooder Graw issued their second live album, Segundo, which mixed previously unrecorded tunes with renditions of favorites from their debut, and spawned the group’s first top 10 hit on the Texas country charts with “Willie’s Guitar.” A second 2001 offering, the studio album Shifting Gears, scored two more top 10 Texas hits with “New Dress” and “Better Days,” the latter of which remained on the charts for an incredible 40 weeks, and inspired the band’s first music video that aired on major country music networks including Great American Country (GAC). The band’s 2002 installment in the famed Live at Billy Bob’s Texas album series opened with “Llano Estacado,” the now-infamous loud country anthem that was featured on a series of national Dodge truck commercials and made Cooder Graw a household name across the Lone Star state. In 2004, the Panhandle band released their sixth album, Wake Up, featuring the chart-friendly single “Lifetime Stand.” Described by Martindale as “edgier and a little rawer,” with the hard-rocking live show staple “Clarksdale” and haunting melody of “That Girl Crystal,” the release was a decidedly different offering from the group who had matured musically.

Cooder Graw toured relentlessly for most of a decade, playing 200 dates a year at many of the finest venues across the Southwest, and by the end of 2006, the road-weary band was feeling the toll of living their songs nightly and longing for home. They played a final show at The Horseman Club in Fort Worth on New Year’s Eve and announced they would stop touring indefinitely. After a six-year hiatus, the group came together in 2012 for what was expected to be a short reunion tour but the Cooder fan base is as fervent as ever and the band is enjoying a relaxed touring schedule without expectations, having a good time playing well-worn songs and writing new ones. With the 2016 release of Love to Live By, a six-song EP, the Panhandle band marks the beginning of a new chapter. Produced by Rich Brotherton and recorded at The Congress House Studio in Austin, the long-awaited seventh album release is a sweet taste of all that fans love about Cooder Graw. The chart-climbing lead single, “Heart of Breaking Up,” delivers with Martindale’s signature down-home lyrical style and the good-feeling, loud country sound that fans know and love. Same with the hard-rocking “Virginia Slims and Little Kings,” a nostalgic, adolescent love anthem set to be the song of the summer. The title track, “Love to Live By,” a sensual slow burner that calls for dancing slow and close, is accompanied by a powerful new music video with a message of support for military veterans and their families. With the return of drummer Kelly Test and the addition of Carmen Acciaioli on fiddle and Danny Crelin on pedal steel, the momentum continues to build for Cooder Graw, blazing a new trail and leaving their unmistakable mark in Texas music history.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

The night of June 17, 2011, Cory Morrow stepped on the main stage to record his “Live at Billy Bob’s” album was his 30^th show at Billy Bob’s Texas.

ABOUT CORY MORROW

Cory Morrow didn’t become a Texas legend by being quiet. He sings about strippers and Jesus with equal fervor. While this dichotomy may leave those on either side of the moral equator perplexed – the answer is actually very simple. Cory Morrow is beautifully and uncomfortably transparent. From the beer-soaked, cocaine laden days of his early career, to today’s more sober and spiritual leg of the journey, one thing about Morrow has never changed – as goes Cory’s life, goes Cory’s songs – and that’s never been more evident than on his newest studio release “Whiskey & Pride”.

The record is an aggressive blend of early Morrow sound with a current day perspective. Vintage feel from an evolving heart and mind. The title track, “Whiskey & Pride” features the age-old struggle of love versus ego and cleverly straddles the line of sermon and self-deprecation. The twist comes in the form of a mirror behind a bar that reveals the true identity of the accuser. The track, which is also the first single release, features the Texas Country-style instrumentation prevalent in Morrow’s early days, including steel guitar phenom and producer of “Whiskey & Pride”, Lloyd Maines.

“Whiskey” boasts twelve songs previously unrecorded, including two covers giving nod to mentors Rodney Crowell (Funny Feeling) and Jerry Jeff Walker (Hill Country Rain). Quite possibly, the jewel for fans is “Always and Forever”, an iconic Morrow ballad that has only appeared on live recordings. Cory is joined by the unforgettable Jamie Lin Wilson on the long-awaited studio version of the classic.

“Whiskey and Pride” runs the gamut on subject matter from the daily grind (Restless, Blue Collar) to living in the moment (Breath, Let’s Take This Outside). Musically, it explores the spectrum from tender (Smile, Daisey) to raucous (One Foot, Revival), and includes spectacular moments from long-time band-leader and coveted studio guitar player John Carroll. “Whiskey” seamlessly weaves its way through simple and sweet, moody and complex, and offers equal doses of introspection and fun.

If the record, and this phase of Morrow’s career, had to be summed up in one word – the word would be “real”. As evidenced by his latest recordings, live shows, and online communication with fans, he’s not pandering, he’s simply doing what he knows. Pulling back the curtains, letting us in, and letting the chips fall where they may.

“Whiskey & Pride” is much more than a collection of songs. It’s another mile-marker in the journey of Cory Morrow.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On April 7, 2001, Creedence Clearwater Revisited made their debut at Billy Bob’s Texas.

ABOUT CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL

Creedence Clearwater Revival founding members and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Stu Cook and Doug “Cosmo” Clifford have been on quite a ride. Following their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cosmo and Stu launched their Creedence Clearwater Revisited project in 1995 to once again perform live in concert the hit songs — touchstones of a generation.
Since then, the legendary rhythm section has been thrilled by the outpouring of affection for their new band. World tours and a platinum selling album Recollection followed. The astounding response to the band has been driven in part by new generations of fans that, as Cosmo says, “weren’t even born when the music came out.”

It is the rhythm section Doug Clifford’s drums and Stu Cook’s bass that is a hallmark of Creedence Clearwater Revival

While, as udiscovermusic.com recently commented, it is the “rhythm section Doug Clifford’s drums and Stu Cook’s bass that is a hallmark of Creedence Clearwater Revival,” the boys did not take assembling the rest of the new group’s players lightly. “In the beginning Cosmo and I decided that if we could find the musicians that could capture the sound and recreate what the music was about, we’d do it,” recalls Stu.

As fans around the world can attest, Stu and Cosmo found the right players. Lead guitarist Kurt Griffey brings crowds to their feet and the front of the stage with his solos. He has recorded and toured with other notable musicians including members of the Eagles, Foreigner, the Moody Blues, Wings, Lynyrd Skynryd, Santana and Journey. On lead vocal and rhythm guitar is Dan McGuinness. The purity, power and range of Dan’s soaring voice hits right to the heart. Multi-instrumentalist Steve Gunner rounds out the group. As Cosmo puts it, “Gun provides live all the overdubs that were on the records – keyboard, acoustic guitar, percussion, harmonica and the high harmonies.”

In 2013, Classic Rock Revisited critic Jeb Wright wrote about a Creedence Clearwater Revisited concert he attended. “The true test of any concert is how the music makes you feel. On this night, this writer walked away with a wonderful feeling, having just witnessed timeless, historical music, performed to perfection. Creedence Clearwater Revisited not only looks to the past, performing iconic songs, they bring them to the modern day, reminding us all of the true importance of this music.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Cross Canadian Ragweed once jammed an impromptu set on the Honky Tonk stage after a Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo show.

They held their Red Dirt Round Up Festival at Billy Bob’s Texas in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

ABOUT CROSS CANADIAN RAGWEED

Cross Canadian Ragweed established themselves as a relentless touring band throughout the Texas/Oklahoma area and then broadened their reach, nationally releasing several albums of rabble-rousing alt-country. Formed in 1994 in Stillwater, OK, the band took its name from those of its members: frontman and lead guitarist Cody Canada, drummer Randy Ragsdale, rhythm guitarist Grady Cross, and bassist Jeremy Plato. Though the band toured heavily from its inception, establishing a particularly strong fan base in Texas, it didn’t release its first album until 2001 when Underground Sound released Highway 377. Two more releases for the label followed, Live and Loud at the Wormy Dog (2001) and Carney (2002), before the band moved to Smith Music Group for Live and Loud at Billy Bob’s Texas (2002). In 2004 the group signed to Universal South and released Soul Gravy, followed by Garage in October of 2005. The band released the double live CD/DVD Back to Tulsa: Live and Loud at Cain’s Ballroom in 2006, followed by its sixth studio album, Mission California, in 2007. Happiness and All the Other Things, which was dedicated to Willie Nelson’s late stage manager Randall “Poodie” Locke, arrived in 2009.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On July 7, 1990, Dan Seals added himself to the “Wall of Fame” after putting his hands in concrete.

ABOUT DAN SEALS

Dan Seals was a Country & Soft Rock musician. He was known initially as “England Dan”, in the duo England Dan & John Ford Coley, which he formed with his childhood friend John Coley. As a duo, they’ve charted nine singles on the Billboard charts between 1976 and 1980, including the hit “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight”.

In 1983, Dan pursued a solo career after signing with Capitol Records & moving to Nashville to record Country music. Starting with his debut record on Capitol, “Rebel Heart”, Dan achieved a string of 20+ consecutive Top 10’s across 16 albums. Some of the notable singles include his duet with Marie Osmond “Meet Me in Montana”, “God Must Be A Cowboy”, his cover of Sam Cooke’s “Good Times” and “Bop”. Following the release of his charting 1991 Record “Walking The Wire”, He continued recording solo and later touring with his brother Jim as Seals & Seals.

In 2009, Dan had unfortunately passed away from mantle cell Lymphoma in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2010, a duet of “These Dreams” Seals had recorded with Juice Newton on her duets record that year, and Kenny Rogers included a cover of “It’s Gonna Be Easy Now” that was released on his 2013 record.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

South Carolina-rockers Hootie & the Blowfish perform in June, then Hootie front man Darius Rucker returns solo in October to support his second solo disc Learn to Live.

ABOUT DARIUS RUCKER

Darius Rucker first attained multi-Platinum status in the music industry as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of GRAMMY award-winning Hootie & the Blowfish. Since re-introducing himself to the world as a country artist, he has released four consecutive albums to top the Billboard Country albums chart and earned a whole new legion of fans. In 2014, Rucker won his third career GRAMMY award for Best Solo Country Performance for his 4x Platinum selling cover of Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel,” off his album, True Believers.

Rucker’s first two country albums, Learn To Live and Charleston, SC 1966 produced five No. 1 singles including “Come Back Song,” “This,” “Alright,” “It Won’t Be Like This For Long” and “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It.” Southern Style, his fourth studio country album, features his seventh No. 1 single “Homegrown Honey,” co-written by Rucker, label mate Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum and Nathan Chapman.

When Was The Last Time, his forthcoming fifth album for Capitol Nashville, is due out October 20, and the first single, “If I Told You,” has already gone on to become Rucker’s eighth No. 1 on country radio. The album’s second single “For The First Time” is available digitally and currently climbing the country charts.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On July 21, 1995, Daryle Singletary cemented his hands on to the “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT DARYLE SINGLETARY

Neo-traditionalist singer Daryle Singletary was among the brightest new stars to arrive on the contemporary country scene of the mid-’90s, winning fans with his simple, honest songcraft and distinctively gravelly vocals. Born and raised in Cairo, Georgia, he grew up singing gospel alongside his cousins and brother, and while attending high school enrolled in a variety of vocal classes; after graduation, he worked at a tractor dealership before relocating to Nashville to pursue a career in music.

In Music City, Singletary frequently shared open-mike stages and amateur showcases alongside fellow up-and-comers like Tracy Lawrence and Tim McGraw; he eventually found work as a demo singer, recording the track “Old Pair of Shoes” for an independent label. The song made its way to Randy Travis, who decided to record it himself while recommending Singletary to his management team. In short time, Singletary signed to Giant Records, and in 1995 he released his self-titled debut LP, scoring the smash hit singles “I Let Her Lie” and “Too Much Fun.” The follow-up, All Because of You, appeared in late 1996 and generated the hit “Amen Kind of Love.” Singletary’s third album, Ain’t It the Truth, was released in early 1998, followed by That’s Why I Sing This Way on Audium Records in 2002.

It would be five years before his next release, Straight from the Heart, appeared in 2007 from Shanachie Records. Rockin’ in the Country was released by Koch Records in 2009. After a six-year hiatus from recording — he still performed live in the interim — Singletary returned in 2015 with There’s Still a Little Country Left. In the summer of 2017 he released American Grandstand, a duets album with Rhonda Vincent. Daryle Singletary died unexpectedly at his home in Lebanon, Tennessee on February 12, 2018. He was 46 years old.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Tammy Wynette cancels because of illness on June 24 of 1995. Billy Minick calls David Allan Coe on his cell phone and asks him to fill in for the legend. Coe makes it by showtime and even sings “Stand by Your Man.”

ABOUT DAVID ALLAN COE

Born in Akron, Ohio, US, Coe lived a troubled youth, spending much of his time in and out of various youth correctional facilities. Having befriended each other in prison, it is thought that Coe was inspired to pursue a career in music by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, with the pair thought to have written songs together whilst behind bars. Upon release from a prison term, Coe took heed of Hawkins’ advice and travelled to Nashville to begin a career in music, where he caught the attention of Plantation Records, releasing his debut album “Penitentiary Blues” in 1970.

Coe became one of the most desired songwriters in the Nashville scene, writing hit songs for artists such as Billie Joe Spears’ 1972 song “Souvenirs and California Mem’rys” and Tanya Tucker’s number one hit in 1973, “Would You Lay With Me (in a field of stone). Despite this success, he had not managed to forge a path with his own career as a solo artist, remaining an underground talent, unable to break into the mainstream charts. Although in 1975, his second record, “Once upon a Rhyme, “ featured the number ten hit of his cover of Steve Goodman’s and John Prine’s “You Never Even Called Me By My Name.”

Moving to Key West,Florida, US, Coe independently released two albums, the comedy inspired “Nothing Sacred” (1978) and his controversial “Underground Album” (1982). Coe again enjoyed chart success in the 1980s, with his hit songs “The Ride” (1983) and “Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile” (1984). Since the 90s, Coe has being involved in a number of collaborative efforts, most notably “Rebel Meets Rebel,” a joint effort by Coe and Dimebag Darell and his brother Vinnie Paul alongside Rex Brown, a pioneering work fusing country with metal.

As a talented songwriter and charismatic performer, Coe has garnered legendary status in the world of country music, alongside his wild tales and behaviour. His lyrics have spurred controversy, featuring frequent profanities, tales of drug use and sexually explicit material, gaining him the title of the ‘outlaw’s outlaw.’ With his throaty baritone and dirty grooves, Coe’s honky-tonk country certainly sounds pretty badass.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On July 8, 1994, David Ball cemented his hands on to our “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT DAVID BALL

Vocalist and songwriter David Ball is a country artist whose music respects the traditions of classic honky tonk sounds while also leaving room for folk and blues accents. After earning a cult following with the acoustic country act Uncle Walt’s Band, whose sound anticipated the Americana movement, Ball found fame with his 1994 album Thinkin’ Problem and its title track, a superb exercise in neo-traditionalist country that often saw him compared to acts like George Strait and Randy Travis. In many respects, however, he had more in common with Dwight Yoakam in his mix of old-school sounds with a newfangled energy and sense of sonic adventure. While Thinkin’ Problem was Ball’s best and most popular album, after he left the major labels behind, he welcomed the freedom to embrace more traditional sounds on independent releases such as 2001’s Amigo and 2004’s Freewheeler.

David Ball was born in July 9, 1953 in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and grew up in Spartanburg, a town 60 miles to the west. His father was a Baptist minister and his mother played the piano. When he was little, Ball picked up a ukulele and learned to play, and he graduated to the guitar when he was 12. When Ball was in junior high, he began writing songs and played bass in the school band while playing country tunes with his friends, occasionally performing at school talent shows. Ball made friends with two other local music fans, Walter Hyatt and Champ Hood, and they started playing music together that was one-part traditional country, one-part bluegrass, and one-part Western swing. The trio called themselves Uncle Walt’s Band (with Ball singing lead and playing upright bass), and after winning over audiences in South Carolina, they relocated to Nashville, hoping to break into the big time. Uncle Walt’s Band never landed a breakout hit or a major-label deal, but their independently released albums were well-regarded and they found a loyal following in Austin, Texas, where their smart but unpretentious sound was a good fit for the city’s well-established singer/songwriter community. The group made a home in Austin, but a wider audience eluded them, and they broke up in 1983.

By the late ’80s, Ball had returned to Nashville and was making ends meet as a contract songwriter when he landed his first record deal as a solo artist with RCA. Between May 1988 and September 1989, they released three singles from Ball, “You Go, You’re Gone,” “Steppin’ Out,” and “Gift of Love” (curiously they all had the same B-side, “I Wish He Was Me [And She Was You]”), but sales were middling at best and an album Ball cut for the label went unreleased. He fared better when he signed with Warner Bros. several years later; his first single for Warner, 1994’s “Thinkin’ Problem,” was a major hit that rose to number two on the Country Singles chart (it also crossed over to the pop chart, peaking at 40), while the album of the same name went platinum and spawned four other singles that entered the Country charts (“When the Thought of You Catched Up with Me” peaked at number seven and “Look What Followed Me Home” rose to number 11). The success of Thinkin’ Problem prompted RCA to finally bring out Ball’s unreleased 1989 album in 1994, simply titled David Ball (it also appeared as Steppin’ Out).

Starlite Lounge

Ball released two more albums for Warner Bros., 1996’s Starlite Lounge and 1999’s Play, before he moved to the independent Dualtone label in a bid for greater creative freedom. (During his Warner period, Ball was invited by Bob Dylan to contribute a performance of “Miss the Mississippi and You” for his 1997 multi-artist set The Songs of Jimmie Rodgers: A Tribute.) Ball’s Dualtone debut, 2001’s Amigo, included the song “Riding with Private Malone,” which became one of the rare indie label country singles to become a major commercial success, peaking at number two on the country singles survey. The album also earned enthusiastic reviews from critics, as did 2004’s Freewheeler, which appeared on Wildcatter Records. 2004 also saw the release of Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster, another multi-artist tribute album, with Ball singing “Old Folks at Home (Swanee River).” 2007’s Heartaches by the Number (on Shanachie Records) included one original song, “Please Feed the Jukebox,” along with covers of ten country classics. Ball had 11 fresh originals at hand for 2010’s Sparkle City, which found him jumping labels again, this time to E1 Entertainment. A holiday album, The Greatest Christmas, arrived in September 2011 in time for yuletide festivities.

Anthology: Those Boys From Carolina, They Sure Could Sing…

After a long recording layoff in which Ball devoted his time to touring, he issued the album Come See Me in September 2018. That same year, the celebrated reissue label Omnivore Recordings brought out a collection of material by Uncle Walt’s Band, Anthology: Those Boys from Carolina, They Sure Enough Could Sing, while 2019 saw the same label release an expanded edition of UWB’s 1974 debut (which was issued as Uncle Walt’s Band and Blame It on the Bossa Nova). Omnivore next teamed up with Ball for an expanded reissue of Thinkin’ Problem, which came out in 2020 and included his original songwriting demos for several of the tunes.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Deana Carter, whose CD Did I Shave My Legs for This? Is a hot seller throughout 1997. Carter is known for performing without shoes on, so a DJ from a local radio station encouraged the audience to remove their shoes. Many oblige- including some in cowboy boots.

ABOUT DEANA CARTER

Drenched in sun-kissed natural beauty both inside and out, Nashville native, Deana Carter, didn’t take a seemingly easy route to stardom, but instead chose to defy the conventional expectations of the typical Nashville artist blueprint and make her own mark. And she did, undeniably taking the industry and fans by storm with her wildly successful multi-platinum international debut “Did I Shave My Legs For This?” more two decades ago. Anchored by the
dreamy super hit ” Strawberry Wine”, Carter showcased her own blend of country and retrorock sprinkled with the folksy singer/songwriter qualities that have garnered Deana Carter well-deserved respect and wild acclaim.

With EIGHT albums under her belt, Carter explores many subjects commonly shared over a quaint dinner, afternoon coffee or a sunny day hike with a good friend.

Her last release of Southern Way of Life was her first dive as Label CEO on her own Little Nugget Records, distributed by Sony/Red. These songs weave through the sometimes rocky
terrain of adulthood, including loss of love, relationships on many different levels, trials, tribulations and simply put – life. As always, Instinctively autobiographical, the subject matter mimics the interesting ride of Carter’s own life – so far.

The daughter of famed studio guitarist and producer Fred Carter, Jr., Deana grew up exposed to the wide variety of musicians her father worked with, including Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Waylon Jennings, Simon & Garfunkel, Muddy Waters, Dolly Parton, and many more. Their strong influence would eventually seep into Deana’s own country-pop style, which reflects qualities that can also be heard in similar artists now, such as Miranda Lambert and reflective
of artists like Sheryl Crow.

Developing her songwriting skills by trial and error at writer’s nights throughout Nashville, Carter eventually signed a writing deal with Polygram and soon after a record deal with Capitol Records. One of her demo tapes happened to fall into the hands of none other than Willie Nelson, who remembered Deana as a child. Impressed with how she’d grown as a songwriter, Nelson asked Deana to perform along with John Mellencamp, Kris Kristofferson and Neil Young
as the only female solo artist to appear at Farm Aid VII in 1994.

Her debut album, “Did I Shave My Legs For This?” boasts six songs co-written and with the album co-produced by Carter, was released to strong reviews in late summer 1996. By the end of the year, the record had climbed to the top of both the country and pop charts, quickly achieving multi-platinum status, with 3 number one singles in a row. A “first” for the genre, Deana’s celebrated debut album held this distinction and many ground breaking achievements
for more than 5 years and has become one of Country Music’s most treasured classics of the
90’s.

“Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” followed in late 1998 and in 2001 Carter realized her dream of performing with her dad on an intimate holiday album, aptly titled “Father Christmas.” Making a strong move towards adult pop Carter released “I’m Just a Girl” on Arista Records in 2003, the same year Capitol Records released a Greatest Hits compilation. Follow-ups “The Story of My Life” in 2005 and “The Chain” in 2007 were both released on Vanguard Records. In an effort to pay homage to her musical roots and preserve her legendary father’s label Nugget Records, that famously presented some of the best in country music some 40 years ago, Carter opened her own label, Little Nugget Records, on which her latest album “Southern Way of Life” was released.

Carter now divides her time between Los Angeles, Florida and Nashville, writing and producing for both the pop/rock and country markets when not on the road touring or making movies.

Her superstar success continues to be evident as the chart topper “You & Tequila”, co-written with Matraca Berg and recorded by Kenny Chesney, was nominated as CMA’s “Song of the
Year”, as well as two Grammy nods, notable the coveted “Song of the Year” , and, also, received a nomination as ACM’s “Song of the Year”. You and Tequila received a coveted ‘Songs I Wished I’d Written’ by the NSAI in Nashville, something Deana treasures, coming from
her hometown music community.

Carter also co-wrote and produced an album for recording artist Audra Mae & the Almighty Sound, while putting the finishing touches on her own “Southern Way of Life.”

She has recently held a Governor’s seat on the Grammy Board for the Recording Academy and served on the Producer’s & Engineer’s Wing, The Membership Committee, & held an active voice for Artists & Creators with Advocacy in Washington, D. C. & throughout the last year for Pandemic Relief.

Singer, songwriter, producer – Deana Carter continues to defy conventional expectations,
making waves as she makes great music, tours, & makes movies.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Marcia Ball joined Delbert McClinton onstage after her performance downtown at Caravan of Dreams.

ABOUT DELBERT MCCLINTON

Delbert: 2020
“Yeah Baby!”

Congratulations to Delbert McClinton and Self-Made Men + Dana for their 2020 Grammy® Win for Best Traditional Blues Album: Tall, Dark, & Handsome (Hot Shot Records/Thirty Tigers).

It’s been a big year for Delbert, as he has earned the Americana Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance; celebrated the 26th annual Sandy Beaches Cruise; riding the wave of his fourth Grammy®, he kicks off a new year of tour dates from coast to coast.

Delbert will turn 80 in November, and this month marks his 63rd year on stage. From the road houses of Fort Worth to Carnegie Hall and the White House, Delbert admits that he has always been “a fugitive from the law of averages.” Delbert wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on Tall, Dark & Handsome, and Rolling Stone said, “It’s not a stretch to say that McClinton is making the best music of his career.”

Never one to rest on his laurels, today, he is working on his next album which should be out within the year. 2020 will also bring a new paperback edition of the Delbert McClinton: One Of The Fortunate Few (by Diana Finlay Hendricks, Texas A&M University Press) with a new introduction and additional chapter including the latest news of the Texas blues legend.

Tall, Dark, & Handsome (Thirty Tigers/Hot Shot Records), the follow-up to Delbert McClinton’s 2016 Prick of the Litter, offers the easy balance of experience and adventure that has characterized his career for more than sixty years. With this, his 26th original album, Delbert celebrates the strength of his songwriting expertise, the energy of his live performances, and the drive of his touring band.

Fourteen new, original songs, all written or co-written by Delbert, gain momentum as they take the listener on a musical odyssey across the map, moving gracefully from big band to jazz to blues and swing. A dash of tango and a rough-edged, romantic ballad illustrate the diversity, depth, and range of Delbert as an artist, producer, songwriter and musician. Writing sessions with close friends and bandmates, Bob Britt, Kevin McKendree and Mike Joyce, and Dennis Wage, were inspiring.

From Joe Maher’s drum intro on “Mr. Smith,” this album captures the power of a live Delbert show. His trademark vocal style (Lyle Lovett says, “If we could all sing like we want to, we’d all sound like Delbert McClinton.”), is matched by Bob Britt’s guitar and Kevin McKendree’s piano and B-3 organ; with James Pennebaker on guitar; Glenn Worf on bass; and a rock-solid horn section of Dana Robbins (Tenor Sax), Quentin Ware (Trumpet); along with Jim Hoke (Tenor and Bari Sax) and Roy Agee (Trombone), for good measure.

Delbert is the definition of road warrior, having traveled the highways from coast to coast for each of those 62 years. The band on the album is his live band, and he admits, “I love this band. This is the best combination of musicians I have ever worked with.”

Rolling Stone calls him the “Godfather of Americana Music,” and rightfully so. Delbert’s musical style grew from his Texas roots. A little Tejano. A little Bob Wills. Throw in some Jimmy Reed harmonica. Add a splash of Big Joe Turner, and a big band horn section. He has also been nominated for Grammys in the Country category, and has been featured in media from the Los Angeles Times to the Washington Post. He has developed a sound that continues to serve him well, as evidenced by the three Grammy Awards for Contemporary Blues on his mantel.

Born in Lubbock, raised in Fort Worth, and now with homes in Austin, Nashville, and San Miguel de Allende, Delbert recognizes that he has been One Of The Fortunate Few. He grew up with a backstage pass to some of the most significant moments in American culture and music history.

This year, he received the fifth prestigious sidewalk star in Austin’s historic Paramount Theatre on Congress Avenue, an honor that he shares with only two other musicians (Lyle Lovett and Jerry Jeff Walker) and two celebrated actors (Jaston Williams and Joe Sears, of “Greater Tuna” fame). Also in 2019, The Nobelity Project, which has honored Dan Rather, Kris Kristofferson, and many more, awarded Delbert McClinton with the prestigious Feed the Peace Award, as a dedicated and generous supporter of many great causes throughout Texas and the nation.

From his early Fort Worth bands, the Straitjackets and the Rondels, to his current band, Self‑Made Men + Dana, he continues to play sold‑out concert halls and dance halls, historical theatres and music festivals across the nation. A major player in several waves of the national surge of Texas music popularity, Delbert has performed multiple times on Saturday Night Live, has been featured on Austin City Limits seven times, as one of the most celebrated guests on the popular series; and appeared on many other national television shows.

His career truly defines Americana music: Delbert’s unique story of American history – with big horns, a strong rhythm section and a hot harmonica lead. To borrow from one of the songs on Tall, Dark & Handsome, whether he’s doing a live show or a recording, you can be assured that Delbert McClinton “don’t leave no chicken on the bone.”

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A contemporary vehicle for country-rock pioneer Chris Hillman (ex-Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers), the Desert Rose Band formed in 1985 with primary songwriter Hillman on lead vocals, guitar, and mandolin. Other members, culled mainly from southern California session players, included banjoist/guitarist Herb Pedersen, guitarist John Jorgenson, steel guitarist Jay Dee Maness, bassist Bill Bryson, and drummer Steve Duncan. Their first single was a 1986 cover of Johnnie & Jack’s “Ashes of Love,” which climbed into the country Top 30. Their self-titled debut album followed in 1987 and spawned a number one hit in “He’s Back and I’m Blue,” plus two more Top Tens in “Love Reunited” and “One Step Forward.” 1988’s Running produced the number one smash “I Still Believe in You,” the number two “Summer Wind,” and the number three “She Don’t Love Nobody.” 1990’s Pages of Life brought their final Top Ten hits in “Story of Love” and “Start All Over Again.” Major personnel turnover followed; Maness was replaced by steel guitarist Tom Brumley, Jorgenson by guitarist Jeff Ross, and Duncan by drummer Tim Grogan. This lineup recorded three albums — 1991’s True Love and two in 1993, Traditional and Life Goes On — but failed to duplicate the success of the band’s first incarnation. After the Desert Rose Band broke up, Hillman and Herb Pedersen continued to work together on a sporadic basis.

HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Desert Rose Band made their main stage debut at the World’s Largest on September 8, 1989.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On July 5, 1991, Diamond Rio made their made stage debut and even got add their hands to Billy Bob’s “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT DIAMOND RIO

Formed in 1989 in Nashville, TN the band consists of Gene Johnson (mandolin, tenor vocals), Jimmy Olander (lead guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo), Brian Prout (drums), Marty Roe (lead vocal), Dan Truman (keyboards), and Dana Williams (bass guitar, baritone vocals).

Diamond Rio recently released I Made It, their tenth studio album. The title track was co-written by the band’s lead guitarist Jimmy Olander and features 11 new songs.  Produced by Olander and Mike Clute, I Made It is available on iTunes and www.diamondrio.com

Diamond Rio signed to Arista Records and in 1991 with the release of “Meet In The Middle” became the first country music group in history to reach No. 1 with a debut single.  The band is also known for their hits “How Your Love Makes Me Feel,” “One More Day,” “Beautiful Mess,” “Unbelievable,” “In A Week or Two,” and more.  They released their first-ever autobiography, Beautiful Mess: The Story of Diamond Rio on Thomas Nelson in 2009.

The band is known for playing every note on every album recently celebrated their 25th Anniversary, has sold more than 10 million albums, won a Grammy Award, a Dove Award, six Vocal Group of the Year wins (CMA and ACM), released two Greatest Hit albums, a live and Christmas project, earned five multi-week no. 1 singles, 22 Top 10 singles, three certified Platinum and five Gold albums, released an autobiography – and with zero band member changes.  Known for their charity commitments including long-time spokespersons for Big Brothers Big Sisters, the band has raised over $1,000,000.00 for non-profits and received the Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

The first performance by Dierks Bentley in August of 2003 is bolstered by the runaway success of his first, self-titled CD.

ABOUT DIERKS BENTLEY

Seven albums into one of country music’s most-respected and most-unpredictable careers, award-winning singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley continues to grow. His latest evolution comes in the form of RISER, a project due early 2014 that stands as his most personal to date.

Written and recorded in the year following his father’s death, the album draws its title from “I’m A Riser,” a song about resilience and determination. “I’m A Riser” works as a commentary on spiritual, personal and societal recommitment, but it also applies to the competitive battlefield of the music industry. It’s particularly appropriate for an album about rejuvenation delivered by Bentley.

“Life in general has a way of knocking you down,” Bentley says. “It’s different reasons for different folks – could be personal reasons, could be family reasons, your job, drugs, alcohol. That song really applies to anybody that’s lived. There have always been those moments when we have to get back up and get on our feet. They are defining moments…breakthrough moments.”

Accepting change – and growing from it – is a key theme in RISER, and it’s reflected by the tone of the album, which demonstrates a new artistic depth and an extra level of intensity for Bentley. It evolves from track to track, exuding a range of emotions, all the while impressing upon the listener that Bentley’s instinct for a hit is stronger than ever. Bentley made significant reconfigurations in his creative team to shake up his sonic texture without sacrificing his commercial drive. He re-enlisted executive producer Arturo Buenahora Jr., who worked on Bentley’s first two albums; and utilized producer Ross Copperman, who co-wrote “Tip It On Back” for Bentley’s current album Home.

The new atmosphere yielded the most focused and intense vocals of Bentley’s career. Some were recorded live with the band as the musicians laid down the tracks, but others were captured in less-than-obvious locales. One track’s vocal was recorded on Bentley’s tour bus. Still others were cut at Copperman’s house with the producer literally at Bentley’s side, pushing him to some of his most emotional, and seasoned, performances.

“It’s not even really a studio,” Bentley says of Copperman’s set-up. “It’s just kind of a corner of the house he’s taken over, so there was a kind of intimacy to the vocal process. It was important to get out of the studio and sing in different places, and to do it with other people in the room. That way, you have an audience and you get a sense of what’s working, what’s not working, when it’s feeling good, not feeling good. It brings a little more emotion and energy out of your voice.”

Since making a life-altering drive with his father from Phoenix to Nashville when he was 19 years old, Bentley has forged his own path in an industry built predominantly on formula. He has mixed elements of modern country, classic country, bluegrass and rock, maintaining an unmistakable identity while constantly reinventing his sound. His album Home debuted at No. 1 and spawned three consecutive chart-topping hits, marking 12 career No. 1 songs for Bentley as a singer and songwriter. His five previous studio albums have sold more than five million copies, garnered 11 GRAMMY nominations and earned him an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On June 23, 2001 Don Williams cemented himself into the “Wall of Fame” here at Billy Bob’s.

ABOUT DON WILLIAMS

Scoring at least one major hit every year between 1974 and 1991, Williams had an impressive fifty-six chart records. Fifty of these reached the country Top Twenty, and forty-five made the Top Ten; seventeen went to #1. In 1978 he was the Country Music Association’s (CMA) Male Vocalist of the Year, and his recording of “Tulsa Time” was the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Single of the Year. In 1980, readers of London’s Country Music People magazine named him Artist of the Decade.

Born May 27, 1939, in Floydada, Texas, Don Williams learned guitar from his mother and performed in various country, folk, and rock & roll bands as a teenager. He first found success in the 1960s as a member of folk-pop trio the Pozo-Seco Singers. The group had six pop chart-making records during 1966-67, the best known being the hauntingly nostalgic “Time.” The act broke up in 1969, and Williams tried several nonmusical jobs before traveling to Nashville to make another stab at music.

There Williams found an ally in Jack Clement, who signed the lanky Texan to his Jack Music publishing company as a writer. Working with Clement and songwriter-producer Allen Reynolds, then new to Nashville, Williams recorded publisher’s demo recordings. When other artists proved reluctant to record his songs, the three men decided that Williams should record them himself.

Don Williams, Volume One, his first album, appeared in 1972 on Clement’s JMI Records. It contained several chart singles, including Williams’s self-penned “The Shelter of Your Eyes” (#14, 1972) and Bob McDill’s “Come Early Morning” (#12, 1973) and “Amanda” (#33, 1973). Don Williams, Volume Two included Williams’s own “Atta Way to Go” (#13, 1973-74) and Reynolds’s “We Should Be Together” (1974), the singer’s first Top Five hit. Recordings like these established his style, noted for its mellow yet masculine vocals and often pensive song material.

In 1974, Williams scored his first chart-topping record, Al Turney’s “I Wouldn’t Want to Live If You Didn’t Love Me.” It launched a string of fifteen straight Top Ten hits, including songs by numerous top-tier writers: Wayland Holyfield’s “You’re My Best Friend” and “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend”; McDill’s “(Turn Out the Light and) Love Me Tonight,” “Say It Again,” and “It Must Be Love”; and Danny Flowers’s “Tulsa Time.” The singer’s winning streak also included the Holyfield-Williams composition “Till the Rivers All Run Dry” and the Williams originals “Lay Down Beside Me” and “Love Me Over Again.”

During the eighties and early nineties, Bob McDill continued to supply Williams with first-rate material, most notably the literary and evocative “Good Ole Boys Like Me.” Other hits came from leading songwriters such as Roger Cook (“I Believe in You” with Sam Hogin; “Love Is on a Roll” with John Prine), Dave Loggins (“We Got a Good Fire Goin’”), Rory Bourke and Mike Reid (“I Wouldn’t Be a Man”), and Dennis Linde (“Then It’s Love”; “Heartbeat in the Darkness” with Russell Smith).

Williams’s hits helped establish Allen Reynolds not only as a songwriter but also as a producer who would go on to guide talents such as Crystal Gayle and Garth Brooks. Williams eventually co-produced his own albums with Garth Fundis, also destined for success with a wide range of artists.

As of 2010 the prolific Williams had released more than thirty-five albums. The Best of Don Williams, Volume II and The Best of Don Williams Vol. III have been certified gold, and I Believe in You has been certified platinum. His video collection Don Williams Live has attained gold status. After switching from JMI to ABC-Dot (1974-78), Williams moved in succession to MCA (1979-85), Capitol (1985-89), and RCA (1989-92). Later releases appeared on American Harvest, Giant, RMG, and Intersound/Compendia. Williams was one of the first country artists to make a music video, for 1973’s “Come Early Morning.”

From the outset, country radio embraced Williams warmly. Former MCA Nashville president Jim Foglesong vividly remembered his promotion director calling to say, “You know, we have an artist that we almost don’t even have to promote to radio. We just shipped Don Williams’s new single, and we’re calling stations this morning to make sure they received it. . . . Everybody is already playing it! It’s that way with all of his releases!”

Onstage, Williams steadily built a large and loyal following. In addition to his domestic audience, he won fans worldwide, selling records in the British Isles, Europe, Latin America, and Australia. He is one of the few country stars who has toured in Africa; his DVD Into Africa draws upon his performances on that continent.

Among country’s major acts, Don Williams was perhaps the least enamored of his success. Commenting on his reputation as a superstar, he said, “The only way that I would be comfortable with that sort of title is when people tell me that my music has helped them through some stage in their life. . . . But as far as that whole approach to special treatment and people carrying on over you, I never have been too big on that.” Avoiding music industry parties, he gave few interviews and deliberately limited his tour schedule so he could spend time on his farm with his family. Williams was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010. He died in Mobile, Alabama, on September 8, 2017, from emphysema. — John Lomax III and John Rumble.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On June 3, 1989, Dottie West put her hands in concrete for us to add her to the “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT DOTTIE WEST

Dottie West was one of the most successful, and controversial, performers to rise to popularity during the Nashville sound era; like her friend and mentor Patsy Cline, West’s battles for identity and respect within the male-dominated country music hierarchy were instrumental in enabling other female artists to gain control over the directions of their careers.

Born Dorothy Marie Marsh outside McMinnville, TN, on October 11, 1932, she was the oldest of ten children; after her abusive, alcoholic father left the family, her mother opened a small cafe. Dottie began appearing on local radio just shy of her 13th birthday and went on to study music at Tennessee Tech, where she also sang in a band; the group’s steel guitar player, Bill West, became her first husband in 1953. After graduation, the Wests and their two children moved to Cleveland, OH; there, Dottie began appearing on the television program Landmark Jamboree as one half of a country-pop vocal duo called the Kay-Dots alongside partner Kathy Dee. At the same time, West made numerous trips to Nashville in the hopes of landing a recording deal; in 1959, she and Bill auditioned for Starday’s Don Pierce and were immediately offered a contract. Although the resulting singles West cut for the label proved unsuccessful, she nonetheless moved to Nashville in 1961. There, she and her husband fell in with a group of aspiring songwriters like Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, Hank Cochran, and Harlan Howard; they also became close friends with Cline and her husband Charlie Dick.

Here Comes My BabyWest earned her first Top 40 hit in 1963 with “Let Me Off at the Corner,” followed a year later by the Top Ten “Love Is No Excuse,” a duet with Jim Reeves (who had scored a major success with her “Is This Me?”). Also in 1964, she auditioned for producer Chet Atkins, the architect of the Nashville sound, who agreed to produce her composition “Here Comes My Baby”; the single made West the first female country artist to win a Grammy Award, leading to an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry. In Atkins, West found the perfect producer for her plaintive vocals and heart-wrenching songs; after releasing the Here Comes My Baby LP in 1965, they reunited for the following year’s Suffer Time, which generated her biggest hit yet in “Would You Hold It Against Me.” In 1967, the West/Atkins pairing issued three separate albums — With All My Heart and Soul (featuring the smash “Paper Mansions”), Dottie West Sings Sacred Ballads, and I’ll Help You Forget Her; she also appeared in a pair of films, Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar and There’s a Still on the Hill.

Dottie and Don

After the 1968 LP Country Girl, West teamed with Don Gibson for a record of duets, 1969’s Dottie and Don, featuring the number two hit “Rings of Gold.” The album was her last with Atkins, and she followed it with two 1970 releases, Forever Yours and Country Boy and Country Girl, a collection of pairings with Jimmy Dean. Around the time of 1971’s Have You Heard…Dottie West, she left Bill and in 1972 married drummer Bryan Metcalf, who was a dozen years her junior. Suddenly, West’s image underwent a huge metamorphosis; the woman who once performed dressed in conservative gingham dresses and refused to record Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night” because it was “too sexy” began appearing in skin-tight stage attire. As the sexual revolution peaked, so did West’s career; after the 1973 success of the crossover smash “Country Sunshine,” written for Coca-Cola, her material became far more provocative and, much to the chagrin of country purists, more commercially successful as well.

After the release of House of Love in 1974, West notched a number of Top 40 hits like “Last Time I Saw Him,” “When It’s Just You and Me,” and “Tonight You Belong to Me.” In 1977, she was recording the song “Every Time Two Fools Collide” when, according to legend, Kenny Rogers suddenly entered the studio and began singing along. Released as a duet, the single hit number one, West’s first; the duo’s 1979 “All I Ever Need Is You” and 1981 “What Are We Doin’ in Love” topped the charts as well, and a 1979 duets album titled Classics also proved successful. As a solo artist, West notched a pair of number ones in 1980 — “A Lesson in Leavin'” and “Are You Happy Baby?”.

As the 1980s progressed, West’s popularity began to slip; she appeared in a revealing photo spread in the men’s magazine Oui and toured with a production of the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. In 1983, she married for the third time, to soundman Al Winters, who was some 23 years younger than she was; a year later, she appeared in the play Bring It on Home. Her last chart hit, “We Know Better Now,” reached only number 53 in 1985. Although she remained a popular touring act, West’s financial problems mounted, and in 1990, after divorcing Winters, she declared bankruptcy, culminating in the foreclosure of her Nashville mansion. After a car accident and a public auction of her possessions, she began making plans for a comeback, including an album of duets and autobiography. But en-route to a September 4, 1991, appearance at Opryland, the car she was riding in flipped, and a few days later West died of her injuries. A made-for-television biography followed a few years later.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Platinum-selling artist Doug Stone is so moved by images of the 1992 North Texas flood that along with Billy Minick, he presents a check to the American Red Cross for relief.

Former Billy Bob’s Texas Production Manager, Martin “Dirt” Stinnett, played lead guitar on Stone’s “Live at Billy Bob’s” album.

ABOUT DOUG STONE

Doug Stone found his mark in music as a lonesome baritone balladeer, although he was very adept at hard-up-tempo country. Doug began at age five learning guitar from his mother an avid singer and guitarist. At age seven he was given the opportunity, by his mother, to open for Loretta Lynn. Life presented Doug a drastic change with the divorce of his mother and father. Doug, as result, moved in with his dad. As his youthful years past, Doug played at skating rinks, local bars or any money making project to help his father make ends meet. In the daytime Doug worked as a mechanic, something else that came to him naturally.

Doug had already past the age of 30 when a Nashville manager paired him up with Epic, his first record label. He debuted in 1990 with the single, “I’d Be Better Off (In a Pine Box),” the first release from his 1990 self-titled debuted album “Doug Stone” for Epic records. This album produced a handful of chart-topping singles. Following these songs was his first number one, “In a Different Light”. In addition, the single was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Song. Both this album and its successor, 1991’s I Thought It Was You, earned a platinum certification from The Recording Industry Association of America for U.S. shipments of one million copies. Two more albums for Epic, 1992’s From The Heart and 1994’s More Love, were each certified gold. Stone has charted –twenty-two singles on Hot Country Songs, with his greatest chart success coming between 1990 and 1995. In this time span, he charted eight Number Ones including: “In a Different Light”, “A Jukebox and a Country Song”, “Too Busy Being in Love”, “Addicted to a Dollar, and “Why Didn’t I think of That” to name a few, plus fifteen more Top Five singles.

In early 1992, Stone found that one of the arteries in his heart was almost entirely blocked. He underwent quadruple bypass surgery and took time off to recover, just as his third album, “From the Heart,” was released. With a gold certification for shipments of 500,000 copies, “From the Heart” included two Number Ones among its four singles: “Too Busy Being in Love” and “Why Didn’t I Think of That.” The other two singles were “Warning Labels” and “Made for Lovin’ You,” at No. 4 and No.6 respectively. One month later Stone released an album titled “The First Christmas.”

In June 1994 Stone discovered that he was having breathing problems, which were affecting his singing. Doctors at Vanderbilt University’s medical center failed to find any problems in his throat. A second consultation revealed a lump in his nostril but amazingly it was not cancerous. While Stone was undergoing treatment, his Greatest Hits, Vol.1 compilation was released in late 1994.This album included the new song “Little Houses, “which debuted on the charts in October 1994 and peaked at No. 7 in early 1995.

Stone made his acting debut in the 1995 film “Gordy.” “Gordy,” a heartwarming story featured Doug as Luke McAllister, a struggling musician. Gordy paved the way for stone’s acting career and as well featured several of his songs. In 2011 Doug moved on to another movie role, “When the Storm God Rides,” a Thomas E. Kelly film.

Always the adventurer, in 2000 Doug suffered a broken ankle and a cracked rib after crashing his ultra-light plane in Robertson County, TN. An experience that would put him back in the studio recording the self-inspired single “Caught Dead Living”, based off of Doug’s “larger than life personality”, and love for living life to its fullest.

In April 2012 Doug Stone hit the road again bringing this hits to venues and fans around the country. It also inspired him to go back and pull out all the demo sessions he had recorded over the previous 20 years and in 2014 he released the album “Doug Stone ‘The Demo’s’: 20 Years of Life”.

Now in 2021, 30 years, 8 #1 singles, 11 Top 10 singles, and over 10 million albums sold – the singer of timeless country hits like “A Jukebox with a Country Song” and “In a Different Light” is still running the roads hard performing to dedicated fans all across the nation. With a new record slated for release in the Fall of 2021, Doug Stone continues to produce pure country gold.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

In the early ’90s, Doug Supernaw once rode his horse into Billy Bob’s.

ABOUT DOUG SUPERNAW

Written by Reed Nielsen, the relatable narrative of “I Don’t Call Him Daddy” is sung from the perspective of a divorced father who calls his young son to check-in. From the other end of the line, the boy tells him that his mother’s new love is taking care of things, yet reassures him that “I don’t call him daddy.” The single spent two weeks at No. 1 in 1993.

Supernaw was born on September 26, 1960, in Bryan, Texas, and was signed to BNA Records, a label tied to Arista Nashville and RCA Nashville. He referenced his Texas roots with the title of his first album, Red and Rio Grande, produced by Richard Landis.

After the dismal reception of his 1993 debut single “Honky Tonkin’ Fool,” Supernaw broke out nationally with his second release, “Reno,” which he co-wrote. A showcase for his rich baritone and arranged with reverence for traditional country, it rose to No. 4.

Supernaw received 1993 ACM nominations for Top New Male Vocalist, and for Song of the Year for “I Don’t Call Him Daddy.” His time on BNA was short-lived, however, as the singles from 1994’s Deep Thoughts from a Shallow Mind gained little traction. 1995 single, “What’ll You Do About Me,” rustled up some controversy as it was perceived to be sung from the point-of-view of a stalker, and peaked at No. 16.

Supernaw exited that label and subsequently signed to Giant Records, but placed only one hit, “Not Enough Hours in the Night,” which rose to No. 3 in 1996. His last charting single was a collaboration with the Beach Boys later that year.

In the 2000s, Supernaw faced a number of legal and personal battles, though he began to resume live performances within the last few years, including appearances at CMA Music Festival in Nashville.

Doug Supernaw, the ’90s country singer best known for his No. 1 single “I Don’t Call Him Daddy,” died peacefully at home in Texas on Friday (November 13) of cancer. He was 60.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On New Year’s Eve of 1986, Dwight Yoakam solidified his reputation as a “Honky Tonk Man” with a stellar performance.

ABOUT DWIGHT YOAKUM

Dwight Yoakam has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide, and he is a 21-time nominated, multiple GRAMMY Award winner. He has 12 gold albums and 9 platinum or multi-platinum albums, with five of those albums topping Billboard’s Country Albums chart and another 14 landing in the Top 10. Nearly 40 of Yoakam’s singles have charted on Billboard, with 14 peaking in the Top 10. Yoakam is a recipient of the Artist of the Year award from the Americana Music Association, the most prestigious award offered by the organization, he will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in the Songwriter/Artist category at the 49th anniversary Gala on October 14, 2019, in Nashville, TN.

Yoakam’s self-curated SiriusXM channel, titled Dwight Yoakam and The Bakersfield Beat ‘Where Country Went Mod’ launched in April of 2018. The channel celebrates the Bakersfield sound and those whom it has inspired. Guests have boasted the likes of Post Malone, Lukas Nelson, Beck, Chris Hillman, Jakob Dylan, Mike Nesmith, and Mickey Dolans, Dave Alvin, and Jackie DeShannon, among others.

In 2016, Yoakam released his bluegrass album Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars… on Sugar Hill Records. Featuring a band of bluegrass luminaries, this album boasts a collection of reinterpreted favorites from his catalog, as well as a cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain”. Produced by nine-time GRAMMY winner Gary Paczosa (Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton), Jon Randall (songwriter of “Whiskey Lullaby”), and Yoakam himself, and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge, this album reflects the love for bluegrass music that Yoakam developed at an early age in Kentucky and that has inspired him for many years thereafter.  In 2018, Yoakam released two songs, “Pretty Horses” and “Then Came Monday” (the latter written with Chris Stapleton).

In addition to his musical career, Yoakam is a formidable film and television actor who has appeared in over 40 feature films, including Sling Blade and Panic Room. In 2016, he recurred in David E. Kelley’s Amazon series Goliath. Recently, he appeared in director Steven Soderbergh’s film Logan Lucky with Channing Tatum and Daniel Craig. Yoakam is capable of seamlessly melting into his roles and impressively standing toe-to-toe with some of the world’s top thespians over the course of his storied and successful acting career, including Jodie Foster, Tommy Lee Jones, Jared Leto, Forest Whitaker, and Matthew McConaughey.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

February 22, 2005, Earl Thomas Conley’s “Live at Billy Bob’s Texas” was released.

On March 21, 2003, Earl Thomas Conley recorded his album exactly two decades after playing the main stage for the first time.

ABOUT EARL THOMAS CONLEY

Early in his career, Earl Thomas Conley’s music picked up the label “thinking man’s country.” An accurate description — Conley looks into the heart and soul of his characters, finding the motivations for their actions and beliefs. In the process, the astute listener can find fragments of himself/herself in nearly any Conley creation. Born into poverty in Portsmouth, OH, Conley struggled with the limits of his social class. He aspired to be a painter or actor, but found that his aspirations for music lingered after the other interests died down. Influenced by everyone from Hank Williams to the Eagles, Conley delved into the details of writing, trying to learn the craft by following the rules and regulations of the Music Row songwriting community. Eventually, torn by the limits of the “law,” he found his own niche by breaking many of those same rules. His public self-analysis — in both his songs and his interviews — has proven inspirational to some, bothersome to others, but Conley has evolved stylistically, even though the “thinking man” label continues to follow him. He’s admittedly chased a more commercial sound, with a certain degree of success, but the run for the dollars also put him into a financial bind. He spent part of the late ’80s and early ’90s overworking himself to pay off his debts. Although he has been a hitmaker for more than a decade, his contributions to country have often gone almost unnoticed.

The son a railroad man, Conley left his Portsmouth home at the age of 14, once his father lost his job. After living with his older sister in Ohio, he rejected a scholarship to art school, deciding to join the Army instead. While he was in the military, he fell in love with country music. Following his discharge, he worked a number of blue-collar jobs while he played Nashville clubs at night. Conley wasn’t making any headway, so he relocated to Huntsville, AL, where he worked in a steel mill. While in Huntsville, he met Nelson Larkin, a producer who helped the fledgling singer sign to the independent label GRT in 1974. Over the next two years, he released four singles on the label — which were all credited to “Earl Conley” — and each one scraped the lower regions of the country charts. While his chart success was respectable for a developing artist, he was soon eclipsed by other artists who were having hits with his songs. Nelson Larkin gave his brother Billy “Leave It Up to Me,” which became the first Earl Thomas Conley song to reach the Top 20. It was followed shortly afterward by Mel Street’s number 13 hit “Smokey Mountain Memories” and Conway Twitty’s version of “This Time I’ve Hurt Her More (Than She Loves Me),” which reached number one in early 1976. By that time, he had moved to Nashville, where he was writing for Nelson Larkin’s publishing house.

In 1977, Conley signed with Warner Bros., and in early 1979 he had his first Top 40 hit, “Dreamin’s All I Do.” By the end of the year, he had begun performing and releasing records under his full name, Earl Thomas Conley. None of his Warner singles became big hits, and he left the label at the end of 1979. After spending six months reassessing his career and musical direction, he signed to Sunbird Records and began working with Nelson Larkin again. Conley’s first single for Sunbird, “Silent Treatment,” was an immediate Top Ten hit late in 1980, and it was quickly followed by the number one “Fire and Smoke” early in 1981. Following his breakthrough success, RCA signed Conley to a long-term deal. “Tell Me Why,” his first single for the label, reached number ten in late 1981, followed shortly afterward by the number 16 “After the Love Slips Away.” In the summer of 1982, “Heavenly Bodies” kicked off a string of 21 straight Top Ten hits that ran for seven years. During that time, he had a remarkable 17 number one hits, including a record-setting four number one singles from 1984’s Don’t Make It Easy for Me — it was the first time any artist in any genre had four number one hits from the same album. Though he had some financial and vocal problems during the mid-’80s, the hits never stopped coming during the entire decade.

Yours Truly

By the end of the ’80s, he had stopped working with Nelson Larkin, preferring to collaborate with Randy Scruggs, which brought his music back to his country and R&B roots. His sales took a dramatic dip during 1990 due to the rise of contemporary country, but he had two new Top Ten hits, “Shadow of a Doubt” and the Keith Whitley duet “Brotherly Love.” The singles set the stage for the harder-edged country of his 1991 album, Yours Truly. Despite receiving some of the best reviews of Conley’s career, the record was a commercial failure, and RCA dropped him shortly after its release. For much of the ’90s, he was without a record label, yet he continued to give concerts and to tour, finally landing on Intersound for 1998’s Perpetual Emotion.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

In May of 2010, Easton Corbin made his Billy Bob’s debut and said “it was a dream come true.”

ABOUT EASTON CORBIN

With two No. 1 singles, multiple awards and nominations, plus performances on some of the biggest stages in the world, Mercury Nashville’s Easton Corbin has made a lasting impression on the country music landscape. He is lauded for his traditional country sound, authentic lyrics, and mastery of understatement. American Songwriter says, “Easton Corbin has one of those rare, glorious voices that was made—just made—for singing country music.” His self-titled debut album was released in 2010 and spawned back-to-back hits “A Little More Country Than That” and “Roll With It;” making him the first country male artist in 17 years to have his first two consecutive singles reach No. 1.  In 2012 the Gilchrist County Florida native released his sophomore album, All Over The Road, which included the Top 5 hits “Lovin’ You Is Fun” and “All Over The Road.”  Corbin set a career-best debut on Country Airplay with his top 5 hit single, “Baby Be My Love Song,” from his No. 1 debuting album About To Get Real.  His new single, “Are You With Me,” is already making an impact on the charts and was the most added song on country radio the day it was released.  “Are You With Me” first appeared on All Over The Road and was such a special song to Corbin he carried it over to About To Get Real in hopes it would be a radio single.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Eddy Raven’s “Live at Billy Bob’s” album included most of his hits with 6 singles that went to #1.

ABOUT EDDY RAVEN

Eddy Raven’s style of music is rich in lyrical imagery and strong in roots. He has been writing and playing a mixture of rock, country, Cajun and blues since he was a Louisiana teenager. In fact, his first single release for the Georgia-based Cosmo label “Once A Fool” was one of his own compositions.

He gained a huge all-around music biz knowledge at Lafayette’s La Louisianne label, selling records and working in the facility’s sound studios. It was there that Raven first met and worked with great regional stars such as Professor Longhair, Dr. John, Dale, and Grace (“I’m Leaving It All Up To You”) and John Fred and the Playboy band. The great Bobby Charles (“Walking to New Orleans” and “See You Later Alligator”) lived only a few miles away. He cut one of Eddy’s songs and became something of a writing mentor to the writer/artist.

La Louisanne added Eddy to its roster and released his “That Cajun Country Sound.” This release led Opry star Jimmy C. Newman to invite Raven to Nashville. Acuff Rose signed the young man as a staff writer and he went back to Louisiana determined to write a hit song. He met that goal by writing “Country Green” and “Touch The Morning” for Don Gibson and “Good Morning Country Rain” for Jeannie C. Riley. With the encouragement of Acuff Rose’s Don Grant, Eddy made the move to Nashville to pursue his music career full-time.

Once in Nashville, Eddy continued writing songs for other artists such as Roy Orbison, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Tanya Tucker, George Jones, Kenny Chesney, Chris LeDoux, Lorrie Morgan, Gene Watson, Johnny Cash, Lynn Anderson, Connie Smith, Faron Young, Moe Bandy, Brenda Lee, and many more.

When Don Gant moved to ABC Records he signed Raven as an artist. What followed was a string of charted songs that didn’t just bring him stardom, but made him an interesting prospect to fans and labels alike. Five years later he signed with Elektra Records cut the breakthrough song “I Should’ve Called.” Just to prove that was no fluke, Raven followed with “Who Do You Know In California,” which established him as a stylist of note.

Eddy started his own publishing company and kept writing songs for himself as well as others. In 1982 his “Thank God For Kids” became a monumental hit for the Oak Ridge Boys, giving him financial breathing room and the opportunity to stretch a little in his own work.

The following year, after signing with RCA, Eddy wrote and co-produced his first #1, “I’ve Got Mexico.” It was the first in a long line of hits!

Eddy’s attention to quality has consistently paid off. He’s been at the top of the charts with music that has often defied classification and was never run-of-the-mill. This is an artist who, without sacrificing any musical integrity, has had 8 No. 1 songs a “Bayou Boys,” “I’ve Got Mexico,” “Shine, Shine, Shine,” “I’m Gonna Get You,” “Joe Knows How To Live,” “Till You Cry,” “In A Letter To You,” and “She’s Gonna Win Your Heart.” Even his Songs that did not hit No. 1 went on to become country classics. Take, for example, the top-10 cuts, “Sooner Or Later,” “Island,” “You’re Playing Hard To Forget,” “I Could Use Another You,” “Right Hand Man,” “You’re Never To Old For Young Love,” “I Should’ve Called,” “Who Do You Know In California,” and “A Little Bit Crazy.” In short, he has 30 ASCAP songwriting awards, 8 No. 1’s, 14 Top 10’s, 23 Top 100’s, and 24 Albums to his credit.

Raven keeps a busy schedule writing, recording, and touring year-round. He has recently recorded and released a CD of his songs with the bluegrass group “Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road”. The title is “All Grassed Up”.

Sammy Kershaw recorded a song of Eddy’s for his “Swamp Poppin” C.D. and asked Eddy to sing it with him. The song called “Alligator Bayou” was a single from the early Louisiana recordings of Eddys.

Raven still writes and does song-writer shows with his long-time friend and guitar player Frank Myers.

Raven has always said writing was his first love and how great a gift he was given.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Eli Young Band perform for the first time on the main stage in 2005.

ABOUT ELI YOUNG BAND

With momentum still high following their fourth career #1, MULTI-PLATINUM hitmakers ELI YOUNG BAND are releasing an introspective new single with “ Break It In ” via The Valory Music Co. Under producer Dann Huff, the tune explores lessons in life and love that are only learned over time well spent. As showcased through vivid Benjy Davis, Brandon Day, Daniel Ross, and Michael Whitworth-penned lyrics, EYB further delivers a booming chorus: “Like these dusty boots that walked me through / The work that got me here / And these faded jeans with Skoal can rings / I’ve worn out all these years / When the shine wears off when you lose that gloss / There’s so much more underneath it all / You think that good is good as it can get / Then you break it in.”

“We definitely didn’t just start a band and have instant success. We’ve continued to build it up over the years — we broke it in,” shares EYB. “We’ve been blessed to have had our moments of being able to sit back and soak it all in. ‘Break It In’ carries a message you learn with time, and we’re so excited for these lyrics to be heard far and wide!”

“Break It In” closely follows THIS IS ELI YOUNG BAND: GREATEST HITS, which features chart-toppers – “Love Ain’t,” PLATINUM “Drunk Last Night,” 2X PLATINUM Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” and 3X PLATINUM “Crazy Girl.” EYB has always been unique in modern Country music as a true band of brothers who cling fast to their Texas roots and has maintained an impressive trajectory with singles earning Billboard’s #1 Country Song of the Year and ACM Awards Song of the Year. They have previously earned multiple nominations from GRAMMY, CMA, CMT, ACA, and Teen Choice Awards.

While selling out venues as a headliner from coast to coast, EYB has toured with Jason Aldean, Dave Matthews Band, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, and Darius Rucker. They will continue to bring these fan-favorites and more on the road this summer with several festival appearances.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

In 2015, Emilio and his sons put on a small acoustic concert backstage before taking the main stage later that night.

ABOUT EMILIO

With the exception of Selena, Emilio Navaira did more than anyone to popularize tejano music during the early to mid-’90s, and though his popularity waned in the wake of his 1995 crossover into the country music market with the English-language album Life Is Good (1995), he remained influential and was rightfully regarded as a tejano legend. Navaira first established himself as the lead singer of David Lee Garza y los Musicales. During his tenure with the group from 1984 until 1988, Garza y los Musicales regularly took home Tejano Music Awards, winning Album of the Year honors in 1985, 1987, and 1989. Following the group’s most popular album to date, Tour ’88 (1988), Navaira split from los Musicales and formed his own band, Rio, with his brother Raúl. Navaira and Rio debuted in 1989 and, over the next five years, enjoyed remarkable success, commercially as well as critically. His 1995 country crossover album, Life Is Good, was perhaps his greatest success, but his popularity began to wane in its wake. In subsequent years, Navaira continued to perform and record new albums, and though they didn’t rival the popularity of his earlier efforts, they were critically acclaimed, regularly being nominated for Grammy Awards (and, in the case of Acuérdate [2002], winning one). After years of fading stardom, a 2008 tour bus crash in which Navaira was driving thrust him back into the spotlight and triggered a reevaluation of his illustrious career and his role as a tejano trailblazer.

Born Emilio Navaira III on August 23, 1962, in San Antonio, Texas, he was of Mexican heritage, the son of Emilio Navaira, Jr., and Mary Navaira, the latter a bilingual teacher’s assistant. Growing up on the south side of San Antonio, Navaira found early influence in not only tejano legends such as Little Joe y la Familia, Ramón Ayala, and Pedro Infante, but also Lone Star country music heroes such as Willie Nelson, Bob Wills, and George Strait. There was no market for Hispanic country music singers, however, so he focused on performing regional Mexican music in order to get club gigs. As a student, he graduated from McCollum High School in 1980, received a music scholarship to Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, and majored in music with plans to become a teacher. He also performed as an actor, starring as the character Fredrick in a revival of The Sound of Music staged at the Fiesta Dinner Theater in San Antonio.

In 1984 Navaira made his recording debut as the lead vocalist of David Lee Garza y los Musicales on their fourth album, Las Canciones Que Te Canto. He was also featured as lead vocalist on subsequent albums by David Lee Garza y los Musicales, namely Cuantas Veces (1984), Totally Yours (1985), Award Winning (1986), Dejame Quererte (1987), and Tour ’88 (1988). Garza y los Musicales were a leading tejano act of the era, winning Tejano Music Awards in 1983 (Most Promising Band of the Year), 1984 (Conjunto Album of the Year), 1985 (Conjunto Album of the Year), 1987 (Conjunto Album of the Year), 1988 (Conjunto Album of the Year), and 1989 (Conjunto Album of the Year; Single of the Year).

La Pistola y el Corazón

In the wake of the Tour ’88 album and its award-winning hit single, “Me Quieres Tu y Te Quiero Yo,” Navaira left Garza y los Musicales at the height of group’s popularity. He formed his own group, Rio, featuring his brother Raúl (aka Raulito), and signed a recording contract with CBS Records. The group’s eponymous 1989 debut album proved popular, breaking into the Top Ten of the regional Mexican chart, and was nominated for a 1989 Grammy Award in the category of Best Mexican-American Performance, ultimately losing to Los Lobos’ La Pistola y el Corazon. At the 1990 Tejano Music Awards, he took home both Conjunto Album of the Year and Most Promising Band of the Year. Navaira’s second album, Sensaciones (1990), also won Album of the Year at the Tejano Music Awards.

Shoot It

In 1991 Navaira switched from CBS Records to EMI for Shoot It!, yet another Tejano Music Award winner for Conjunto Album of the Year. The accolades continued as subsequent albums Unsung Highways (1992), Shuffle Time (1992), Live (1992), Southern Exposure (1993), and SoundLife (1994) kept Navaira firmly lodged on the regional Mexican albums chart: in 1993 he won Tejano Music Awards for Male Entertainer of the Year and Progressive Album of the Year; in 1994 he won Male Vocalist of the Year, Male Entertainer of the Year, and Progressive Album of the Year; and in 1995 he won Male Vocalist of the Year, Male Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Duo of the Year (in conjunction with Roberto Pulido), and Video of the Year.

The release of Life Is Good in 2005 marked a turning point in Navaira’s recording career. Released a half-year after Selena’s tragic death shone a national spotlight on the tejano scene, the English-language Life Is Good was oriented toward the national country music market rather than the regional Mexican scene. The lead single, “It’s Not the End of the World,” was released in both English- and Spanish-language versions and became a Top 30 country hit. The album itself debuted at number 12 on the country albums chart. A series of follow-up singles — “Even If I Tried,” “I Think We’re on to Something,” and “Have I Told You Lately” — also charted (at numbers 41, 56, and 62, respectively). In 1996 Navaira took home the Tejano Music Award for Male Entertainer of the Year for the fourth straight time; he also won Male Vocalist of the Year, Vocal Duo of the Year (in conjunction with his brother Raúl), Progressive Album of the Year, and Tejano Country Song of the Year.

Quedate

In the wake of his country crossover, Navaira’s popularity began to wane, but not immediately: Quédate, his 1996 return to tejano, was a Top Ten hit on the Latin albums chart, spawning two Top 40 hits, “Quédate” and “Hoy Me Siento Feliz.” His pair of 1997 albums — It’s on the House, his English-language country music follow-up, and A Mi Gente, a tejano album — were much less successful, neither breaking into the Top 40 of its respective market and neither spawning a Top 40 hit (“I’d Love You to Love Me” and “She Gives,” from It’s on the House, came closest, at number 56 and 73, respectively). Following the relative disappointment of his 1997 pair of albums, Navaira took a three-year break from recording. A few greatest-hits collections were issued in his absence — Lo Mejor de Lo Mejor: 12 Super Éxitos (1997), Mano a Mano (1998), and Mi Primer Amor: 10 Aniversario (1999) — and he was honored as Humanitarian of the Year at the 1998 Tejano Music Awards.

Lo Dice Tu Mirada

When Navaira returned to the consumer marketplace in 2000 with El Rey del Rodeo, he was on a new record label, having left EMI and switched to BMG. Though El Rey del Rodeo failed to chart, it spawned Navaira’s first hit single in three years, “Esperando Su Llamada,” which broke into the Top 40, and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Tejano Album. His next BMG album, Lo Dice Tu Mirada (2001), met a similar reception, itself failing to chart yet spawning a Top 40 hit, “Lo Dice Tu Mirada,” and receiving a Latin Grammy Award nomination. In 2002 Navaira won his first Grammy Award, taking home the honor of Best Tejano Album for Acuérdate (2002), an album that was also nominated for a Latin Grammy Award; however, despite the critical accolades, Navaira was attracting little recognition commercially. His next album, Entre Amigos (2003), performed similarly, earning a nomination at the 2005 Grammy Awards for Best Tejano Album yet failing to do well commercially. In 2007, after another extended period out of the consumer marketplace, Navaira re-emerged with a new album, De Nuevo, on a new record label, Universal Music Group.

Roughly a half-year after the release of De Nuevo, Navaira and his band were touring in support of the album, and on the morning of March 23, 2008, his 26,000-pound tour bus slammed into traffic barrels on a highway southwest of Houston. Navaira, who was driving the bus at the time, was ejected from the vehicle through the windshield and was critically injured. He was rushed to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where doctors removed a clot from the surface of his brain and placed him in a medically induced coma. In April Navaira was upgraded to fair condition and began rehabilitative therapy; the following month it was revealed that he had been intoxicated when driving at the time of the crash and, in fact, was not licensed to drive a bus. (He subsequently pleaded guilty to DWI charges.) In September of 2008 Emilio and his wife, Maria, were involved in another crash when their car, driven by Maria and waiting in a turn lane, was hit by a truck. They had been returning home from rehabilitation therapy related to the March crash when the September crash occurred; both Emilio and Maria were released from the hospital the following day. Eight years later, in May 2016, Navaira was found unresponsive by his wife at their Texas home and died at the age of 53.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S:

Garth, a newcomer from Oklahoma, plays his first show for a $5 ticket to a crowd of 500. He signs autographs from the stage to everyone who wants one and places his hands in concrete. Garth returns in December of 1989 to a sold-out crowd.

Garth Brooks plays his last show at Billy Bob’s to date on Nov. 21, 1990. Brooks was scheduled to play the State Fair of Texas in Dallas in October. Billy Bob’s is unable to promote the November date until Brooks takes the stage at the State Fair. To promote the show, Billy Minick hires an airplane to fly a banner announcing Billy Bob’s date. Garth notices the plane and its message. Enthusiastically, he points up, and he says “Guess you know where I’ll be playing next!” Tickets to the show sell out in 12 minutes the next day. To cap off the event, Brooks even judges a “Garth Brooks Look-Alike” contest.

Garth Brooks returned to Billy Bob’s on August 23, 1992, to promote his release of “Beyond the Seasons,” his Christmas CD benefitting Oklahoma’s Feed the Children Charity. More than 2000 attended the event.

ABOUT GARTH BROOKS

The youngest of six children, Garth grew up in Yukon, Oklahoma, an oil town near Oklahoma City. He first moved to Nashville in 1985, only to return home 23 hours later. After completing a degree in advertising at Oklahoma State University, he ventured back to Music City in 1987 and within six months signed a recording contract with Capitol Records.

Garth’s first single, “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old),” from his self-titled debut album, hit No. 8 on the charts. More big hits followed: “Not Counting You,” “The Dance,” and “If Tomorrow Never Comes.”

The only male artist to have four albums — No Fences, Ropin’ the Wind, The Hits, and Double Live — each exceeds sales of 10 million, Garth has sold more than 128 million records. That total places Garth second only to The Beatles as the best-selling act of all time, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

Garth has received nearly every accolade the recording industry can bestow upon an artist, including two Grammys, 11 Country Music Association Awards and 24 Billboard Music Awards. His TV credits include eight NBC specials, hosting Saturday Night Live twice and executive producing the made-for-TV movie, Call Me Claus. He’s also earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 1997, Garth’s Central Park concert in New York drew the largest crowd the park had ever seen. The HBO special Garth Live from Central Park was that year’s most-watched cable television special.

In October 2000, Garth announced a retirement from touring and recording, and he released his Scarecrow album the following year. But even retirement couldn’t keep Garth away from the Opry. He appeared as part of the Opry’s 80th-anniversary celebration — singing with Porter Wagoner, Bill Anderson, Jimmy Dickens, and Steve Wariner — in 2005 (the same year he married fellow Opry star, Trisha Yearwood). He also inducted Carrie Underwood into the Opry cast in 2008.

Garth Brooks just won Entertainer of the Year at the CMA Awards for a sixth time, a first for any artist. He is also the first artist in history to receive 7 Diamond awards for the now seven albums certified by the RIAA at over 10 million album sales each and remains the #1-selling solo artist in U.S. history certified by the RIAA with over 148 million album sales. Garth has been inducted into the International Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and most recently, the Musicians Hall of Fame.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Gary Stewart’s “Live at Billy Bob’s” album is one that Billy Bob’s entertainment director Robert Gallagher, says it’s his favorite! – Gary’s last album.

ABOUT GARY STEWART

While much of what passes for contemporary country music in the ’90s and 2000s sounds like reheated Eagles and Lynyrd Skynyrd, what’s really annoying is what a youth-driven market it has become, leaving many great country performers of the ’60s and ’70s out in the cold. This is especially irritating when considering the career of Gary Stewart, one of the greatest of the hardcore-honky tonk school who, at his peak in the mid- to late ’70s, could write and sing circles around just about any contemporary country star you could mention. A native of Florida, Stewart escaped a lifetime of working in an airplane factory in the late ’60s by pitching some songs he’d written to soon-to-be RCA country label honcho Jerry Bradley. At the time, Stewart (who was composing with his friend Bill Eldridge) didn’t aspire to more than being an in-demand Nashville songwriter, but after a couple of years writing with some success, and through Bradley’s continued intercession, he was given the opportunity to record on his own. With his huge, vibrato-laden tenor voice (which sounds a bit like Jerry Lee Lewis’), Stewart, with the inestimable help of songwriter Wayne Carson, released 1975’s Out of Hand, one of the finest honky tonk records of all time. Paced by the hit “She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinkin’ Doubles),” Gary Stewart was quickly becoming a country music star.

Your Place or Mine: The Best Of Gary Stewart

Although he composed songs for traditional Grand Ole Opry stars (Cal Smith, Hank Snow), Stewart himself never emulated the traditional values espoused by the Nashville establishment; as one of his song titles stated, he was more of a “flat natural-born good-timin’ man.” He hung out (and caroused plenty) with Southern rock musicians, using them on his albums at a time when this was still considered radical. He was a renegade, unwilling to play the Nashville game, and his increasing success provided him with the autonomy he needed to do his own thing. However, this generally meant conspicuous excess, especially when it came to substance abuse. Still, from 1975 through 1980, Stewart’s recorded work is mostly excellent, with a conspicuous high point coming in 1977 with the release of Your Place or Mine. A hard-driving slice of aggressive honky tonk, it was a rollickingly good piece of work, not the equal to Out Of Hand, but as important an assertion of Stewart’s independence from the machinations of country music’s star-making machinery. There were problems, however: Stewart was too country for rock audiences and too rock for country audiences, and that limited any stab at broader appeal.

Brand New

In 1980, he released Cactus and a Rose, with considerable help from Southern rock vets Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, Mike Lawler, and Bonnie Bramlett. It was a fine record, but attracted only Stewart’s core audience, and at this point in his career, that simply wasn’t enough. Suddenly it seemed as if his desire and creativity vanished. He hooked up with Dean Dillon and made a couple of terrible two-good-ol’-boy records that made the redneck rowdiness of Hank Williams, Jr. sound philosophical by comparison. Not long afterwards, Stewart returned to Florida and stopped recording. After his alcoholism and drug use pretty much canceled out a large part of the ’80s, Stewart returned, clean and sober, with a strong comeback record, Brand New, in 1988. It wasn’t the Gary Stewart of old, but it was a respectable record, and it was enough to propel a comeback that continued with I’m a Texan. Stewart released the first live album of his career in 2003 with Live at Billy Bob’s Texas, an album that proved that despite his low profile he was still a formidable honky tonker. Stewart took his own life in December of 2003 following the death of his wife of 43 years in November. He was 59. His heyday was in the ’70s, but Gary Stewart deserved to be celebrated for his considerable talent, tenacity, and influence.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

They were the first band to play here opening night April 1, 1981 and then 40 year later on April 1, 2021 they played again.

ABOUT THE GATLIN BROTHERS

Larry, Steve, & Rudy, the Gatlin Brothers are a Grammy Award-winning trio who have dazzled audiences for more than sixty years with a lifetime of noteworthy achievements in their storybook career, including a Grammy for Best Country Song (“Broken Lady”), three ACM awards for Single of the Year (“All The Gold In California”), Album of the Year (Straight Ahead) and Male Vocalist of the Year for Larry Gatlin, along with five nominations for CMA Vocal Group of the Year, Single, Album and Male Vocalist of the Year. (DOVE Awards – AMA’s – PEOPLE’S CHOICE info here) The Brothers have accumulated 7 # 1 Singles, 32 Top 40 Records, 22 Studio Albums and 5 BMI “Million-Air” Awards. Larry ranks 4th as Solo Writer’s with the most self-penned top 40 Billboard Hits! His massive song catalog has been recorded by the Who’s Who of entertainers, including Elvis Presley, Barbara Streisand, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Glen Campbell, Kris Kristofferson, Sir Tom Jones, Dottie West, Charlie Rich, Johnny Mathis and dozens of others, securing his legacy as one of BMI’s top solo songwriters of all time.
For more than 62 years now, the Gatlin Brothers have entertained audiences in some of the world’s largest venues and from some of the most iconic stages, including the GRAMMY Awards, the American Music Awards, the People’s Choice Awards, the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Oprah, Hee Haw, Love Boat, the Midnight Special with Wolfman Jack, the Merv Griffin Show, Solid Gold, the Barbara Mandrell Show and their own variety special on ABC – “Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers”.

In 1976, the Gatlin Brothers were on the fast track, thanks to the chart-topping success of the Grammy Award-winning single “Broken Lady”. The hits continued throughout the decade with their signature song “All the Gold In California” followed by “Houston” (Means I’m One Step Closer To You). The next decade brought number one hits with “I Don’t Wanna Cry”, “I Just Wish You Were Someone To Love”, “Statues Without Hearts”, “Love Is Just A Game”, and “Night Time Magic”.

They have performed at famed venues, including the White House, the President Reagan Library, Air Force One, Ford’s Theater, Camp David, President Bush’s 80th Birthday Party, The Lincoln Theater, with the New York Pops Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Houston Symphony, Madison Square Garden Venetian Room, West Point, Dollywood, The Mall in D.C. for July 4th, the Greek Theater, Billy Bob’s, Radio City Music Hall, Disney World and Wembley Music Festival. In addition, they have graced the stage with legendary entertainers, from all over the world, like Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Vince Gill and Gospels acts, including the Oak Ridge Boys, the Gaither Vocal Band, the Isaacs and many others.

The brothers have also proudly entertained our U.S. Troops in Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Germany, & at many military bases in the United States as well. They have appeared at famed sporting events performing the National Anthem for the ’85 and ’89 World Series, the US Open Tennis Tournament, at Yankee Stadium, the Astrodome, Nissan Titans Stadium, Candlestick Park, Chicago White Sox Ballpark, NHL All Star Hockey Game, Darlington NASCAR Speedway, the Cotton Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl, Giants Stadium, New Orleans Saints Superdome, Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Houston Texans’ Reliant Stadium and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. They continued performing throughout the USA for the next 10 years & in 2015 the brothers celebrated 60 years of making music together and released a new album, The Gospel According To Gatlin. Larry wrote & produced a musical, “Quanah” which was performed in April 2017 to rave reviews.

It all began in Abilene, Texas in 1955 when Larry was seven, Steve four and Rudy two. The brothers grew up singing gospel music after listening to James Blackwood and the Blackwood Brothers, Hovie Lister and The Stateman Quartet as well other accomplished gospel artists. As children the brothers would sing for anyone that would listen. Soon they were singing from coast to coast and appeared at the World’s Fair in 1964 in New York City. They recorded four Gospel records early in their career. In 1966 Larry went to college where he studied English and Law at the University of Houston. In 1971, he auditioned for the legendary group, the Imperials, Elvis’ backup group. While he did not get the job, he met Dottie West, who was the opening act for Jimmy Dean. Dean would later become one of Larry’s oldest and best friends. Dottie was initially taken with Larry’s resemblance to Nashville songwriter Mickey Newbury. Dottie told him one night in their backstage dressing room at the Landmark Hotel in Las Vegas that he looked so much like Mickey Newbury, that he had to be able to write great songs. Larry returned to Houston and wrote eight songs. He sent them to Dottie and she liked them so much she sent him a plane ticket to Nashville.

Through Dottie, he met Kris Kristofferson, who championed Gatlin’s talent as a writer and singer. Kristofferson introduced Larry to Fred Foster at Monument Records which resulted in a recording contract with the label. Larry’s first album, The Pilgrim, was released later that year. Johnny Cash wrote the liner notes for the album and dubbed him “The Pilgrim” a name Cash called Larry his entire life. Steve and Rudy were still in college at Texas Tech University and in 1975 they moved to Nashville to sing backup with Tammy Wynette. The two later joined Larry in 1976 to form Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On June 10, 1989, we added Gene Watson to our “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT GENE WATSON

One of the most masterful voices in Country Music today, Gene Watson still sings in the same key as 30 years ago and continues to prove why he is rightly referred to as “The Singer’s Singer”. His powerful voice and multi-octave range allows him to sing some of the most challenging songs with an ease that comes from pure, natural talent as well as from his many years performing onstage.

On his most recent album release, Real.Country.Music., the 72 year- old Watson once again proves he’s the master of classic country music. He remains defiantly country in the face of today’s more pop oriented offerings and is proud his legions of fans rely on him to keep traditional country music alive and well. With that in mind, Gene delved back into history to pull out some overlooked gems in other artist’s catalogs as well as a few of his own songs that are fan favorites but are no longer available. As Gene noted, “Today’s songwriters are not really writing the kind of songs fans of serious classic country are wanting. Traditional country is about life, heartaches, loves and family. I’ve got to relate to the words as something that either happened to me or happened to someone I know. It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around a song that’s simply about riding a tractor or just drinking beer with friends. I want more out of a song. So I went back to some classic songwriters like Kris Kristofferson, Larry Gatlin, Bill Anderson, Keith Whitley, Dean Dillon, Hank Cochran and Dave Kirby – just to name a few of the greats.”

Watson talks about his song choices here track by track:

“ENOUGH FOR YOU” (Kris Kristofferson) “This song was written by Kris Kristofferson and recorded by him but it was an album cut by Billie Jo Spears when I first heard it and I’ve wanted to record for years,” says Watson. “I used to have this song on a Billie Jo Spears 8 track tape. At a crucial point in the lyrics, the 8 track would change over and I never could quite get the words down. By the time I reached out to Billie Jo, even she couldn’t recall the words to the song. So it has taken me awhile to find the lyrics but now seemed like just the right time to record it and it came off so well we made it the first single from the album.”

“WHEN A MAN CAN’T GET A WOMAN OFF HIS MIND” – (Bill Anderson and Sharon Vaughn)

“This is a song I loved and recorded for Compendia Records and unfortunately, the company shut down its country division before I could release it. I then sang it on a TV tribute show for Bill Anderson and the fans have been asking me how they could buy it for years now. This seemed like the perfect time to record it for my fans.”

“HELP ME” ( Larry Gatlin) “This was written and released by the great Larry Gatlin, then a little known singer named Elvis recorded it and the rest is history,” says Watson. “I’ve always loved the words and the melody and knew I would eventually record it. I took it back more to the original version but put my own spin to it and I hope my fans love it as much as I do. I wanted to make it so that the true message of the words would shine through and I hope I captured that. We all have a time in our life when we need to be inspired by words of faith. While I was recording, it was such a special moment when Larry Gatlin surprised us all by stopping by, literally, as I was just about to sing. I guess it was his presence that made me sing it the way I did at that moment because we didn’t change a single thing to it. What you hear is what I sang with Larry listening in the studio. No pressure there!”

“COULDN’T LOVE HAVE PICKED A BETTER PLACE TO DIE” – (Bucky Jones/Curly Putman) “I had this song out in 1997 on Step One Records. It was a song the fans loved but once again, when Step One Records folded, it was impossible to get this song so I re-cut it due to the demand of my fans. It’s a terrific song by Buck Jones and Curly Putman – two great songwriters back in the day.”

“A GIRL I USED TO KNOW” – (David Ball) “Normally well before I get to the studio I know what songs I’d like to do and I’ve got the lyrics and the music in my mind. But on this song, all that went out the window. This David Ball song was actually pitched to me by a great A&R man, the fantastic singer, T. Graham Brown. On the recording day, I had people tracking down David Ball for the lyrics and T’s wife, Shelia, actually personally delivered a copy of the song to the studio. I loved the song but I wasn’t 100% sure it was a song that fit what I typically do but after I had a good listen and ran through it, I knew it was a song I could do and I really, really like how it turned out.”

“BITTER THEY ARE, HARDER THEY FALL” – (Larry Gatlin) “Back when I was on Capitol Records many years ago, I was asked to pick a song to record that I considered one of my favorites and I immediately chose this song written and released by Larry Gatlin. It’s one of my favorites of all time – just an amazing song by a master singer /songwriter. Fast forward many years later and I was at a TV taping for a Country’s Family Reunion show with Larry Gatlin. Larry had often teased that he wanted me to sing this song for him at his birthday party so, lo and behold, unplanned and unrehearsed, Larry called me up to sing this song as a duet with him, rather than do the song he had prepared for himself. I hadn’t sung the song in ten years but fortunately, the words all came back to me as we sang it together while the cameras rolled. What you see now on YouTube and those Country Family Reunion shows is the one take wonder! So from that, fans were constantly asking me for a copy of this song and I thought this was the perfect time to record it again for them. A great song never goes out of style.”

“RAMBLING ROSE” – (Joe Sherman/Noel Sherman) “This came about in a most interesting way. I was booked to do the Larry’s Country Diner TV show and the night before I was at the Grand Ole Opry with Jimmy Capps, who provides the acoustic guitar work for that show. We were just talking about great old songs backstage at the Opry and I sang that with him picking. Everyone around us loved it so much it was decided I should do that song on the TV show. As it always happens, the fans then wanted to buy a copy of it. So once again, this song was recorded by the request of my fans.”

“A BRIDGE THAT JUST WON’T BURN” – (Jim McBride, Roger Murrah) “Many people know that Conway Twitty was something of a mentor to me in the music business and I loved his version of this song but I hadn’t really thought about covering it until the songwriter, Jim McBride, suggested it. I love the lyrics and truly enjoyed recording this one. I was and always will be a fan of Conway, both personally and professionally, so I hope the fans will feel I’ve done this song justice in honor of the man they used to say was “the best friend a song ever had” – Mr. Conway Twitty.”

“ASHES TO ASHES” – (Joe Chambers, Larry Jenkins, Mark Sherrill) “This is another song the fans have requested over the years. It’s one I’ve always loved and so I was happy to re-record just as a personal favor to the best fans in the world.”

“OLD LOVES NEVER DIE” – (Dave Kirby, Warren Robb) “This is just a great little country song. I never had the chance to release it as a single but it could have done well I think. It’s one that like so many others is out of circulation and deserves to be back in the spotlight.”

“SHE NEVER GOT ME OVER YOU” – (Hank Cochran, Dean Dillon, Keith Whitley) “This song was a single for one of the true country greats, Mark Chesnutt. When it was pitched to me, I didn’t know if I was the right person to sing it or not but I knew it was a tremendous song and wanted to try it. This one is actually much harder to sing than you’d think but I think we got it and I’m proud of it.”

“ALL MY TOMORROWS” – (Nat Stuckey) “I always loved this song, written by the great Nat Stuckey. It was one I was working on for Step One Records but when that label went out of business, the song was never finished. It irked me when a company bought the masters from Step One and released this track with no backing vocals, not mixed or anything. I wanted to finish this one as it was meant to be done so I recorded it and it’s still one of my favorites – just finally done right.”

“I’LL FIND IT WHERE I CAN” – (Michael Clark, Zack Van Arsdale) “This is a great up-tempo song that I heard recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis. I’ve had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to record it for years and years but this was finally the right time for it.”

Gene Watson, has endured the ups and downs of the music business to become a country music legend himself. After releasing his very first single in 1962, Watson is still touring constantly in the USA and abroad and remains proud to be known as an icon for “real country”.

Reflecting back on his early life, singing with his seven siblings and parents in Paris, Texas, Watson noted, “I can remember singing as far back as I can remember talking. Singing was something that was not out of the ordinary for me. It wasn’t unique. My whole family sang.”

Even in a musical genre noted for its hard-luck stories, Gene Watson’s stands out. The family drifted from job to job as his itinerant father took logging and crop-picking jobs. “Home” eventually became a converted school bus which his father retrofitted himself and he made the stove that was strapped to the outside of the bus. Gene recalls his first real home was one they moved into when he was around 10 – one that his Dad purchased for $900 and spent many years paying off – but Gene also recalls they had to first remove the hay stored in the home before they moved in. As difficult as this may seem to some, Gene is quick to point out that while they didn’t have money for Christmas gifts and extravagant birthday presents, he never felt poor because no one around him had anything more. He said his childhood was extremely happy and for that he’s grateful to his loving parents and close-knit siblings.

Gene’s love for all things about cars and trucks developed early on as did his love for music. He said “I dreamed more about cars than music. I used to draw pictures of cars when I was at school. When I was about 11 or 12, I got a job picking up scrap metal at a car junkyard and I just thought it was wonderful. I’d get off the school bus at this place and work til late, finding hubcaps and car bumpers. I always thought my life’s work would revolve around cars somehow. Then along about my early teen years, my brother and I were asked to perform for a local show. We got paid some minimum amount but we got a standing ovation and I was hooked on the notion I could get paid for doing a little singing to help pay for a car.”

As a young adult, Gene settled in Houston, TX and began performing in the big Houston nightclubs while working as a paint and body man during the day. He developed a strong local following with his stage act and it was in Houston where he released his debut single on Sun Valley Records. That single, titled “If It Was That Easy” didn’t make any charts but as Gene states “it was just exciting to see my name on a record release and to believe that I was really in the business”. In 1964, the Grand Ole Opry duo, The Wilburn Brothers, took Gene on the road briefly. It was The Wilburn Brothers who brought Gene to Nashville for the very first time and allowed him to sing on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. Gene notes “I sang the Hank Williams song ‘I Can’t Help It if I’m Still in Love With You’ and got a standing ovation so not knowing what to follow with I just went out and did a gospel standard ‘It Is No Secret What God Can Do’. After that, they carried me down to the Ernest Tubb Record Shop and I got on stage and broadcast on The Midnight Jamboree.”

Then it was back to the Texas honky-tonks and a string of local singles throughout the ‘60s.

In 1974, one of Gene Watson’s small-label singles caught the ear of Capitol Records. He was an auto-body repairman and the featured performer at Houston’s Dynasty nightclub when the label picked up the steamy, sexual waltz “Love in the Hot Afternoon” for national distribution. It became the first of Gene Watson’s two-dozen top-10 hits in early 1975.

“Seems like my career just kind of happened accidentally,” says Gene. “It was purely unintentional. Music was just a sideline. I was going to be playing and singing no matter what line of work I was going to do. I never did really have any high expectations out of the music business. Even today, I never know what to expect from one day to the next.

“But there is one thing: As far as I know, I do have an honest reputation in the music business, and I wouldn’t take nothing for that. If anything in the world means ‘success’ to me, that right there does.”

Gene took no songwriting credit when he re-wrote the lyrics of 1979’s “Pick the Wildwood Flower” to make it an autobiographical song. Songwriter Lawton Williams was so grateful for Gene’s bravura performance of “Farewell Party” that he gave the singer his 1980 BMI Award for it.

Gene Watson quit drinking in 1980 and quit smoking not long after that. He underwent surgery and survived colon cancer in 2000-01. Through it all, he continued to record one critically applauded collection after another. He was inducted into the Texas Music Hall of Fame in 2002 and into the inaugural class of the Houston, Texas Music Hall of Fame in 2013.

Asked why he is still in such high demand after all these years, Watson reflected “I think a lot of it is because there’s not too much of what I do around anymore. I think there is still a hunger out there for traditional country music. So I’d like to stay out there as long as I’m able to do the job and do it well.

“Every time I step out on that stage and see that audience, it’s a new beginning. Even though I’ve sung these songs millions of times, I look at each one like it’s brand new to me. Every night, I try to deliver that song the best that I can.

“Being called a ‘Singer’s Singer’ humbles me. It’s flattering, but what I do is just what I do. The good Lord just gave me the voice.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S TEXAS: 

In the ’70s and early ’80s, George Jones garners a reputation in the music industry as an unpredictable live performer who is susceptible to cancelling shows at the last minute. The habit earns him the nickname “No Show Jones,” a song on “Yesterday’s Wine,” his 1992 collaboration with another 1981 Billy Bob’s debut, Merle Haggard. True to his moniker, Jones cancels a June 1981 appearance at the club.

He makes up the show a few days later and begins a friendship with Billy Bob Barnett, a longtime fan who offers to manage Jones and take over his troubled financial affairs. Barnett sets about straightening up up Jones’ obligations from his many cancelled dates, and Jones plays at Billy Bob’s and even lives in Fort Worth for a time. Just as quickly as it was struck, the partnership dissolves after Jones phones from Alabama to call off their deal.

Jones went on to play at the World’s Largest Honky Tonk 27 times before his death in 2013.

ABOUT GEORGE JONES

Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992, George won the Academy of Country Music’s Pioneer Award that same year. In 2002, he was presented with the National Medal of Arts, the nation’s highest honor for artistic excellence, in a ceremony at the White House.

People who keep track of numbers say that George charted more singles in his extraordinary career than any other artists in any music format. George’s 2004, three-CD compilation George Jones: Fifty Years of Hits showcases his hit records from every year of the second half of the 20th century.

Born in southeast Texas near Beaumont, George was the eighth child in a poor family. George was introduced to music by his mother, a church pianist, and his truck-driving, pipefitter father, who played guitar. He was singing at age 9, playing guitar at 11, writing his songs at 12 – and had a regular spot on a Jasper, Texas, radio station by 15.

The first of his long list of hits was “Why, Baby, Why,” recorded at Starday Records in 1955. Two years later, he moved to Mercury, where he recorded “White Lightning,” (his first No. 1), and such enduring classics as “The Window Up Above,” “She Thinks I Still Care,” “The Race is On,” and “Walk Through This World With Me.”

In the tumultuous years George was married to Tammy Wynette, they both recorded with Billy Sherrill at Epic Records. Their duets included “Golden Ring,” “We’re Gonna Hold On,” and “Two Store House.” George’s solo hits there included “The Grand Tour,” “The Door” – and in 1980, the indelible “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” From “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes” to “Choices” on 1999’s Grammy-winning Cold Hard Truth album, great George Jones records just kept coming.

Through every twist and turn in country music fashion, his pre-eminent gifts remained clear. In 2013, Jones died at age 81. His memorial service was held at the Grand Ole Opry House and the all-star tributes and eulogies were broadcast live on multiple TV and radio stations.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

George Thorogood and the Destroyers rocked the house five times to date, including the show pictured in March of 2004.

ABOUT GEORGE THOROGOOD

Since 1976, they’ve sold over 15 million albums, built a catalog of classic hits, and played more than 8,000 ferocious live shows. They broke records with their 50 Dates/50 States Tour, delivered landmark performances at Live Aid and on SNL, and became mainstays of radio, MTV, and stages worldwide for more than two generations. Through it all, they’ve remained one of the most consistent – and consistently passionate – progenitors of blues-based rock in pop culture history.

For the past 45 years, it’s been very good to be George Thorogood & The Destroyers. And in 2021, their Good To Be Bad Tour: 45 Years Of Rock will prove why to like never before.

“If you’re content, you may as well be dead,” George says. “I think everyone has thoughts about retiring, but the phone keeps ringing. ‘You want me and The Destroyers to come to your town, set up our gear, wear some cool threads and play ‘Who Do You Love?’ End of conversation. Let’s rock!”

For Thorogood and his longtime band – Jeff Simon (drums, percussion), Bill Blough (bass guitar), Jim Suhler (rhythm guitar), and Buddy Leach (saxophone) – the power to rock audiences has been both battle cry and creed from the beginning. “Since I was 17,” George says, “all I wanted to do was see how far I could go with my guitar, putting my own spin on music I loved.” After a few hard years as a solo acoustic performer – a period he would revisit with his acclaimed 2017 album Party Of One – George added a drummer and bass player to form the electric trio he called The Destroyers. Built around Thorogood’s fiery guitar skills, explosive performance style, and a blistering take on blues rarities, the band began to gain a devout following at college parties around their native Wilmington, Delaware. It was at one of their earliest shows that Thorogood had his live performance epiphany. “It wasn’t about the number of people we drew, but rather the impression we made,” he explains. “I asked myself, ‘Are we reaching them? Do they want more?’ And from the very first set we knew that we had something special.”

“George had that drive and charisma when we were 11 years old,” laughs childhood pal and 45-year Destroyer drummer Jeff Simon. “At first, we just enjoyed playing music. Then we had the thought of maybe making a living at it. We always believed that if we played great songs and stayed true to ourselves, people would keep coming back.” The band soon became a sensation throughout the Delaware Valley and New England club circuit, and in 1976 signed with Cambridge-based label Rounder Records. Over the course of 16 studio albums – including two Platinum and six Gold discs on Rounder, EMI, and Capitol – Thorogood and The Destroyers toured the globe, as Rolling Stone once raved, “playing rock & roll hot enough to melt the polar ice caps and flood the world’s major population centers.” “We’re on a very short list of bands that are still

having fun doing this,” Jeff says. “And we’re still looking over our shoulders thinking that somebody will catch us at it.”

Thorogood & The Destroyers indeed remain unstoppable. In the past few years alone, the band released a top-selling limited edition 7” single for Record Store Day and saw the re-issues of their legendary Bad To The Bone, Born To Be Bad, and Greatest Hits: 30 Years Of Rock albums on 180-gram colored vinyl. Thorogood himself received the 2018 B.B. King Award from The Montreal International Jazz Festival, and his solo debut Party Of One – which critics called “brilliant” (Spin), “electrifying” (Guitar Player), and “chock full of classics” (Music Connection) – became George’s fastest-selling disc in over 20 years. And in 2020, Epiphone created the George Thorogood ‘White Fang’ ES-125TDC premier signature model guitar, while Craft Recordings released George Thorogood & The Destroyers Live In Boston 1982: The Complete Concert that Classic Rock says “may well be one of the great live albums, entirely superb and a master class in live performance.”

It’s live on tour that George & The Destroyers continues to flip the switch nightly, delivering what The Toledo Blade calls “a gut-bustin’, guitar-wailin’, face-meltin’, fiery-tempered, take-no-prisoners, good old-fashioned lunch-bucket rock & roll show” that includes their signature hits “Get A Haircut”, “I Drink Alone”, “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer”, “Move It On Over”, “Who Do You Love” and the definitive badass anthem “Bad To The Bone”, along with several surprises. “George has been honing the set list since our bar band days,” explains 43-year Destroyer bassist Bill Blough. “It’s been a constant evolution to make it all killer, no filler. We hear our walk-on song, the lights go down, and something still inherently clicks the second we step on stage. We feel the audience’s energy and the show just explodes.”

And as in past years, a portion of proceeds from every date on the Good To Be Bad Tour will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. “Now we’re talking about something that’s really important,” George says. “When I was a kid I remember Robert F. Kennedy saying, ‘Some people see things as they are and ask why. I dream things that never were and ask why not?’ That still gives me the chills today. Don’t tell me to slow down or turn down, but if The Destroyers and I can help make a difference in any way, shape, or form, we’re there.”

But after 45 years of rock – and no signs of stopping – can Thorogood point to what continues to make it all matter? “My highlight is every night when I walk on that stage and play our hits for those happy people,” he says. “At the end of the show, the audience is smiling, I don’t see any police and everyone got their money’s worth.”

More importantly, is it still good to be bad? George Thorogood instantly flashes that huge grin. “You bet it is,” he says. ”We’ll always be the saddest band in the land. Expect our best on this tour, because that’s what you’re gonna get.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On October 1, 2005, Glen Campbell cemented his hands into Billy Bob’s “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT GLEN CAMPBELL

Glen Campbell has always felt a divine touch in his life as if he were given a gift he didn’t earn but was allowed to use to make people happy and forget their worries for a time.

How else do you explain his life, one of the most extraordinary rags to riches stories in popular music history? The 12th child and seventh son of a dirt poor sharecropper born in the depths of the depression on April 22, 1936, Campbell drowned when he was a toddler in the Little Missouri River near his family’s Arkansas home. His lips were blue when he was pulled from the river and those who rescued him believed he was gone. But he lived miraculously after his brother Lyndell resuscitated him, and Campbell always suspected it was because of this gift.

It wasn’t long after this that Campbell’s father recognized his talent and bought him a $5 guitar from Sears & Roebuck at the age of four. He quickly showed himself to be a prodigy under the tutelage of his Uncle Boo. How could the two not be related? For it was clear Campbell was a special talent, so much so that he broke the poverty cycle and began to earn a living with his guitar as a teenager and went on to become one of the most respected, revered, and popular performers of the rock ‘n’ roll era.

From his time as a groundbreaking musician for Elvis, Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, and many others in the archetypical backing band The Wrecking Crew to his decade atop the charts to the grace he showed as he closed his career while fighting Alzheimer’s disease, there are few artists who have touched as many lives as the Rhinestone Cowboy. And left them smiling.

By the time Campbell won his sixth Grammy Award in 2014 for his final recording, “I’m Not Going to Miss You,” he had won almost every award and achieved every milestone available to musicians. One of the best-selling solo male artists in U.S. chart history, Campbell released more than 70 albums, selling 50 million copies with more than 80 songs charting. He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Musicians Hall of Fame. He won the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year, twice won the Academy of Country Music’s Album of the Year award, and was named Male Vocalist of the Year by both. In 2012, he was bestowed the Grammy’s most prestigious honor, a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Campbell made history in 1967 with his first Grammy wins by sweeping the song and performance awards in both the pop and country and western categories. “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” won the pop accolades and “Gentle on My Mind” took the two country and western trophies. Those two songs and “Wichita Lineman” are in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

The inability to define his sound marks Campbell’s career. Campbell was the rare artist whose success had no fences. He grew up loving country music, but Campbell made sophisticated music that connected with Americans making the physical and cultural transition from a rural agrarian society to a modern urban one. He also brought that love for the genre to new fans, who embraced it and helped move what was once a regional sound into the pop-cultural conversation, sparking an interest in all things rural to an adoring international audience.

Campbell had little interest in the rural experience, however, growing up in Billstown, Arkansas, a community so small it didn’t merit inclusion on any map. He began to see a way out of the hard-scrabble sharecropper’s life when he brought his guitar to school in kindergarten. At recess, he noticed how his classmates – and especially the girls – would gather around when he played. Could picking the guitar be more lucrative than the endless toil of picking cotton and corn?

His love of music – all kinds of music – drove him. When he heard the gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, he was entranced. His father loaned out his services to an elderly neighbor woman who needed his help with chores and milking cows. Young Glen was not to accept payment, but once in a while, the woman would slip him a few coins. When Glen was eight, he used that money on Django records and played along with them until he could mimic Django’s virtuosic style. It was like this with record after record.

With family resources sparse and opportunities non-existent, he left Arkansas at fourteen years old and joined a migrant labor crew to pick tomatoes with the mostly Mexican laborers. He was in Indiana when he got the call to join his Uncle Boo and travel out west to chase the dream of a musician’s life. The two eventually settled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the early 1950s where Campbell appeared on local television and radio and eventually formed his own band. A bustling regional hub that was a stopover between the popular Texas and California markets, Campbell quickly got noticed in Albuquerque as a bandleader and fill-in sideman and didn’t take a lot of convincing when those passing through said he should make the long drive to Los Angeles.

He arrived in 1960 at a glorious time in pop music history and within a year got a publishing company job writing songs and recording demos. His demo work led him to his job as a guitarist in The Wrecking Crew, the group of studio musicians who worked with Phil Spector to create his influential Wall of Sound production style. His work during this period would have been enough to secure his place in rock history. Alongside musicians like Leon Russell and drummers Hal Blaine and Earl Palmer, he played on an astounding 586 sessions in 1963 alone. That’s him creating unforgettable guitar parts on the Beach Boys’ landmark Pet Sounds album, Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night,” the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” and the Monkees’ “I’m a Believer,” not to mention hits by Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin, Lou Rawls, Ricky Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Bobby Vee. And you’ll also find him among backing a who’s who list of artists with the Crew as the house band on the legendary “T.A.M.I. Show.”

After working with the Beach Boys on Pet Sounds, he was asked to join the band as a touring artist in 1964, playing bass and singing harmony for Brian Wilson after the legend temporarily retired from touring. These times were some of the best of Campbell’s life, with the happy memories surviving even the ravages of Alzheimer’s five decades later.

At the same time, Campbell also was recording as a solo artist. His single, “Turn Around Look At Me,” released on a regional label, caught the attention of Capitol Records, which signed him in 1962. He soon released his first modest hit, “Too Late to Worry, Too Blue to Cry.” His first album, Big Bluegrass Special, recorded under the name The Green River Boys featuring Glen Campbell, yielded the Top 20 hit “Kentucky Means Paradise.” In another important development, he began making appearances on musical variety shows such as “Star Route,” “Shindig!” and “Hollywood Jamboree.”

Capitol paired him with producer Al De Lory in 1967 after a few years of sagging sales and the singer soon went on a run of hits that would announce his presence to the wider world. “Gentle on My Mind,” released later that year, and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” were instant successes, and the album, By the Time I Get to Phoenix became the first country album to win top honor Album of the Year at the 10th Annual Grammy ceremony in 1968. “Wichita Lineman” and “Galveston,” which like “Phoenix” were composed by Campbell’s spiritual brother Jimmy Webb, also were huge multi-genre hits in the late 1960s.

Campbell’s success helped him cross over into a new arena – television host. “The Glen Campbell Good Time Hour” ran from 1969-72. The episodes were aired in Great Britain, Australia, and Singapore by the BBC along with five specials for the network, giving Campbell a truly international presence and catapulting the singer to worldwide stardom. Using his industry connections, Campbell landed some of music’s biggest stars – from The Beatles to Johnny Cash – and introduced the world to country music in a respectful way that highlighted lesser-known musicians who would go on to wider acclaim. He also moved into the film world as the hand-picked co-star of John Wayne in the film “True Grit,” and his song for the soundtrack was nominated for an Academy Award. Campbell was also nominated for Most Promising Newcomer at the Golden Globes.

Campbell would conquer pop music again in the mid-1970s when he released his best-selling single, “Rhinestone Cowboy,” a signature song that became his theme in many ways. The 1975 single, which has sold more than five million copies, remains a standard of the era. And in 1977 he released “Southern Nights,” a remake of Allen Toussaint’s classic. The song reached No. 1 in three categories and was the most-played jukebox track of 1977.

As with most pop stars, Campbell remained a popular figure, continuously touring around the world, but would drop from the top of the charts. Over the ensuing years, he publicly overcame alcohol and cocaine addiction – outlined in his 1994 autobiography “Rhinestone Cowboy” – while raising three young children with his fourth wife, Kim, who introduced him to Christianity in the early ’80s and helped get him sober. Throughout the next two decades, he released a resounding 20 albums in the 1980s and ‘90s, occasionally rising to the top of the country charts with songs like “Still Within the Sound of My Voice” in 1987 and “She’s Gone Gone Gone” in 1990. During this period Campbell began to release albums of Gospel music, adding three prestigious GMA Dove Awards to his treasure chest.

Campbell returned to the spotlight with 2008’s Meet Glen Campbell and released the extremely personal song cycle Ghost on the Canvas in 2011 at age 75. A short time after recording that album, Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, a debilitating brain disorder that slowly robbed Campbell of his memories and abilities.

He nevertheless launched “The Glen Campbell Goodbye Tour,” with his children becoming key members of his band. A film crew led by filmmaker James Keach followed Campbell for a portion of the 151 sold-out shows as he navigated the disease. The resulting documentary, “Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me,” was hailed by critics and yielded the singer one last Grammy, Best Country Song for his final release, “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” and a second Academy Award nomination.

It was a fitting coda to a career that spanned six decades, touched tens of millions of lives and felt blessed every step of the way.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

In the May of 1982, Grand Funk Railroad performs with the Fabulous Thunderbirds.

ABOUT GRAND FUNK RAILROAD

Originating from Flint, Michigan in 1969, this top selling American rock group of the 70’s is “COMIN’ TO YOUR TOWN TO HELP YOU PARTY IT DOWN”. Grand Funk Railroad is extremely excited to be touring in 2020 marking a 51 year milestone. After playing to millions of fans on the band’s tours from 1996 to 2019, Grand Funk’s 2020 SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL TOUR will continue to reach both new and long-time fans.

Known as “The American Band”, the high-energy five-piece group will play forty shows all over the USA this year. Grand Funk Railroad includes original founding members Don Brewer (vocals and drums, writer and singer of the multi-million selling hit, We’re An American Band) and bassist Mel Schacher, “The God Of Thunder”. Joining Don and Mel are true “All Stars”. Singer Max Carl is a rock veteran from 38 Special. Max penned and sang 38’s biggest hit “Second Chance” and was co-founder of California’s legendary Jack Mack and the Heart Attack. Don refers to Max as “the best blue-eyed soul singer on the planet”. Lead guitarist Bruce Kulick is best known for his 12 years with KISS and has credits with Michael Bolton, Meatloaf and Billy Squier. (KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were influenced early on by Grand Funk.) Keyboardist Tim Cashion has a master’s degree in music from the University of Miami. Affectionately called “Dr. Tim”, his credits include stints with Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band and English soul man Robert Palmer.

Grand Funk laid the groundwork for such bands as Foreigner, Journey, Van Halen and Bon Jovi with its signature hard driving sound, soulful vocals, muscular instrumentation and forceful pop melodies. The fact that Grand Funk’s legacy still reigns over the Classic Rock landscape fifty years after its 1969 birth in Flint, Michigan is a testament to the group’s influence and staying power. Mega-hits We’re An American Band, I’m Your Captain/Closer To Home, Locomotion, and Some Kind Of Wonderful still receive continuous airplay on Classic Rock radio. We’re An American Band has received notoriety in recent years being used in movie sound tracks and in television/radio advertising. The huge hit was featured in a General Motors national TV ad campaign and in Disney’s animated feature film The Country Bears. We’re An American Band was featured in the Cuba Gooding Jr. film RADIO, and also in the swash buckler SAHARA starring Matthew McConaughey.

Internationally acclaimed Grand Funk has toured the world, selling out in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and South America. A 1971 performance at New York’s Shea Stadium sold out faster than the Beatles. The group’s widespread appeal is also evident in its prestigious recording achievements. Over their career, Grand Funk has had 19 charted singles, 8 Top 40 hits and two Number One singles (We’re An American Band and Locomotion, both selling more than one million each). The group has now accumulated 13 gold and 10 platinum records with record sales exceeding 25 million copies sold worldwide. The most recent gold CD award was presented to the band for their greatest hits package Grand Funk Railroad the Collectors Series.

The multi-talented band carries on the tradition of Grand Funk hits and creates a new chapter in the legacy of Grand Funk Railroad. GFR drew 25,000 people to their Molson Canal Series Concert outside Buffalo, 20,000 in Albany, New York, and 20,000 fans to downtown Orlando, Florida. EMI/Capitol (Universal Music) released a new Grand Funk Greatest Hits package that includes a bonus DVD of rare concert footage. Grand Funk Railroad’s 2019 50 YEARS OF FUNK TOUR was a huge success and now, with the group’s 2020 SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL TOUR, seasoned Grand Funk lovers and contemporary rock fans discovering the group for the first time will be able to celebrate 50 Years of Funk with GRAND FUNK RAILROAD!

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On July 17, 1998, The Great Divide made their debut on the main stage and added their hands to our “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT THE GREAT  DIVIDE

The Great Divide formed in Oklahoma in 1992. Comprised of vocalist/lead guitarist Mike McClure, bassist Kelley Green, rhythm guitarist Scotte Lester and drummer J.J. Lester, the group honed its chops opening for artists including Chris LeDoux, Tracy Lawrence and the Bellamy Brothers before issuing their independent label debut Goin’ for Broke in 1994. In 1998, the Great Divide released their second LP, Break in the Storm and their third album, Revolutions, followed in 1999. Recorded in the historic Will Rogers Theater in Oklahoma, Afterglow was released in 2000.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Gretchen Wilson, whose debut CD Here for the Party would reach Number 2 on the Billboard album charts, makes her Billy Bob’s debut in June 2004. The show draws about 6,000 people, and Wilson performs a set featuring her songs and cover tunes like Charlie Daniels’ “Long Haired Country Boy,” “Straight On” by Heart, and John Prine’s “Angel from Montgomery.”

ABOUT GRETCHEN WILSON

Gretchen Wilson took the country music world by storm when she released her #1 hit song “Redneck Woman” in 2005. She immediately Landed an opening slot with Brooks & Dunn and would go on to tour with Kenny Chesney the following year. Since the days of being an opening act, Wilson has been fortunate enough to have been able to host artists like Trace Atkins and Van Zandt. 2012 was a prolific year for Gretchen as she would embark on one of the year’s hottest tour packages “The Outlaw Tour with ZZ Top and 3 Doors Down”.

In 2014 Gretchen took some time off to be a full-time mom to her daughter but recently returned with an album and a tour that picks up right where she left off! Her live show is promising to be a trip back to the old days featuring familiar titles and a band that rocks as hard as the Redneck Woman does.

Gretchen will be featuring the next “redneck woman” on her label during her shows this summer. Jessie G has recently signed with Gretchen’s label Redneck Records and will be giving fans a preview of what they are working on.

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Flatland Cavalry is breaking out into a gallop. After years of hot trotting across their native Texas, the country outfit is primed for a breakout with the release of their third full-length album, the sonically sprawling and wistfully written Welcome to Countryland.

The Texas sextet–bandleader and chief lyricist Cleto Cordero, guitarist Reid Dillon, bassist Jonathan Saenz, drummer Jason Albers, fiddle player Wesley Hall, and recent newcomer utility instrumentalist Adam Gallegos–continue to embrace their trademark sound while further pushing into the wild unknown. When it was time to embark on recording a new album, resting on their laurels was simply out of the realm of possibilities.

After the release of 2019’s critically-acclaimed Homeland Insecurity and their 2016 full-length debut Humble Folks, they’ve been on a healthy trajectory rising through the country ranks. After years of working with Lubbock stalwart Scott Faris in the friendly confines of Amusement Park Studios, Flatland decided a change of scenery was necessary. Despite some hesitation and a mix of emotions, they instantly knew recording at Nashville’s Sound Emporium Studio A with rising producer Jake Gear was the right move. 

“With our last two projects, we knew that room and setup. There’s comfort in working with Scott,” says Albers. “I think it was important to try and further expand with this album. Sonically, this album is definitely something bigger.”

“I think everyone kind of experienced this bit of nervousness going from Scott’s studio to Sound Emporium,” adds Dillon. “That first day, everyone was a little fidgety and shy. You eventually fall into this comfort zone.”

While the roster of collaborative confidants and colleagues (Spencer Cullum, Jim Hoke, Billy Justineau, Hailey Whitters, and Kaitlin Butts) has continued to expand with Flatland’s sound stride for stride, Countryland isn’t a cut and paste effort with Nashville studio musicians. Rather, it finds the rootsy Texans delivering their A-game due to countless tour runs zig-zagging across the country and becoming seasoned performers and musicians.

Since their humble beginnings out in the Panhandle town of Lubbock, Texas, Flatland Cavalry has embraced their surroundings and rural West Texas roots. Formed in 2014 while attending Texas Tech University, Cordero and company made their presence felt within the Hub City’s songwriting circles and dancehall circuits. Banking on Cordero’s earnest pen and the band’s blend of country instrumentation, toe-tapping grooves, and earworm choruses, Flatland quickly became a regional sensation.  

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On August 17, 1991, Hal Ketchum cemented his hands on to our “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT HAL KETCHUM

Reared in the village of Greenwich in the gorgeously verdant countryside of upstate New York, Ketchum hails from a family where singing and playing music was part of the daily (and nightly) diet for generations. He was exposed to country music (his father was a fan) as well as the symphonic classics and, one year, even the Newport Jazz Festival at the nearby Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

“It was just a natural thing to be intrigued with music,” explains Ketchum, who started playing drums at age nine and by 14 was gigging at local bars and taverns. Anyone looking for a reason why “Small Town Saturday Night” immediately struck a chord with music lovers – and the roots of Ketchum’s innate knack for connecting with an audience in live performance – can find the origins in his years of making music for regular people seeking to transcend the everyday on weekend nights.

“It was a great lesson in sociology because the bars would move the pool table over in the corner and put a three-quarter-inch piece of plywood on top, and that would be my drum riser. At 15 years old I’d get to sit up in the corner of these joints and just watch the evening progress. Friday night everybody would get paid from one of the local pulp mills, and they would wander in and be very generous during the first set. Then by halfway through the second set they’re dancing with one of the girls. And by the third set they’re fighting. I learned never to stop playing during a fight. That was an important part of my education.” So it’s no wonder that the scene depicted in his very first hit “is tattooed onto my soul.”

Ketchum eventually traded one of his two drum kits for a five-string banjo and then traded another banjo for a Martin acoustic guitar, forming a duo with his singing and guitar-playing brother to also entertain at local nightspots. A move to Texas landed him in a house on the edge of New Braunfels in the very heart of the Lone Star State, just a stone’s throw from historic Gruene Hall, an old dancehall that is the virtual mother church of the Texas music scene where talents like George Strait, Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl Keen and many others began their rise to fame.

“The house was a fixer-upper, and I had just dried it in and put windows in, and I was moving in one Saturday night and heard music playing from up on the hill,” Ketchum recalls. “I had come in from the San Antonio side and didn’t even know Gruene Hall existed. I got in my truck and rolled the windows down and just followed this sound. I crossed the Guadalupe River and came up the hill and to the right, and there was Gruene Hall on a Saturday night in all its glory, with Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel playing for 600 drunken stomps and their dates. I was like, what the hell is this? It was like a movie.”

He began spending every Sunday afternoon drinking beer and playing horseshoes with the locals at the dancehall, and “listening to Townes Van Zandt or Lyle Lovett staring at his boots playing to nine people or Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore with this guy named Spider on the musical saw,” remembers Ketchum. “It was my songwriter school.” With the encouragement of Lovett and Gilmore, he honed his craft as a writer, singer and performer and eventually landed the coveted Sunday afternoon slot at Gruene Hall. He then put together a band to propel his story songs with danceable rhythms and rose to become an opener and later headliner at Gruene and other Central Texas venues.

An album he recorded on his own dime and released on a small Austin indie label, Threadbare Alibis, caught the ear of Curb Records, which signed Ketchum and brought him to Nashville to record his major label debut, Past the Point of Rescue. “The label dropped ‘Small Town . . .’ in early 1991 as the first single. And it went to #1 on August 16th of that year. And suddenly I was a genuine hillbilly singer,” he says with a chuckle. His success prompted Curb to shift its base of operations from Los Angeles to Nashville, and CEO and owner Mike Curb refers to Hal as the label’s “cornerstone artist.”

Since then Ketchum has distinguished himself as a hitmaker with 15 Top 10 singles and five million albums sold as well as a true singing and songwriting artist with a capital ‘A’ and one of the most engaging performers on the American live music circuit, also winning a devoted following in Great Britain – a natural outgrowth of his Celtic family and musical roots. He has forged his own singular presence in popular music thanks to such qualities as his vibrant talent and creativity, artistic integrity and natural soulfulness.

He has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1994 and often hosts the “Opry Live” show on GAC. In addition to being a master woodworker – which is how he made his living before music – Ketchum is also an accomplished painter who sold out his first show at the distinguished Penna Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

​
In 2008, Ketchum released an unusual album he calls “Father Time.” Unusual was the way it was recorded. No over-dubs, just head on recording direct to 2 tracks. He captured that authenticity of old style recording and revisited one of the first songs that he ever wrote, “The Preacher and Me.” Then he took a break. His split with Curb Records was followed by a split with his wife and mother of his three youngest girls, and culminated with the death of his long time bass player, Keith Carper, who passed away at 50 years old in 2009. His own health deteriorated as he struggled with the pain. He had been paralyzed for a period of time in 1998 from Acute Transverse Myelitis, a sister disease to Muscular Sclerosis of which his mother died from, and had to learn how to do basic tasks for a second time, including relearning how to play the guitar. In 2010, the fear of the disease and the pain of reality drove Ketchum to retire to the Texas Hill Country which he now calls home.

Hal Ketchum is not done though. Not by a long shot. Three years of “clearing the cobwebs” out has brought forth a new and better man. He’s come to grip with the sad things in life and learned to be grateful for all of the things that matter the most….family, good friends, and life. Songs are flowing from his pen like a mountain creek in the spring, leaving in it’s flow a new CD with all new songs, slated for release in the summer of 2014. His voice is back and stronger than ever, that voice made of gold. He’s also finished writing his memoirs, a finished book that is ready to go to press.

Armed with new stories, new songs, and a strong fan base that have stuck with him throughout the years, Hal Michael Ketchum is back to stay. His old friend and guitar player, Kenny Grimes joins him on most of his public appearances. “There’s no time for resentment.” Ketchum says. “All it does is eat you up inside.” “I am extremely blessed . I am alive and happy and have another chance to do what I love to most of all….make music with my friends.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Fort Worth Legend Hank Thompson plays the main stage in June of 1997.

ABOUT HANK THOMPSON

Hank Thompson was perhaps the most popular Western swing musician of the ’50s and ’60s, keeping the style alive with a top-notch band, tremendous showmanship, and a versatility that allowed him to expand his repertoire into romantic ballads and hardcore honky tonk numbers. Born September 3, 1925, in Waco, TX, Henry William Thompson was the son of immigrants from Bohemia and grew up idolizing Western swing and country musicians like Bob Wills, Jimmie Rodgers, and Gene Autry. He began learning harmonica and guitar as a child, and appeared in local talent shows as a teenager, which eventually led to his own local radio program (billed as Hank the Hired Hand). After graduating from high school in 1943, Thompson joined the Navy as a radio technician and often wrote songs to entertain his fellow soldiers. Following his discharge, Thompson studied electrical engineering at Princeton through the G.I. Bill, but eventually decided to pursue music as a career. He returned to Waco and to the radio business, and set about putting together a band he dubbed the Brazos Valley Boys. They quickly became a popular live act around the area and recorded their first single, “Whoa Sailor” (a song Thompson had written in the Navy) for the Globe label in 1946. A few more singles followed for Bluebonnet, by which time Tex Ritter had become a Thompson admirer. Ritter helped Thompson land a record deal with Capitol in 1947, an association that would last for the next 18 years.

Dance Ranch

Thompson scored his first major hit for Capitol in 1949 with the smash “Humpty Dumpty Heart,” the biggest of his six charting singles that year. In 1951, he hooked up with producer Ken Nelson, who would helm many of his most successful records. Those records included “The Wild Side of Life,” a monster hit from 1952 (over three months at number one) that became Thompson’s signature song. Its cynical attitude inspired an answer record by Kitty Wells called “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels,” which made her the first female artist in country music history with a million-selling record. Thompson continued to score hit after hit during the ’50s, including 21 songs that reached the Top 20 on the country charts and five Top Tens in the year 1954 alone. A savvy promoter, Thompson devised a number of ways to make himself stand out from the crowd (even past his suave cowboy wardrobe): his early-’50s television show in Oklahoma City was the first variety show broadcast in color and he was the first country artist to tour with a sound and lighting system (put together using his Navy and collegiate experience), the first to receive corporate sponsorship, and the first to record in high-fidelity stereo. He also gave early breaks to musicians like guitar legend Merle Travis and female rockabilly pioneer Wanda Jackson. Toward the end of the ’50s, Thompson began to create LPs that were more cohesive than just mere collections of singles plus filler; 1958’s Dance Ranch and 1959’s Songs for Rounders were Western swing/honky tonk masterpieces, especially the latter, which stirred up controversy with its groundbreakingly adult (some said decadent) lyrical content. In 1961, Thompson recorded the first live album ever released in the history of country music, the classic At the Golden Nugget.

After that burst of inspired creativity, Thompson’s luck began to change: the public’s taste was moving toward slick country-pop and the electrified Bakersfield sound and despite several more fine records, Thompson’s relationship with Capitol ended in 1965. He first moved to Warner Bros., then ABC/Dot in 1968 (which became part of MCA in 1970). Thompson continued to record and tour and his singles charted regularly during the ’70s all the way up to 1983, though he never matched the level of success he’d enjoyed in the ’50s and early ’60s. Even after the hits dried up, Thompson maintained a demanding concert tour schedule, playing all over the world. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On November 19, 1999, Hank Williams III rocked out the main stage for his debut.

ABOUT HANK WILLIAMS III

Somewhere outside Nashville, Tennessee sits a place where the ghosts of country music legends don’t have to weep into their beers over the despicable current state of Music Row, where the spectres of Joey and Dee Dee Ramone can comfortably have a drink with John Bonham and Jimi Hendrix and know that someone still doesn’t give a good goddamn for the rules. All those old boys can sit back, enjoy some new music being made, and let the weight of innovation slide off their shoulders for a minute, because there are still a few true originals left, and one of them, Hank 3, is working non-stop in his Haunted Ranch studio abode doing the hard work, creating the real deal-rebel music for rebel fans. This time it’s a triple threat – a double country album called “Brothers of the 4×4′ and a blazing punk rock record titled “A Fiendish Threat”.

It’s easier to understand the unique music of Shelton Hank Williams III (known to fans worldwide as Hank 3, or even simpler, just “3”), if you know a little bit about the dude, and the very first thing you should know is that he is entirely and completely his own man. Yes, he is the son and grandson of those Hanks, and when you have inherited a name like Hank Williams and have the balls enough to pick up a guitar, the re are bound to be expectations and pre-conceived notions of what and how you should play music. The weight of that name (not to mention an eerie resemblance to the original – the late Minnie Pearl, upon meeting Hank 3 was said to have thought she saw a ghost for a second) would have easily crushed a lesser man into a lifetime of novelty-act nostalgia cover band status, but Hank 3 has managed to honor his namesakes in the best way possible – by doing his own thing, just as he has from the very start. Indeed, when asked what kind of country he first wanted to make his fast response is “Well, I knew I didn’t want to be Hank Williams or Hank Jr, that’s for sure.”

But to simplify Hank 3 as a privileged reactionary kicking muddied cowboy boots against his legacy would being doing him a great disservice. Williams was not raised in a studio or a mansion, but in a regular working class home by his mother, educating himself musically in the grimy rock clubs of Nashville, paying dues and earning a few spare dollars bashing the drums for local punk and metal bands. In the mid1990’s, Hank 3 entered into a infamous and tumultuous relationship with Curb Records in order to pay some bills. When he finally picked up a guitar and raised that rich voice singing country, it was in order to make child support payments after the long lost mother of his son reappeared in the form of a court order. But out of economic hardship and heartbreak a new country outlaw arose from a distinguished bloodline, and while Williams acknowledges and honors his roots (“I show respect and play a few old songs here and there”), he remains fiercely true to his own uncompromising vision. This has contributed to him rejecting the party line musically, and not only just because he does what he damn well likes – his original approach to playing is partially a matter of necessity, not choice alone. “With my learning disabilities, straight up music theory was difficult for me. I took a few guitar lessons when I was younger, but the teacher kept on yelling at me like a damn Marine Corps drill instructor, saying ‘Do it this way! Do it that way!’ I couldn’t understand that, that’s not the way my mind works. I figured I had a pretty good ear, so I learned to play guitar by listening to records – ZZ Top’s ‘La Grange’ was one of the first licks I picked up, and I just took it  from there, figuring it out myself. I just did my own thing, man.”

To say that Hank 3’s “pretty good ear” for music has worked out for him is a vast understatement, as his packed shows tour after tour attest, and the crowd ain’t there to hear “Your Cheatin’ Heart” either. Having earned respect and a loyal fan base for his music the old school way, slugging it out in the clubs and honky-tonks night after night and mile after mile, a Hank 3 show is nothing if it ain’t a beer drinkin’, hell raisin’, sing-a-long damn good time. It’s singing the words of Hank 3 that leaves everyone hoarse and the infectious good time vibe that ensures everyone will be hung-over at work the next day. You may not be able to talk and your head may feel like shit, but your gonna be smiling for a few days after a Hank 3 show, because you’ll remember a night where everyone from band to audience left it all on the floor in a puddle of blood, sweat, and beers. When you listen to a Hank 3 song, you know you are hearing the words of a man who actually lived them, felt them in his gut like a rabbit punch at the beginning of a bar fight, or the burn of a lover’s last look as she walks out the door for another man. Sometimes his words can feel like a dying man’s hard fought last gasp, ringing out hot and sticky like a freshly skinned buck’s blood on the blade of a hunting knife. And unlike the vast majority of the fairy tale pop masquerading as country currently emitting from Nashville, Hank 3’s music grows from strong roots – his roots, and reflects reality – his reality. “All those radio country songs aren’t really country. Most producers in Nashville won’t use a stand-up bass in the studio because it’s too hard for them to make it sound good. Country music to me has a stand up bass, brother – and the fiddle, banjo, and steel guitar. Plus all those damn songs are happy songs. Life ain’t always happy.”

Hank 3’s latest country record is just that – country, and the realness of it shines throughout the record like moonlight hitting a mason jar of corn liquor – it ain’t always the smoothest, and it doesn’t come wrapped in a fancy package, but it’s 100% pure whoop-ass in a bottle that gets the job done quicker and better and reminds you where you originally came from once you figure out what just hit you. On “Outdoor Plan” he sings of fishing and hunting as a way of life, and it’s a fact that more than one deer and turkey has met its maker at the end of his gun’s barrel. The title track, “Brothers of the 4×4” celebrates the wide open full throttle love of off roadin’ and rootin’ in a four wheel drive – the cover of the record shows Williams mud bogging in a custom 4×4, and it’s not some redneck rental – that’s his ride. And because life ain’t always happy, when the heartbreak and hard times cracks through the sonic celebration on songs like “Loners 4 Life” and “Ain’t Broken Down”, it’s because Hank 3 is well acquainted with the darker side of life, and not as some tourist. The album is a rich and gritty sounding mixture of sadness, pride, hope – in other words, it’s a great country record.

Besides living the songs subject matter first, Williams sang and played both guitar and drums on the records. As if pulling triple duty wasn’t enough, he engineered, produced, mixed and mastered all the tunes as well. Not bad for someone who in his own words is dyslexic and has ADD – as Williams says, “My mind is all over the place”… But even a man talented and driven enough to do (count ’em) seven jobs at once has his limits, so Hank 3 has once again assembled a top-notch ensemble of pickers and pluckers for “Brothers Of The 4×4” and “A Fiendish Threat”. The aforementioned required stand up bass holds the low end down at the deft hands of Zach Shedd, with David McElfresh and Billy Contreras whipping razor sharp bows across the fiddle. Daniel Mason handles banjo, with a special guest appearance on “Possum In A Tree” by former National Old-Time Banjo Champion Leroy Troy working his banjo in the old school clawhammer style, while Andy Gibson wrings the sweetest of notes out his stand up steel guitar. Finally, long-time collaborator and fellow multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire Johnny Hiland rips his chicken pickin’ guitar to feathers and shreds.

These boys don’t play around when they play, and that’s evident in the precision of this record. Hank3 runs a tight ship, by choice and necessity -in an era where digital editing is so standard that players barely have to be able to, well, actually play anymore, Williams records tracks on his trusty Korg D1600, a piece of hardware that doesn’t allow for the questionable tech wizardry and post-production “performance enhancement” that make most records today sound so mechanically sterile. The songs sound like they were actually recorded, not programmed (a critical difference these days), and the music is nailed together tighter than Dick’s hatband, but that’s because the players brought the hammer down hard on their instruments, not a producer’s finger clicking down on a mouse. “There’s very little editing on this record. Almost all of the tracks are single takes. It can take a long, long time to get it right, but what you hear is what was really played.” Hank says with justified pride.

Recording in his own home and releasing music on his own label, the Megaforce distributed Hank 3 Records, allowed Williams complete creative control during the four month period it took to make both records. The visually mind-blowing environs of the Haunted Ranch have certainly seeped into Hank 3’s music as well – every square inch of the house is covered in fliers from his past, notes from friends, memorabilia from various musicians, and miles of strung lights and enough skulls to build an ossuary. The place looks like a grenade exploded during a Halloween punk show held at the greatest honky-tonk in Dixie. “Yeah man, I’m eatin’ it, breathin’ it, livin’ it here, and I can record whenever I want without having to worry about anyone else” he says, “My story is on those walls. My son, Coleman, says that one day I’m gonna have to paint the house red and turn it into a Hank 3 museum.” Is it haunted? “Let’s just say many, many people, and I’m not talking two or three, I’m talking well over a dozen have all felt something here – there’s been lots of strange happenings. I had one tour manager try to sleep here one time and he came to me and said ‘Take me to a hotel, there’s no way I’m sleeping in this damn place!’ Sometimes things will happen and I’ll talk to it, like ‘Haha, that was a good one, ya got me!” I’ve never had the house on any of those paranormal shows, because I never wanted to disrespect it, whatever it is. In light of all that, when decided to call the place The Haunted Ranch it just felt like the most natural name for the home and studio.”

With “Brothers of the 4×4” and “A Fiendish Threat” set for release October 1st, Williams is ready to hit the road, and when he hits the road, he hits it much harder than most. Hank 3 shows are legendary for their length and intensity, averaging three hours a night, starting with a country set and ending with whatever his latest musical experiment happens to be. For this touring cycle, fans will get to taste the hardcore punk horror rock of “A Fiendish Threat”, a rippingly fast blast of sounds reminiscent of The Misfits, Minor Threat, 7 Seconds, The Ramones and other punk rock greats that are as much a part of Hank 3’s musical identity as his country roots. But “A Fiendish Threat”, like all of the man’s musical output, is anything but a formulaic, by-the-numbers rehash of what has been previously done by others. Stand up bass, fiddle, and banjo are not exactly standard instruments in punk rock, but they are on this record, riding beneath 3’s howling distorted vocals. Perhaps this is the birth of rebelcore punk? Whatever you want to call it, Williams has left his own touch on the genre, even utilizing a bizarrely beautiful Hula-music-on-acid sounding Hawaiian guitar at times. Some of the songs can make the listener feel like someone dropped LSD in their cheap draft beer ata CBGB matinee show headlined by a ghoulish Hawaiian punk band. “A Fiendish Threat” is yet another of Williams already numerous signature sounds, and he’s excited to put it in front of the audience for the first time. “You know when you do a new record, you just want to play it for all your friends. That’s what I’m excited for with this punk record, I get use a voice that doesn’t get used that often, and pay respects to some of my influences at the same time. Doing this record made feel like I was growing stronger – it took some of the years off me, to tell you the truth. Playing it makes me feel young again,” he laughs, “How long I will be able to pull it off all depends on the voice, man.” The voice is a valid concern for Hank 3, who once played a five hour show, in the middle of some very real chaos. “There was some heavy stuff going on with everybody at that show; man, I’m talking about the real heavy shit. I figured that if everyone was going to jail that night, then I was gonna make damn sure I was gonna be the last man standing.”

With these dual releases, “Brothers Of The 4×4” and “A Fiendish Threat” added to his already huge and varied arsenal of music, Hank 3 will be raising all sorts of hell on stage while the fans raise their glasses in  the audience once again, and you can bet your last dollar a damn good time will be had by all. The man goes full throttle all the time, every time, as anyone who has ever been to one of his innumerable shows will attest. How long can he keep it up? “Man, I’m just out here doing my thing, doing the best I can” Williams says with typical modesty “Making these records takes it out of me, and I realize as I get older that I don’t bounce back like I used to after recording one. But I haven’t been on the road in ten months, and I’m ready and raring to go.”

For a man who just simultaneously recorded not one but three albums, those sound like the words of a man who is still pretty damn determined to be the last man standing. Listen to “Brothers of the 4×4” and “A Fiendish Threat”, go to a show, and find out for yourself. Just remember the next day, after a few aspirins, a dinner at your own table, and a sleep in your own bed that Hank 3 will be down the road doing his thing again, and for that rebel, “doing the best I can” means something a little different than it does for the average man.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Highway 101, made their debut on the Billy Bob’s Texas main stage and added their hands on to the “Wall of Fame” all in the same night.

ABOUT HIGHWAY 101

One of the most popular country bands of the late ’80s, Highway 101 boasted an influential country-rock sound that helped pave the way for the blockbuster superstars of the ’90s. The group was fronted by singer/guitarist Paulette Carlson, a Minnesota native, and assembled by manager Chuck Morris in Los Angeles in 1986. Morris pulled together Jack Daniels (guitar), Curtis Stone (bass, guitar, mandolin), and drummer Cactus Moser, all of whom were seasoned session pros; Daniels and Stone had also worked together as the Lizards. Highway 101 signed with Warner Bros. and issued its self-titled debut in 1987. It was an immediate success, as the first two singles — “The Bed You Made for Me” and “Whiskey, if You Were a Woman” — shot into the country Top Five. The next two, “Somewhere Tonight” and “Cry, Cry, Cry,” both went to number one, and seemingly overnight, the group members had become stars. Their 1988 follow-up, Highway 101, Vol. 2, spawned another chart-topper in “(Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes,” and three more Top Tens in “All the Reasons Why,” “Setting Me Up,” and “Honky Tonk Heart.” Following 1989’s Paint the Town, which contained one further chart-topper in “Who’s Lonely Now,” Carlson left the band for a solo career in 1990. She was replaced by Nikki Nelson, who debuted on 1991’s Bing Bang Boom; however, despite some decent-sized hits, the new version of Highway 101 wasn’t quite as commercially successful, and the band soon parted ways with Warner. They signed with Liberty for 1993’s The New Frontier, but the album flopped, and Daniels subsequently left the group. He and Carlson temporarily returned to the fold for 1996’s Reunited, released on the smaller Intersound label. Curtis Stone and Cactus Moser later formed a new version of Highway 101 with vocalist Chrislynn Lee and guitarist Charlie White, and recorded Big Sky for FreeFalls in 2000. White left in 2002 and was replaced by Justin Weaver.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On March 10, 1990, Holly Dunn cemented her hands on to our “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT HOLLY DUNN

One of the most popular female country singers of the late ’80s, Holly Dunn was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1957 and was the sister of future country songwriting pro Chris Waters. In high school, she performed with a group called the Freedom Folk, which toured the South and performed at the White House bicentennial celebration. While attending Abilene Christian University, she sang with the school’s Hilltop Singers touring choir, and also co-wrote a song with her brother called “Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind.” It was recorded by Cristy Lane, which convinced Dunn to try her luck in Nashville after graduation.

While in Nashville, Dunn worked as a demo singer for a time before joining her brother as a staff songwriter at CBS. In 1984, she moved over to MTM and penned material for several different singers, including Louise Mandrell, who made “I’m Not Through Loving You Yet” a Top Ten hit. In the wake of its success, Dunn landed a record contract in her own right, and released her first single in 1985. Her self-titled debut album appeared the following year and produced her first Top Ten hit, “Daddy’s Hands.” Arriving in 1987, Cornerstone contained two Top Five singles in “Love Someone Like Me” and “Only When I Love,” and Dunn produced its 1988 follow-up, Across the Rio Grande, herself, resulting in the hits “Strangers Again” and “(It’s Always Gonna Be) Someday.” MTM subsequently went bankrupt, and Dunn signed with Warner Bros. for 1989’s The Blue Rose of Texas, which produced her first-ever number one single, “Are You Ever Gonna Love Me,” as well as the Top Five “There Goes My Heart Again.”

Milestones: Greatest Hits

Released in 1990, Heart Full of Love spawned another chart-topper, “You Really Had Me Going,” and Warner followed it with the hits compilation Milestones in 1991. (One of the new tracks, “Maybe I Mean Yes,” sparked controversy over its lyrical content, which some interpreted as an apology for date rape.) Dunn’s popularity took a hit with 1992’s Getting It Dunn, and she subsequently parted ways with Warner. She resurfaced in 1995 on the smaller River North label with Life and Love and All the Stages, and was back on a major (A&M) for 1997’s Leave One Bridge Standing. She retired from commercial music in 2003, citing changing times and an interest in painting, releasing only the gospel album Full Circle before leaving music. She died of ovarian cancer in Albuquerque, New Mexico in November 2016 at the age of 59.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

In 2006, the first time Hootie and The Blowfish came to play Billy Bob’s we couldn’t let me leave without getting them to add their hands to the “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH

With the rich, bluesy vocals of Darius Rucker and gleeful harmonies of guitarist Mark Bryan, bassist Dean Felber and drummer Jim “Soni” Sonefeld, Hootie & the Blowfish sold over 25 million records worldwide after their infectious melodies hit the airwaves in 1994 with hits such as “Hold My Hand”, “Let Her Cry” and “Only Wanna Be With You.”

One of the biggest misconceptions to most people is that Hootie & The Blowfish became an overnight success in 1994 when their debut album Cracked Rear View, moved over 16 million copies (and counting) in the U. S. alone. What most people don’t know was that the album’s triumph came after a decade of hard work.

The quartet met while attending the University of South Carolina in Columbia in the late 1980s. New freshman Mark Bryan heard Darius Rucker singing in the showers of the dorm they shared and was impressed by his vocal ability. Bryan and Rucker began playing cover tunes as The Wolf Brothers and eventually hooked up with Dean Felber, a former high school bandmate of Bryan’s, and Brantley Smith as Hootie & The Blowfish. (The unlikely moniker was borrowed from the nicknames of two college friends.) When Smith’s true passion called him home to Greenville, SC in 1989, Bryan reached out to classmate Jim (Soni) Sonefeld to join the band and the immediate chemistry was undeniable!

By the time they graduated, endless gigs at frat parties and local bars had built a major local buzz. “We’d started adding original material to our repertoire,” Bryan recalled. “Our songs went over well, so we decided to see if we could make a career out of it. Even if we hadn’t had a hit, I know we’d still be making music today, because it’s exactly what we want to be doing.”

The band’s secret weapon, and the force that pulls all of its diverse influences together, is the voice of Darius Rucker, an expressive instrument brimming with gritty soul and subtle wit. When he sings, the songs are imbued with a buoyant good humor and an openhearted joy that connects on an almost spiritual level with audiences all over the world. “Having Darius in the band is a wonderful luxury,” Mark Bryan explained. “We can try something funky, or bluegrassy or a ballad; we can run the gamut stylistically, but never stray too far from our sound because once Darius starts singing, it’s Hootie and the Blowfish.

In the next five years, Hootie & The Blowfish worked their way up the food chain from local draw to gigs all over the Carolinas and finally, the entire East Coast. Their blend of pop, folk, blues, soul and rock made them hard to pigeonhole, but easily accessible to anyone who loved good music. Atlantic Records, impressed by the tens of thousands of Kootchypop copies already sold without the help of a label, signed them and released Cracked Rear View in 1994. The album had been out for six months before the band played on the Late Show with David Letterman. Letterman told his audience “If you don’t have this album, there’s something wrong with you.” The day after the show aired, sales went from four or five thousand a week to 17,000 a week, and eventually Number One on the Billboard charts the following spring. It remains a strong seller today. “It became dream-like,” Rucker recalled. “I’d wished for it, but I’m not sure I believed it, even as it was happening. We were on tour constantly; the whole thing is still kind of a blur.”

At the end of the year, Cracked Rear View and the band won two Grammy’s – Best New Artist and Song of the Year by duo or group for “Let Her Cry.” They also took home an MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist for “Hold My Hand,” a Billboard Music Award for album of the year, a People’s Choice Award for Album of the Year and a People’s Choice Award for Best Selling Artist, a feat they duplicated in 1996.

Cracked Rear View went on to earn the band Billboard’s Band of the Year Award in 1996 and the RIAA’s Diamond Award for sales of 10 million units. Cracked Rear View remains the 9th best selling album in music business history, and all albums combined, have moved over 25 million worldwide.

The band kept touring, remaining a top draw nationwide and released five more albums for Atlantic: Fairweather Johnson, Musical Chairs, Scattered, Smothered & Covered, Hootie & The Blowfish and The Best of Hootie & The Blowfish. The band left Atlantic by mutual agreement in 2004; Looking For Lucky released in 2005 was their first album on their own Sneaky Long Records, manufactured and distributed by Vanguard. LIVE in Charleston, The Homegrown Concert Event DVD and CD was released in August of 2006.

Hootie & the Blowfish wrapped a summer of touring in 2008 and members entered the studio to record solo albums. Since then, Soni has released 4 albums including a trilogy called Found (2012), In (2014) and Love (2015). Mark has released 3 albums with his most recent release, Songs of the Fortnight in Summer 2017 and Darius released his fifth country album, When Was The Last Time in Fall 2017.

In December of 2018, the band appeared on the Today Show to announce a return to full-time touring along with news of a forthcoming album. The 2019 Group Therapy Tour saw the band play to sold-out crowds across the U.S. and Canada, including two nights at the iconic Madison Square Garden, as well as a run of shows throughout the U.K. and Ireland. The triumphant return to the road earned Hootie & the Blowfish several prominent profiles recognizing their important musical legacy, including the cover story of the New York Times Arts & Leisure section. On November 1, 2019, they released their first new music in nearly 15 years with Imperfect Circle, named one of the “biggest albums to hear this season” by Entertainment Weekly and featuring radio single “Hold On.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Huey Lewis made his debut at Billy Bob’s and got to add his hands to the “Wall of Fame” on May 22, 2004.

ABOUT HUEY LEWIS

Huey Lewis & the News were a bar band who made good. With their simple, straightforward rock & roll, the San Francisco-based group became one of America’s most popular pop/rock bands of the mid-’80s. Inspired equally by British pub rock and ’60s R&B and rock & roll, the News had a driving, party-hearty spirit that made songs like “Workin’ for a Livin’,” “I Want a New Drug,” “The Heart of Rock & Roll,” “Hip to Be Square,” and “The Power of Love” huge hits. At its core, the group was a working band, and the bandmembers knew how to target their audience, connecting squarely with odes to nine-to-five jobs and sports. As the decade progressed, they smoothed out their sound and by the mid-’90s took time off from recording. Nevertheless, the News remained a popular and perennial concert draw, essentially carrying on in bar band fashion, reappearing every so often with solid albums like 2001’s Plan B and the 2010 Stax Records tribute Soulsville. Following a 2018 announcement that Lewis was losing his hearing due to Ménière’s disease, the band’s future seemed uncertain, though they made a comeback in 2020 with their tenth album, Weather.

My Aim Is True

The roots of Huey Lewis & the News lay in Clover, an early-’70s country-rock band from San Francisco that featured Lewis (vocals, harmonica) and keyboardist Sean Hopper. Clover moved to England in 1976 upon the urging of Nick Lowe, who believed they could fit into the U.K.’s pub rock scene. In a short time, the group cultivated a small following. Lowe produced the group’s first single, “Chicken Funk,” which featured lead vocals by Lewis and, the following year, the band, minus Lewis, supported Elvis Costello on his debut album, My Aim Is True. PolyGram released two Clover albums that failed to find an audience and when their leader, John McFee, left the group to join the Doobie Brothers, the band broke up and returned to California. Before returning to the States, Lewis played harmonica on Lowe’s Labour of Lust and Dave Edmunds’ Repeat When Necessary, which also featured Lewis’ song “Bad Is Bad.”

Upon their return to America, Lewis and Hopper began jamming at a Marin County bar called Uncle Charlies, which is where they formed American Express with Mario Cipollina (bass), Johnny Colla (saxophone, guitar) and Bill Gibson (drums), who had all played in Soundhole, one of Van Morrison’s backing bands in the late ’70s. American Express recorded a disco version of “Theme From Exodus,” calling it “Exodisco.” Mercury released the single, which was ignored. In 1980, the group added lead guitarist Chris Hayes and were offered a contract by Chrysalis, which requested that the band change their name. The members chose Huey Lewis & the News and the band’s eponymous debut was released later that year to little attention.

Picture This

Picture This, the group’s second album, was released early in 1982 and the record became a hit on the strength of the Top Ten single “Do You Believe in Love,” which was written by former Clover producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange. A couple other minor hits, “Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do” and “Workin’ for a Livin'” were released, and the band began building a strong following by touring heavily. Sports, the group’s third album, was released in the fall of 1983 and it slowly became a multi-platinum success, thanks to touring and a series of clever, funny videos that received heavy MTV airplay. “Heart and Soul” (number eight, 1983), “I Want a New Drug” (number six, 1984), “The Heart of Rock & Roll” (number six, 1984) and “If This Is It” (number six, 1984) all became Top Ten hits, and Sports climbed to number one in 1984; it would eventually sell over seven million copies. Late in 1984, Lewis sued Ray Parker, Jr., claiming that his song “Ghostbusters” plagiarized “I Want a New Drug.” The suit was settled out of court. The News had their first number one single in 1985 with “The Power of Love,” taken from the soundtrack to Back to the Future.

Fore!

Huey Lewis & the News returned with their fourth album, Fore!, in 1986. The record sailed to number one on the strength of five Top Ten singles: “Stuck with You” (number one, 1986), “Hip to Be Square” (number three, 1986), “Jacob’s Ladder” (number one, 1987), “I Know What I Like” (number nine, 1987), and “Doing It All for My Baby” (number six, 1987). The band was riding high on the charts when they decided to expand their musical reach with 1988’s Small World, dipping tentatively into various American roots musics. While the record produced the Top Ten hit “Perfect World,” it was a commercial disappointment after two chart-topping, multi-platinum albums, stalling at number 11 on the charts and only going platinum.

Hard at Play

The News took three years to follow up Small World with Hard at Play, which was released on their new label, EMI. Hard at Play failed to break the Top 20 and only produced one hit, “Couple Days Off.” The group’s commercial heyday had clearly passed, and they took the remainder of the ’90s rather easy, touring sporadically and releasing the covers album Four Chords & Several Years Ago in 1994. Their first release for Elektra Records, the album generated one adult contemporary radio hit, “But It’s Alright,” and failed to go gold. It would be over six years before their next album appeared, Plan B, which was released by Silvertone Records in 2001. A Stax Records/Memphis soul tribute album, Soulsville, appeared nine years later in 2010. As the group prepped an album of original material, they decided to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sports! in 2013, releasing a deluxe double-disc edition of the album and supporting the reissue with a tour and a sizeable press campaign. In 2018, the News were forced to cancel all future live dates when it was revealed the Lewis was suffering from major hearing loss due to an inner ear disorder called Ménière’s disease. In spite of the setback, the band signed with BMG Rights Management to release their tenth album, Weather, in early 2020, featuring material recorded prior to Lewis’ diagnosis.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

In 2002 Trace Adkins is booked to play in October, but he suffers an accident on his farm. Jack Ingram was home from his tour awaiting the birth of his first child and graciously fills in for Adkins.

Jack Ingram’s “Live at Billy Bob’s” recording performance was unanimously said to be the best performance in his decade-long career.

ABOUT JACK INGRAM

Throughout a recording career that has spanned more than 20 years, Jack Ingram has maintained a reputation for uncompromising, personally charged song craft and energetic, charismatic performances, earning him prominent stature in a prestigious tradition of iconoclastic singer-songwriters. Ingram’s prior work has won him a fiercely devoted fan base as well as reams of critical acclaim, and now Midnight Motel marks a creative milestone for the veteran artist, his sound ever evolving while showcasing some of his most expressive, emotionally raw songwriting to date.

Ingram made Midnight Motel independently to avoid outside influences and have creative freedom to write and record. “It was really important to me at this point in my life to avoid thinking about any commercial decisions about the music,” explains Ingram. “Every night after my kids went to bed, I’d go into my music room and stay in there until about three or four, just working out the songs like I did at the beginning of my career. Or while on the road, sit up late at night writing in motel rooms. I wanted to bring people into that space with me.”

And so Midnight Motel turned into an album that is as real and honest as it could be. “Signing with Rounder Records to release this album was a perfect fit because of their expertise and love for good music, no matter the genre,” Ingram says.

His eighth studio album and his first since his 2009 smash Big Dreams & High Hopes, Midnight Motel features spare, stripped-down instrumental arrangements that highlight the intimacy and urgency of such new originals as “I’m Drinking Through It,” “Nothing to Fix,” “Can’t Get Any Better Than This,” and “All Over Again.” The album’s organic late-night vibe is perfectly suited to the material and brings out the emotional edge in Ingram’s deeply felt vocals.

Midnight Motel was cut with Ingram and the musicians recording live in the same room, with minimum overdubbing or sonic trickery. With understated audio-verite production by fellow Texas singer-songwriter Jon Randall and a stellar studio band including guitarist Charlie Sexton (Bob Dylan, Arc Angels) and drummer Chad Cromwell (Neil Young, Dire Straits), along with bassist Robert Kearns and keyboardist Bukka Allen from Ingram’s longstanding Beat Up Ford Band, the 11-song set demonstrates how Ingram’s artistry has widened and deepened over time.

“I couldn’t have made this record when I was 25, because I just didn’t have the experience then,” he asserts, adding, “It’s kind of a concept record, but it’s a loose concept. There’s the late-night thing, and the travel, and then there’s the concept about not letting go of the important relationships, even if they’re not working. These songs are all about loving, troubled long-term relationships, whether it’s with the music business or my wife or my family.”

The road to Midnight Motel has been a long and sometimes rocky one for Ingram, who was named Best New Male Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music in 2008, despite the fact that he’d already been rocking honky tonks, theaters, and stadiums for a decade and a half by then. He began writing songs and playing gigs while studying psychology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and quickly earned a rabidly devoted audience while performing high-energy live shows in bars and roadhouses throughout his home state.

Ingram’s remarkably loyal fans enthusiastically embraced his early, independently released albums Jack Ingram, Lonesome Questions, and Live At Adair’s. His indie success helped to win him acceptance within the Nashville major-label mainstream, and he expanded his constituency with such acclaimed national releases as Livin’ or Dyin’, Hey You, Electric, Young Man as well as the live albums Live at Billy Bob’s Texas, Live at Gruene Hall: Happy Happy, and Acoustic Motel.

Ingram moved to the Big Machine label with 2006’s Wherever You Are, which spawned a pair of major country hits in the title track, which became his first Number One single, and its Top 20 follow-up, “Love You.” His next studio effort, 2007’s This Is It, hit the Top Five on the U.S. country charts and produced a trio of hits in “Lips of An Angel,” “Measure of A Man,” and “Maybe She’ll Get Lonely.” Big Dreams & High Hopes followed two years later, spawning five chart singles, including the Top 10 “Barefoot and Crazy” and the Top 20 “That’s A Man.”

For Midnight Motel, Ingram was looking to create something different. “Something inside me was itching to do this,” he recalls. “The pressure in my chest was just so heavy that the only way I could get it off was to write these songs. Frank Liddell, who produced my record Electric in 2001, gave me some great advice: he said, ‘Go away and do something great while no one’s looking.’ That became my motto for this project. I just decided that I was just gonna do the best work I could do, and have it take as long as it takes. I didn’t care about trying to be technically perfect; I just wanted to be emotionally available. I can honestly say it was the best recording experience I’ve ever had. The waters got rough, but I really had a ball and enjoyed navigating that course.”

Rather than shooting conventional music videos to promote Midnight Motel, Ingram and noted filmmaker Michael Tully (Ping Pong Summer, Septien) have created a short companion-piece film incorporating the album’s songs and featuring Ingram as a troubled troubadour. The short film was screened at both the Dallas International Film Festival and the Nashville Film Festival.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Jamey Johnson, who received three Grammy Awards in 2009, hosted 50 U.S. troops who were shipping out to Iraq during his May debut at the club.

He was joined by his good friend, Cody Jinks, on stage during a show in 2018.

ABOUT JAMEY JOHNSON

Singer/songwriter Jamey Johnson is just as comfortable mopping up the tears on the barroom floor with an old Hank Williams-style ballad as he is tearing the roof off with a honky tonk juggernaut. The Alabama native and former Marine rose to the top of the Nashville food chain through blood, sweat, and tears. Being raised in a devout and deeply musical family helped the new traditionalist find his voice, but it wasn’t until he moved to Music City that the world began to take notice. After laying low for nearly a year, he began appearing at songwriter nights, where he met other writers. As his peers began securing publishing deals, they would ask Johnson to sing on their demos.

In 2002, a mutual friend and songwriter Randy Hardison turned producer/songwriter Buddy Cannon on to Johnson; the two became close friends and allies after Hardison’s death later in the year. Johnson’s next convert was publisher Gary Overton, who signed the budding songwriter to EMI. In April of 2005, Johnson signed a record contract with BNA and released his debut, The Dollar, in January of 2006. After a tour supporting the album, he was dropped from the label. He and his wife separated, then divorced, sending Johnson into seclusion for a year before he re-emerged, renewed, and was ready to begin work on a new album. Two major labels showed interest, but it was the Universal imprint Mercury that signed the artist and released his album That Lonesome Song in August of 2008. The first single off the album, “In Color,” reached number nine on the Billboard country chart, followed by “The High Cost of Living,” which peaked at number 34. The album was certified gold. At the 2009 Country Music Association Awards, Johnson won Song of the Year for “In Color,” and was nominated for various other honors.

Johnson followed up his success in the fall of 2010 with an ambitious double album called The Guitar Song, preceded by the single “Playing the Part.” The album and its singles and videos gained nearly universal critical acclaim and sold exceptionally well, particularly for a double album. Johnson followed it in the fall of 2012 with Livin’ for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran, which featured a slew of guests including Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, Merle Haggard, Leon Russell, and Kris Kristofferson. In December of 2014, Johnson released a five-track holiday EP entitled Christmas Song that featured collaborations with Lily Meola and the Secret Sisters. It also included “South Alabam Christmas,” his first self-recorded new song in four years. A conflict with his publisher was apparently keeping Johnson from being more active with his material, although the formation of his own label, Big Gassed Records, appeared promising. Johnson independently released a few singles during 2015, but the songs had apparently been recorded years earlier. He kept busy playing live, though, and also wrote for others, including a pair of songs with George Strait that Strait recorded for 2015’s Cold Beer Conversation.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Janie Fricke played the World’s Largest Honky Tonk during its grand opening week in April of 1981. She returned many times since then. Even recording a “Live at Billy Bob’s Texas” album!

ABOUT JANIE FRICKE

“All I ever wanted to do was sing.” Janie Fricke has gone from Indiana farm girl to internationally acclaimed recording artist throughout her career. She was born in South Whitley, Indiana, and raised on a 400-acre farm where her father taught her how to play guitar. From county fairs to corporate trade shows, live concerts, in recording studios, or before millions on television, Fricke’s individual sound and performance personality has captivated audiences around the world.
Fricke began her career singing in a “little church up the road” where her mother played piano. She sang at local coffeehouses, high school events, as well as her way through college where she obtained her degree from Indiana University in elementary education. Fricke then chose a musical career, working in Memphis, Dallas and Los Angeles. There, as one of the marketing industry’s most successful jingle singers, her voice became known to millions as the voice for such advertising giants as United Airlines, Coca-Cola, 7-Up, and Red Lobster. Her voice led her to singing sessions for Country artists such as Loretta Lynn, Eddie Rabbitt, Crystal Gayle, Ronnie Milsap, Barbara Mandrell, Mel Tillis, Johnny Duncan and others. She has also been given the privilege to sing on albums for Charlie Rich and Elvis Presley, after their deaths. It was a line in Johnny Duncan’s single Stranger that ultimately gained the most attention for Fricke. When it hit the top of the charts in 1977, fans wanted to know who sang the line, “Shut out the light and lead me…” The music industry took notice as her voice was heard on duets with Merle Haggard, Moe Bandy and others, leading her to her first major recording contract.

Fricke soon began to dominate the country charts with smash hits such as Don’t Worry ‘ Bout Me Baby, He’s a Heartache and You’re Heart’s Not In It. It was only a matter of time before she started winning awards. Included among them are: Country Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year, Music City News Female Vocalist of the Year, “Billboard” Top Country Female Vocalist, “Cash Bed’ Top Country Female Vocalist, Academy of Country Music Female Vocalist of the Year, British-based Country Music Round Up Most Popular International Female Solo Act, and she was chosen to the Country Music Hall of Fame Walkway of Stars. Twice she has been nominated for the coveted (Grammy Award, once for her It ain’t Easy Being Easy In her recording career, Janie has released 23 albums and 36 hit singles.

When she relaxes she spends time with her Husband Jeff and her animals. She attends church near her home. Remembering from childhood the importance of her confirmation. Thankful for her blessings, Janie feels these values have helped her become the woman she is today. From an Indiana farm girl to an internationally acclaimed recording artist, she has never lost the pure heart and love of music that launched her career. And today, Janie Fricke sings on.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Jason Boland and the Stragglers recorded their “Live at Billy Bob’s” album on the same night as Kevin Fowler.

ABOUT JASON BOLAND AND THE STRAGGLERS

Our favorite songs are like one-night stands: passionate or sad, capable of recalling moments with Proustian power. Our favorite artists are lifelong companions: fixtures we turn to for comfort and highs.

Over the last two decades, Jason Boland and the Stragglers have delivered and become both.

“We’ve always just wanted to entertain ourselves and put out music that would be a part of people’s lives, not just something passing to them,” says Boland. “We want to be something more monolithic.” He pauses and grins as he adds, “We’re just a social experiment at this point.”

Boland is talking about the deep body of work he’s created with his band of jangly honky-tonk aces, the Stragglers––Grant Tracy on bass; drummer and background vocalist Brad Rice; Nick Worley on fiddle, mandolin, and harmonies; and Cody Angel on guitar and pedal steel. Fronted and co-founded by Boland with Tracy and Rice, the band has featured only a handful of other members over the last 20 years, all of whom––whether they’re currently Stragglers or not––are like brothers. As they’ve independently sold more than half a million albums, the outfit has packed iconic dancehalls, theaters, and other big rooms across the country.

With their new record Hard Times are Relative, Boland and the Stragglers stack the smart, road-ready outlaw country longtime fans have come to expect alongside creative risks that flirt with punk and psychedelic sounds. The 10-song collection is a rare blend of instantly gratifying and rewarding closer listens––a definitively Stragglers accomplishment. “It’s an upbeat album––a lot of fast songs, but it doesn’t try to be fast,” Boland says with characteristic insight. “It just sits in the pocket.”

No one has combined Woody Guthrie’s conscience with Waylon Jenning’s panache quite like Boland and the Stragglers. Since debuting in 1999 with the Lloyd Maines-produced Pearl Snaps, the band has matured without taming their refreshing irreverence. “We always joke that we try to take as much as we can from Lloyd and apply it to producing our own records,” Boland says. “We’ve worked with him so many times. The most obvious thing he taught us is: just be musical. Don’t hammer through the songs like a garage band all the time.”

That mix of subtle musical sophistication and unruly Oklahoma junkyard pedigree has resulted in some of the best independent honky-tonks in recent memory. “You just have to be where you are––keep plugging away and doing the best you can at any moment,” Boland says, reflecting on their career thus far. “For a bunch of slackers [like us], that’s not too terribly tough.”

Co-produced by the Stragglers, David Percefull, and Adam Odor, Hard Times are Relative is the band’s ninth studio record. All songs were recorded live to tape and without the use of any computers––now a Stragglers’ hallmark. Upbeat steel guitar kicks off album opener “I Don’t Deserve You” before Boland’s signature baritone thunders in, smooth and stronger than ever. When fellow sly honky-tonk champ Sunny Sweeney joins him in out-front harmonies, the two become the rootsy dream team you never knew you always wanted.

The album’s title track is a masterpiece: an epic story song about a young orphaned brother and sister depending on the land and one another. Rich details layered over strings paint a scene that’s compelling and lush. The song has become one of Boland’s favorites. “Folk music is hard to write. Country music is hard to write,” he says, reflecting on the difficulty of spinning a long tale while keeping it simple and engaging. “When you hit your own little tuning fork in your head, that one is a hard sell, even to me. But I enjoy that song.”

“Right Where I Began” sounds like vintage Stragglers: clever wordplay and muscly guitars ready for two-steppers. Fiddle and vocal showcase “Searching for You” shows off Rice’s and Worley’s harmonies that are downright divine. Crunchy guitars drive “Dee Dee OD’d” as Boland offers another round of wry observations. Easy gem “Going Going Gone” makes a solid argument for fiddle in rock-and-roll as Boland deftly turns a baseball metaphor into a classic leaving song.

Gorgeous waltz “Do You Remember When” bemoans some of modern life’s emphasis on the dismissal of heritage. Rollicking “Tattoo of a Bruise” picks up the same idea, and is tongue-in-cheek country doo-wop, fueled by fiddle, steel, and drums. “I’m not judging anybody,” Boland clarifies. “Our music has always called it like we see it, right or wrong, smarter or dumber.”

Praise for the past but the acknowledgment of nostalgia’s limitations is a career-long theme for Boland, and one that this record continues to carry. “We don’t want to lose the chili recipes and the Schroeder Halls because people are moving on to faster, louder, and newer,” he says. “But instead of just hemming and hawing, remembering what’s old and gone, we want to have new experiences within those frameworks––make memories with what’s left of the good stuff.”

With lines like “Empty pockets don’t mean you need money / It’s just another place to put your hands / And focus on that rock you’ve been kicking / One day it’s going to be a grain of sand,” “Predestined” challenges listeners as it soothes. The song is a lyrical victory for Boland, who’s long since become a master of distilling heady ideas into digestible nuggets.

Penned by Oklahoma music godfather Randy Crouch, “Grandfather’s Theme” serves as the album’s climactic closer. Attacked with psychedelic ferocity by the band, the song picks up the record’s recurring concepts of the ground’s insistence on shifting, inevitability, and our complex relationship with the past. Stripped down as Boland sings, the song soars off into a trippy, robust jam-band send-off––a serious triumph especially considering it’s a defiantly analog recording. “We’re fighting the digital world because they can make it so huge,” Boland says, discussing the balancing act of filling out songs while letting them breathe. “I’m really proud of what we did.”

As he mulls over where the Stragglers have been and where they’re headed, Boland comes back to one idea over and over again: he and his band are who they are, and with that genuineness comes grit, beauty, and staying power. “We’re fortunate that we’re not trying to fool anybody,” he says. “That’s what it comes down to. We’re all loners but somehow a team. Now that I can look at it all, I can see: it’s been fun.”

Here’s to the next 20 years.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On August 25, 1995, Jeff Carson came to play on the main stage but we couldn’t let him leave without getting his hands in concrete to add to our “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT JEFF CARSON

Jeff Carson has come full circle with careers that have allowed him to do the two things that he loves – music and police work.
As a youngster, he and his family would sing three-part harmony on trips. One of those trips was to Branson, Missouri, where he saw a show that inspired him to tell his high school counselor that he wanted to get into music. The counselor didn’t discourage Carson; instead, he picked up the phone and made some phone calls and that encouraged Carson to pursue a career in music.

After high school graduation Carson entered a talent contest sponsored by Ozark Mountain Music in Northwest Arkansas and came in second place. He won the brass key, however, because the singer from the winning band asked him to join their band as a lead guitar player. Although he really didn’t consider himself a lead guitar player, luck stayed with him and that band’s bass player quit right after he joined the band.

“I stepped right into that role, and I played with them for two or three years,” Carson says. “The band broke up and I decided to move to Branson. Luck stayed with me, as I learned right away that a bass player had just quit one of the bands that played there. I auditioned and was hired. I couldn’t have been happier, and I played with them for a couple of years.”

Carson was content in Branson, but his wife Kim convinced him to move to Nashville, which they did in 1989. In Nashville, his luck stayed with him, because a friend of his wife had a duo that was working at Opryland Hotel and their bass player had just quit. They hired him and he was fortunate to not have to take on another job outside of music. In addition to playing with them, he also persuaded the hotel to hire him as a solo act.

Carson quickly learned the places to meet other music business folks were the songwriter nights at local Nashville clubs. He also volunteered to do demos for songwriters for free so he could get his foot in the door to sing demos. He sang demos on songs that turned into hits for Tracy Byrd (“Walkin’ To Jerusalem”), Tracy Lawrence (“I See it Now”), Reba McEntire (“The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter”), and Tim McGraw (“I Wouldn’t Want it Any Other Way”), Faith Hill (“It Matters To Me”).”

Singing demos turned into a lucky decision for Carson when he met record producer and publisher Chuck Howard, who cut three or four songs on him that were good enough to pitch to labels. Howard was instrumental in getting him his label deal at Curb Records, and soon a single, “Yeah Buddy,” released to radio.

“It was my first charting single, and it set me up for the next one, ‘Not On Your Love,’ which became my first number-one single. The following single, ‘The Car,’ became a top-five hit, topping out at number two. That song brought in many stories from people about their father. I remember one that really touched me – we were in California and playing the song on the radio and one guy called in and said, ‘I haven’t talked to my dad in 20 years, and when I heard that song I had to pull over and call him.”

Carson had several other singles, including “Real Life (Was Never The Same Again)” from his album “Real Life.” An album release party was planned for “Real Life” on September 11, 2001. That morning terrorists hijacked two planes to attack the Twin Towers in New York City and one that attacked the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. A fourth plane was hijacked from the terrorists and crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Its destination was unknown.

“The song made it into the Top 20 but it all changed after that,” Carson explains. “I had to make a tough decision on whether to continue in music or make a career change.”

For some people, this would have been one of the worst decisions of their lives, but once again, luck intervened. Carson had always said that if he had not pursued music, he would have looked at a career in law enforcement.

“I was always very pro-law enforcement,” he explains. “If we had time after a show, I’d go ride with officers on patrol. I always said if music went away the only other thing I’d like to do would be a cop. So in 2007, when we went to a family dinner for Thanksgiving, Kim told me she was scared, but if I still wanted to be a policeman, it was okay.”

Carson went through the Police Academy in Franklin, Tennessee, and was hired to the department in May of 2008. “I went through Police Academy, where I stayed on base for five days a week, and that lasted 12 weeks. Then Franklin had a 16-week Academy and three months of ride-a-longs before I was released out on my own. I was one of the older applicants for the Academy at 44.”

The singer admits that for about eight years he didn’t pick up his guitar, and then about three years ago someone called him and asked if he would do a show at a casino in Michigan. “I told him I’d see if I could remember the words to my songs, but really the words and chord progressions and playing guitar came back to me right away.”

After that, a person who books shows for the Fraternal Order of Police contacted him to see if he would like to do a few Fraternal Order of Police shows. “I liked that idea, so I did a Merle Haggard tribute and one to George Jones and played some of the older stuff and the audiences really liked that. After that, I started to get other bookings and I’ve been back out on the road doing my music again.”

All that has led to two recent musical projects. Before Father’s Day this year, Carson sent out word via social media that he was going to do a video for his hit, “The Car,” and was looking for pictures of people and their fathers. He asked for photos of them doing something with their dad, or just a picture of them with him. “The song is about spending time with your dad and appreciating the times you had with him. A lot of pictures were submitted, and the video turned out really great.”

More recently, Carson has re-recorded “God Save The World,” a song he had recorded previously with Lisa Brokop that was not a hit. “Without a doubt, this song is more relatable to today’s society than when I cut it years ago,” he admits. “This year has been bad and I think people will appreciate its message. It just felt like the right time to re-record it since it was not a hit previously.”

While all the new music opportunities are great, Carson plans to keep his job with the Franklin Police Department. “I’m not giving up police work. I get enough vacation throughout the year so I can go out and do shows. Like other entertainers, I had dates booked and then Covid-19 came along and they all had to be canceled. I never wanted to leave music, but I love my job as a cop as well.

“I’m grateful that people remember me and when I play shows. They bring old pictures they had taken with me from Fan Fair or a show I did near them. It is touching to see these pictures from the fans and know they still remembered me and loved my music.”

Carson says there have been no regrets with either of his career decisions. “I have had the best of both worlds and feel very fortunate that I have had the opportunity of doing two things that I continue to love.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Jerry Jeff Walker once joined an up-and-coming Texas country star-Pat Green- on stage.

Jerry Jeff Walker begins a holiday tradition by performing on Christmas Day. Except for a few times when he performs on New Year’s Eve, Walker continues playing the date well into the next decade.

ABOUT JERRY JEFF WALKER

Somehow, one gets the idea that that is how Jerry Jeff has always pictured himself. Even when he was playing screaming cowboy rock ‘n’ roll to thousands of people in the 70s and 80s, the solitary troubadour was always on the inside, looking out.

And that all happened before he became a star. Most folks know that story – how Jerry Jeff moved to Austin, Texas in the early Seventies and reinvented himself as a Lone Star country-rocker. He became, along with Willie Nelson and Asleep At The Wheel, one of the arbiters of the internationally famous Austin musical community. Since then, he has celebrated the music of peers such as Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt, and served as a fountainhead and inspiration to younger musicians such as Robert Earl Keen, Pat Green, Jack Ingram and a moderately successful country tunesmith named Garth Brooks….

A string of records for MCA and Elektra followed before Jerry Jeff gave up on the mainstream music business and formed his own independent record label, Tried & True Music, in 1986. Another series of increasingly autobiographical records followed under the Tried & True imprint. The latest, Moon Child, brings Jerry Jeff’s album catalog to the grand total to 33.

He’s played for four or five presidents, toured in Lear Jets and bought a second home in Belize (the fruits, in part, of having penned an American pop standard, “Mr. Bojangles”).

But even with all that, Jerry Jeff still sees the world with a troubadour’s eyes. His songs are the way he makes the world make sense, how he passes on stories of the people he meets, the way he feels on a given morning. He has come full circle, back to his singer-songwriter roots. You might say he was heading this way all along.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

“The Killer,” Jerry Lee Lewis performs in December of 1981.

ABOUT JERRY LEE LEWIS

Jerry Lee Lewis was born on September 29th, 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana. He began playing the piano at age 9, copying the styles of preachers and black musicians that traveled through the area. He signed with Sun Records in 1956 and quickly became a star. He was the first person inducted into the first class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

Early Life

With his innovative and flamboyant piano playing style, Jerry Lee Lewis emerged as one of rock music’s early showman in the 1950s. His musical talents became apparent early on in life. He taught himself to play piano and sang in church growing up. Lewis listened to such radio shows as the Grand Ole Opry and Louisiana Hayride. Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams and Al Jolson were some of his early influences.

When he was 10, Lewis’ father mortgaged the family farm to buy Jerry Lee his first piano. He gave his first public performance at the age of 14, wowing the crowd gathered for the opening of a local car dealership with his piano prowess. With little formal education, he basically gave up on school around this time to focus on his music.

Rise To The Top

Lewis eventually ended up in Memphis, Tennessee, where he found work as a studio musician for Sun Studios. In 1956, he recorded his first single, a cover of Ray Price’s “Crazy Arms,” which did well locally. Lewis also worked on some recording sessions with Carl Perkins. While working at Sun, he and Perkins jammed with Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. This session by the “Million Dollar Quartet” was recorded at the time, but it was not released until much later.

In 1957, Lewis became a star with his unique piano-driven sound. “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” became a hit on the pop, country and R&B charts. By this time, Lewis had also developed some of his famous stage antics, such as playing standing up and even lighting the occasional piano on fire. He had such energy and enthusiasm in his performances that he earned the nickname “The Killer” for the way he knocked out his audiences.

Lewis was on a roll with his next single, “Great Balls of Fire,” proving to be another big hit in December 1957. The following March, Lewis struck again with “Breathless,” which made into the Top 10 of the pop charts.

Later Albums

In the 1960s, Lewis returned to the music of his youth. He found a new career as a country artist, scoring a hit with 1968’s “Another Place, Another Time.” Lewis recorded several country albums over the next few years, including 1970’s Olde Tyme Country Music and 1975’s Boogie Woogie Country Man.

Lewis never left the rock world completely. In 1973, he did well on the album charts with “The Session”. He revisited some of his older songs as well as the works of Chuck Berry and John Fogerty on this popular recording.

When he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s first class in 1986, there was a strong resurgence in his rock & roll career and music. A new generation of listeners got introduced to Lewis through the 1989 biopic “Great Balls of Fire”, when Lewis was played by actor Dennis Quaid.

Recent Projects

This nearly lifelong musician and singer continues to record new music and perform around the world. For 2006’s “Last Man Standing”, Lewis sang a number of rock, blues and country classics with some help from such famous admirers as Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Buddy Guy. Collaborator Kristofferson described Lewis as “one of the few who can do rock ‘n’ roll, country or soul, and every song is authentic.” He told USA Today that Lewis is “one of the best American voices ever.”

Lewis and Kristofferson worked together again on Lewis’s next effort, 2010’s “Mean Old Man”. The all-star guests on this release included Eric Clapton, Tim McGraw, Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock and John Fogerty among others.

In April of 2013 Lewis opened Jerry Lee Lewis’ Café & Honky Tonk on historic Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee. It is filled with one of the Killer’s pianos, a motorcycle, photos, and memorabilia, along with great food and live music.

2014 kicked off Jerry Lee’s “80th Birthday Tour” with shows across the country, from California to Tennessee to New York. The Killer is also traveling to Europe.

In October of 2014 The Killer released his first ever biography with Pulitzer Prize winning author Rick Bragg. “Jerry Lee Lewis – His Own Story” came out to critical acclaim. His new CD “Rock & Roll Time” also came out in October. He told Rolling Stone magazine “This is a rock & roll record…That’s just the way it came out”. As he looks back on six decades of music and what the future holds, Lewis says he’s grateful. “I just think it’s a blessing from God that I’m still living… and I’m still rocking.”

Personal Life

Lewis spends most of his time-off at The Lewis Ranch in Nesbit, Mississippi, where he is happily married to his wife Judith, since March 9th, 2012.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On May 20, 1989, Jerry Reed cemented his hands on to Billy Bob’s “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT JERRY REED

Known throughout country music as “the Guitar Man,” singer/songwriter Jerry Reed gained recognition not only for a successful solo career but also as an actor and ace session player. Jerry Reed Hubbard was born in Atlanta, GA, on March 20, 1937; after picking up the guitar as a child, he was signed by publisher and producer Bill Lowery to cut his first record, “If the Good Lord’s Willing and the Creeks Don’t Rise,” at the age of 18. He continued releasing both country and rockabilly singles to little notice until rocker Gene Vincent covered his “Crazy Legs” in 1958.

After a two-year tenure in the military, Reed moved to Nashville in 1961 to continue his songwriting career, which had continued to gather steam even as he was in the armed forces, thanks to Brenda Lee’s 1960 cover of his “That’s All You Got to Do.” He also became a popular session and tour guitarist. In 1962, he scored some success with the singles “Goodnight Irene” and “Hully Gully Guitar,” which found their way to Chet Atkins, who produced Reed’s 1965 “If I Don’t Live Up to It.” In 1967, he notched his first chart hit with “Guitar Man,” which Elvis Presley soon covered. After Presley recorded another of Reed’s songs, “U.S. Male,” the songwriter recorded an Elvis tribute, “Tupelo Mississippi Flash,” which proved to be his first Top 20 hit.

Me & Jerry

After releasing the 1970 crossover hit “Amos Moses,” a hybrid of rock, country, and Cajun styles, Reed teamed with Atkins for the duet LP Me and Jerry. During the 1970 television season, he was a regular on The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, and in 1971 issued his biggest hit, the chart-topper “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot,” which was also the title track of that year’s album. A second collaboration with Atkins, Me and Chet, followed in 1972, as did a series of Top 40 singles, which alternated between frenetic, straightforward country offerings and more pop-flavored countrypolitan material. A year later, he scored his second number one, “Lord, Mr. Ford,” from the album The Uptown Poker Club.

In the mid-’70s, Reed’s recording career began to take a back seat to his acting aspirations, and in 1974, he co-starred with his close friend Burt Reynolds in the film W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings. While he continued to record throughout the decade, his greatest visibility was as a motion picture star, almost always in tandem with headliner Reynolds; after 1976’s Gator, Reed appeared in 1978’s High Ballin’ and 1979’s Hot Stuff. He also co-starred in all three of the Smokey and the Bandit films; the first, which premiered in 1977, landed Reed a number two hit with the soundtrack’s “East Bound and Down.”

Half Singin’ & Half Pickin’

In 1979 he released a record comprised of both vocal and instrumental selections titled, appropriately enough, Half & Half. It was followed two years later by Jerry Reed Sings Jim Croce, a tribute to the late singer/songwriter. In 1982 Reed’s career as a singles artist was revitalized by the chart-topping novelty hit “She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft),” followed by “The Bird,” which peaked at number two. His last chart hit, “I’m a Slave,” appeared in 1983. After an unsuccessful 1986 LP, Lookin’ at You, Reed focused on touring until 1992, when he and Atkins reunited for the album Sneakin’ Around before he again returned to the road. He recorded sparingly during the ’90s, earning a higher profile via a film appearance in the Adam Sandler vehicle The Waterboy. Inactive during much of the 2000s, he died in 2008 due to emphysema.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Jim Belushi and his brother John Belushi made their main stage debut with their band called The Blues Brothers.

ABOUT JIM BELUSHI

James Adam Belushi was born June 15, 1954, in Chicago, to Agnes Demetri (Samaras) and Adam Anastos Belushi, a restaurant owner. His father was an Albanian immigrant, from Qytezë, and his mother was also of Albanian descent. The third of four children – his brother was comedian John Belushi – he grew up in Wheaton, Illinois. A high school teacher, impressed by his improvisational skills while giving speeches, convinced him to be in a school play. After that, he joined the school’s drama club. Today, if asked why he got involved in acting, he will jokingly say, “Because of girls. In the drama club, there were about 20 girls and six guys. And the same thing with choir – more girls!”. He attended the College of DuPage and Southern Illinois University, where he graduated with a degree in Speech and Theater Arts.

In 1977, he joined Chicago’s Second City improv troupe and remained for three years. In 1979, Garry Marshall saw Jim performing for Second City and arranged for him to come to Hollywood and co-star in the TV pilot Who’s Watching the Kids (1978) for Paramount and, then, for a role in the series Working Stiffs (1979) (co-starring Michael Keaton). Later, in 1983, he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live (1975) for two years. Jim came to national attention in About Last Night (1986), playing the role he originated in the Chicago Apollo Theatre’s production of David Mamet’s Obie-award-winning play “Sexual Perversity in Chicago”. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife Jennifer Sloan, their daughter Jamison and a son, Robert Belushi, from his first marriage.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On Joe Diffie’s “Live at Billy Bob’s” recording, his dad sang  the Johnny Cash classic, “Folsom Prison Blues.”

ABOUT JOE DIFFIE

The beauty of country music is its ability to reflect the lives of its listeners, and few artists have celebrated life’s challenges and triumphs with more heartfelt eloquence than Joe Diffie. Whether singing about untarnished love in the enduring hit “John Deere Green,” the perennial appeal of “Pickup Man” or the heartbreak of dreams unrealized in “Ships That Don’t Come In,” Diffie’s songs have continually painted a portrait of real life with all its joy and angst.

“I’ve always loved well-written songs,” says the Grammy winner, who is just as skilled at writing hits as he is singing them. “There’s really no magic formula. I’ve just always drawn on my own experience whether it’s falling in love or hanging out in a bar. I feel like if I relate to it, other people will too.”

That simple barometer has served Diffie well throughout his career and continues to do so today with.the title track of his forthcoming album I Got This. The uptempo number proclaims what every man wants to say and every woman wants to hear: “Ain’t no load gonna get too heavy/Ain’t no bolt on this old Chevy I can’t twist/I can run the blade on a D8 ‘dozer//With the same hand I can pull you closer/Girl, if all you need’s a long, slow kiss, I got this.” Part mechanic and all romantic, Diffie exudes the good-natured charm that has made him one of country music’s most revered statesmen.

A native of Tulsa, OK, Diffie is a member of the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry for 25 years. A star athlete in high school, he originally set his sights on a medical career, but his love for music won out and he began performing in a gospel group. He paid the bills by working in a foundry and later joined a bluegrass band before deciding to give Nashville a try. He got a job working in the warehouse at Gibson Guitars, but felt like he wasn’t any closer to making his dreams come true.

He was on the verge of moving home when a conversation with his dad changed his destiny. “The best advice I ever got was from my dad,” Diffie recalls with a smile. “He said, ‘If you don’t have a goal, you don’t have anything to shoot at. Do something every day towards your music. Write a song or play your guitar.’ I took that to heart and made sure I did something every day whether it was big or little. I remember getting out of bed one time because I had forgotten to do something towards my music. I actually got up, got my guitar and played for a few minutes and then went back to bed. I feel like that had something to do with the success that I’ve managed to achieve. I think it would apply in anything. I lived, breathed, ate and slept music all the time. I was so obsessed with it.”

That passion and dedication to his dream paid off. His first break came when Holly Dunn recorded “There Goes My Heart Again” and asked him to sing harmony. “I remember going to the mailbox one time and getting the first check from that song and was like, holy crap! I need to write some more songs! I hadn’t seen that much money in my whole life,” he laughs.

By 1990, Diffie had signed with Epic Records and released his debut album A Thousand Winding Roads. His very first single, “Home,” hit No. 1. He continued to dominate the charts throughout the 90s with such hits as “New Way (To Light Up an Old Flame),” “If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets),” “Is It Cold in Here,” “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die),” “So Help Me Girl,” “Bigger than the Beatles” and “Third Rock from the Sun.” Jason Aldean paid tribute to Diffie and name-checked many of the veteran entertainer’s classics in his hit “1994.” The video featured Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett, Little Big Town, Jake Owen and others paying homage to the man who influenced them.

“It was a nice shot in the arm and it’s amazing to me the impact that it’s had. A lot of fans are coming to my shows now to see who the dude is that Jason and Thomas are talking about,” Diffie says, noting that Thomas Rhett co-wrote the song and often plays it in his shows. “The really amazing thing is the fans know every song that I sing. We’ll go to a place and they’ll be a bunch of younger people and they’ll know every single word. Obviously, they’ve gone back and done some research or downloaded something. It’s pretty cool.”

Nevertheless, Diffie has trouble seeing himself as an elder statement because he’s just as active as ever. Most recently Diffie has teamed with producer Phil O’Donnell a.k.a. “Phillbilly” to craft I Got This. “Phil’s very inventive and is such a pleasure to work with. He has some unique ideas. He’s kind of laid back like me.” Diffie says. “He did a great job.”

With nearly 30 years in the spotlight, Diffie has no plans to slow down. “I love music. It’s just a part of me,” he says. “Retiring would be like cutting off my arm or something. I enjoy everything about it. The travel part gets old once in a while admittedly, but I love the fans. It beats working any day.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Joe Ely played the main stage in the September of 2003.

ABOUT JOE ELY

From the moment he made his debut in the 1970s, Joe Ely has blended rock-and-roll sensibilities to hardcore honky tonk and become one of the most recognizable and respected artists to hail from the Lonestar state. Growing up on the vast and empty plains of West Texas, his legend was forged onstage with relentlessly riveting live performances, hammered out over thousands of shows and countless touring miles from Lubbock to London and back again the long way around. He has been embraced as a kindred spirit by artists as diverse as Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt, Tom Petty and The Clash. Over his four-decade career, he’s been at the forefront of Outlaw Country, Alt-Country, Texas Country and Americana, and has been recognized as one of the best songwriters of his generation.
“There’s no mistaking a Joe Ely album,” wrote noted Dallas Morning News critic Mario Tarradell. “His stinging, road-hued voice commands lyrics about life, love and the wandering spirit. When you listen to his music, you’re enjoying the essence of Joe Ely. That’s the essence of Texas Music.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On March 1, 2003, Joe Nichols made his main stage debut and even got his hands added to our “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT JOE NICHOLS

As Joe Nichols began work on a brand new batch of old-school country music, he found himself looking back for inspiration. Back to his early career, back to true friends and the simple perfection of pure country music … back to things that never get old.

“Full circle is the term I would use,” the Arkansas native says about his new project, fittingly titled Never Gets Old. “The whole theme of the record is ‘Let’s get back to where it all began for me. Let’s get back to where my passion for music began.’”

From 2002’s Man With a Memory on, Nichols harnessed that passion as a steady hit maker, racking up six Number Ones and eight Top 10s, including chart-topping modern classics like “Brokenheartsville” and “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off.” He’s a four-time Grammy nominee, an ACM, Billboard, CMA, and CMT Award winner, and his last album offering, Crickets, kept the success going, sending both “Yeah” and “Sunny and 75” to
Platinum-certified Number One status.

But then four years went by – the longest span between releases of his career – as Nichols dug in to reconnect with his calling. In Never Gets Old, he’s done just that.

“Instead of us making something that’s built for instant success, the idea was ‘Let’s make something we’re gonna be proud of 30 years from now,’” Nichols explains. “I’m thinking less about what will work, and more about what I love.”

What Nichols loves has always been obvious. Growing up around friends who were into anything but country, he was different. Nichols was pulled in by the realness of singers like Merle Haggard and Marty Robbins, Don Williams, Keith Whitley, and George Strait, and that connection would inform his whole career. Even now with Never Gets Old, he’s happy to go against the grain.

“Hopefully the stuff we’re doing lasts a lot longer than today’s typical country record,” he says. “But I think the irony is that retro sounds are actually what’s fresh and new right now. All we had to do was what felt natural.”

Doing what felt natural has never been easier, as Nichols returned to the approach of his early albums. Working with Crickets producer Mickey Jack Cones and longtime collaborator and friend Brent Rowan– fiddles and steel guitar tempered tasteful modern sounds on nearly every mix, while that understated (but unmistakeable) baritone felt “better than it’s been in 10 years.”

Saying his goal was to sing with the most feeling possible and let whatever came out of his soul land on the record, Nichols ended up with 12 tracks that bound between spirit and sentiment, courage and cleverness, romance and rowdy fun, all wrapped in the throwback style he’s spent a lifetime pursuing.

Lead single and title track “Never Gets Old” points the way. Written by Connie Harrington and Steve Moakler, Nichols says it reminds him of the mid-’80s country era, a song that “wasn’t necessarily deep, but it was meaningful.”

With a swaying front-porch groove, it features laid-back acoustic guitars and accordions that waft in with the breeze, as Nichols ponders the moments that keep love fresh – like watching his wife laugh, holding her hand, and ending each day in a tender embrace. Nichols says he knew it was special when all three of his kids started singing along the first time they heard it.

Tracks like “This Side of the River,” “Billy Graham’s Bible,” and “We All Carry Something” are charged with soul-stirring power, while “Diamonds Make Babies” and “So You’re Saying” inject the project with heartwarming fun.

But it’s a bit of carefree craziness adapted from his live show which is sure to leave listeners with the biggest smile – an honest-to-goodness country cover of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s hip-hop favorite, “Baby Got Back.”

What began as a joke between Nichols and his band years ago went on to become a beloved moment onstage, and now it caps off Never Gets Old, proving that whatever this veteran song stylist sings, it’s gonna sound country. Nichols and his team invited comedian Darren Knight and his “Southern Momma” character to revamp the iconic spoken-word parts, and what came out in the studio was so much fun it had to be included on the album.

“Everybody was laughing that day,” he says. “It was out-of-the-blue and we never thought we’d put it on a record. But when it was done I was like ‘This is nuts, but this actually kind of feels like it should have been a country record … a goofy one, but still.’”

When Joe Nichols released his debut album, he was barely 20 years old and trying to put his youth behind him. Looking back now, he laughs at that thought, but some things never change. Back then he was scrappy and defiant about his quest to revive traditional country, and that drive remains. In fact, he says it’s one of those things that never gets old.

“I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be,” he says. “With my first album, there was this apprehension of ‘Is country music ready for a traditional country record?’ It was a little bit scary, but we went for it, and with Never Gets Old I still feel the exact same passion – it’s like ‘Let’s give it to them anyway.’ Now, I think country music is ready.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley each played their own short set before reuniting on the stage to sing their string of duet hits.

ABOUT JOE STAMPLEY

One of the first artists to build a bridge between Rock n’ Roll, Rhythm n’ Blues, and Country Music, Joe Stampley pioneered what came to be known as “new country” a decade or more before that marketing niche had been given a name.

In the 60’s, Joe was the lead singer for the pop/rock group The Uniques. They began performing in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, soon finding themselves in great demand. In 1965, The Uniques recorded “Not Too Long Ago”, the first national hit for Paula Records. One year later, they followed with the classic “All These Things”, which is still one of Rock’s sentimental favorites in the Deep South; it’s considered part of the essence of the 60’s.

In 1971, Joe signed with ABC-Dot Records and recorded seven albums that produced such hits as “Soul Song”, “Too Far Gone”, “If You Touch Me (you’ve got to love me)”, “I’m Still Loving You”, and the remake of “All These Things”, as a two-step, which skyrocketed to #1 across the charts.

In 1975, Joe moved to Epic Records where he turned out 13 albums which included hits such as “Roll On Big Mama”, “Red Wine and Blue Memories”, “If You’ve Got Ten Minutes”, “Do You Ever Fool Around”, and ”I’m Gonna Love You Back To Lovin’ Me Again”. Joe also had a stringof hits with labelmate Moe Bandy consisting of chart-toppers such as “Just Good Ol’ Boys”, “Holdin’ The Bag”, “Hey Joe, Hey Moe”, and the take-off on Boy George -“Where’s The Dress”, which won the American Video Association’s award for Video Of The Year in 1984.

Joe Stampley has over 60 charted records to his credit, which ranks him 30th in R&R’s (Radio & Records) Twenty Years of Excellence magazine. Joel Whitburn’s Billboard Top Country Singles rank Joe 52nd among all country artists from 1944-1993 for charted singles. In 1976, Joe had eight singles chart in Billboard Magazine and was awarded “Billboard’s Single Artist Of The Year” for that accomplishment. Joe and his friend, Moe Bandy, were recognized as the Country Music Association’s (CMA) 1980 Vocal Duo Of The Year as Moe and Joe. They also received the Academy of Country Music’s (ACM) Vocal Duo Award for two consecutive years.

A versatile entertainer and singer, Joe Stampley can liven up any crowd with a rowdy, honky-tonk number or move an audience with the feeling he puts into a love song. His high-energy concert style often involves the audience in his performances with sing-a-longs, hand-clapping, and dancing in the aisles. Joe is currently on tour playing concert halls, casinos, clubs and festivals, giving his fans a taste of the hits that have made him a household name for over four decades.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Bob Hope, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry and Razzy Bailey all perform at the first annual New Year’s Eve show at Billy Bob’s, starting a tradition that has lasted 30 years.

ABOUT JOHNNY CASH

Johnny Cash is one of the most important, influential and respected artists in the history of recorded music. From his monumental live prison albums, to his extraordinary series of commentaries on the American spirit and the human condition, to a mesmerizing canon of gospel recordings, to his remarkable and unprecedented late-life artistic triumphs of will and wisdom, his impact on our culture is profound and continuing.

John R. Cash was born into a family of Arkansas sharecroppers in the middle of the Great Depression, and that hardscrabble life instilled in him a reverence for family, the earth, God and truth that informed his incredible life and vision over a half-century career. After a stint in the United States Air Force, where he distinguished himself as a radio intercept operator, and less-successful efforts as an automobile factory worker and door-to-door home goods salesman, Johnny broke onto the music scene in 1955 on Memphis’ fabled Sun Records. It was here, at the “birthplace of rock and roll,” where the world was introduced to his singular voice and compelling songwriting, through such eternal classics as “I Walk the Line,” “Big River” and “Folsom Prison Blues.”

As Johnny matured as an artist, he took his disciples on soaring adventures of the mind and soul, including Ride This Train, a travelogue of the sights and sounds of his beloved country; Blood, Sweat and Tears, the Cash canon of working man blues; Bitter Tears, a searing examination of the treatment of Native Americans; The Holy Land, Hymns from the Heart and other deeply personal statements of faith and devotion; and, of course, the historic concerts at Folsom Prison and San Quentin, where he demonstrated that compassion and healing are more integral to humanity than retribution and disdain.

In 1969, The Johnny Cash Show was a groundbreaking fusion of musical styles, fresh voices and enduring legends that elevated him to the pinnacle of his craft, taking him to stages such as the White House, Carnegie Hall, behind the Iron Curtain and even Northern Ireland, where the combatants in the Troubles temporarily ceased the hostilities to gather together in a Belfast church to hear him sing—albeit from opposite sides of the aisle. When he became the biggest selling recording artist on earth, it was an affirmation of his universality.

While most artists follow Neil Young’s adage, and either burn out or fade away, Johnny did neither. In his later years, new audiences flocked to hear his consideration of what it means to be human. His powerful statements on love, forgiveness and life and death spoke across time and generations, and still do today. At the end of his life, Johnny Cash had become not only the champion and the conscience of the American Experience, but a portal through which mortals glimpse immortality, an exemplar of overcoming adversity through honesty, and a role model in the everlasting pursuit of Redemption and the promise of the unclouded day.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

John Conlee recorded his “Live at Billy Bob’s’ album on January 15, 1999.

ABOUT JOHN CONLEE

One of the most respected vocalists to emerge during the urban cowboy era, John Conlee was known for his superb taste in material and his distinctively melancholy voice. Conlee was born and raised on a tobacco farm in Versailles, KY, in 1946, and took up the guitar as a child, performing on local radio at age ten. He went on to sing with the town barbershop chorus, but didn’t initially pursue music as a career, instead becoming a licensed mortician. He also worked as a disc jockey at numerous area radio stations, and made important industry connections via that area when he moved to Nashville in 1971. Five years later, Conlee’s demo tape got him a contract with ABC. He released a few singles, but didn’t find acceptance until 1978’s “Rose Colored Glasses,” a song he’d co-written with a newsman at his radio station, rocketed into the country Top Five. Conlee spent the next decade or so scoring hit after hit, nearly all of them helmed by producer Bud Logan. He had two number ones in 1979 alone — “Lady Lay Down” and “Backside of Thirty” — and four number two hits through 1981, which included “Before My Time,” “Friday Night Blues,” “She Can’t Say That Anymore,” and “Miss Emily’s Picture.” Conlee returned to the top of the charts three times over 1983-1984 with “Common Man,” “I’m Only in It for the Love,” and “In My Eyes,” and had his last number one in 1986 with “Got My Heart Set on You.” All told, Conlee made the Top Ten 19 times through 1987, when he moved from MCA to Columbia and reached the Top Five with “Domestic Life.” Never much for touring, Conlee subsequently curtailed his recording activities as well, instead devoting his time to charity work (often on behalf of American farmers), raising his family, and running his own farm outside Nashville.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S:

In November of 1998, John Michael Montgomery is scheduled to play a rare Thanksgiving night concert at Billy Bob’s. An ice storm hits the area, and cuts the attendance drastically. Before the show, however, the Billy Bob’s crew and Montgomery’s club watch the infamous Dallas Cowboys vs. Miami Dolphins game, lost by Leon Lett’s slip on the ice at the end of the game.

ABOUT JOHN MICHAEL MONTGOMERY

John Michael Montgomery has turned an uncanny ability to relate to fans into one of country music’s most storied careers. Behind the string of hit records, the roomful of awards and the critical and fan accolades that have defined his phenomenal success lies a connection that goes beyond his undeniable talent and his proven knack for picking hits. Since the days when “Life’s A Dance” turned him from an unknown artist into a national star, John Michael’s rich baritone has carried that most important of assets—believability. Few artists in any genre sing with more heart than this handsome Kentucky-born artist.

It is readily apparent in love songs that have helped set the standard for a generation. Songs like “I Swear,” “I Love the Way You Love Me” and “I Can Love You Like That” still resonate across the landscape—pop icon and country newcomer Jessica Simpson cited “I Love The Way You Love Me” as an influence in a recent interview. It is apparent in the 2004 hit “Letters From Home,” one of the most moving tributes to the connection between soldiers and their families ever recorded, and in “The Little Girl,” a tale of redemption that plumbs both the harrowing and the uplifting. It is apparent even in the pure fun that has always found its way into John Michael’s repertoire—songs like “Be My Baby Tonight” and “Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident),” where John Michael’s vocal earnestness takes musical whimsy to another level.

John Michael’s origins lie in deceptively modest beginnings. He was born in Danville, Kentucky, to parents who imparted a lifelong love of music.

“Where most people have chairs and sofas in their living rooms,” laughs John Michael, “we had amplifiers and drum kits.”

The family band played on weekends throughout the area, and John Michael and his brother Eddie eagerly soaked up everything about it.

“To a certain extent,” he says, “my dad always had a natural ability to draw fans and entertain people; I don’t care if it was on the front porch, the living room, or on a stage. I think that transitioned to me and my brother being able to do that on stage.”

John Michael took over lead singing chores after his parents divorced, and he performed for a while in a band called Early Tymz with Eddie and their friend Troy Gentry. Nashville talent scouts began hearing about and then seeing John Michael perform and by the early ‘90s he had a record deal.

The hits followed steadily, with songs like “Rope The Moon,” “If You’ve Got Love,” “No Man’s Land,” “Cowboy Love,” “As Long As I Live,” “Friends” and “How Was I To Know” establishing him as one of the elite acts of the era. He received the CMA Horizon award and was named the ACM’s Top New Vocalist, setting off a long series of awards that included the CMA’s Single and Song of the Year, Billboard’s Top Country Artist, and a Grammy nomination. Heavy touring meant he kept the close touch with fans he had begun in the clubs back home.

“You get to know your fans and what they like more and more through the years,” he says, “and you kind of gravitate towards one another.”

Indeed, he has always had an extraordinarily close relationship with his fans, and they have stayed with him through good and bad times.

Asked what he thinks gave him the edge in a career that calls millions but gives stardom to just a few, he pauses, then thinks back to the legacy of his parents.

“I reckon it was good genes and good blood,” he says with a smile. Few who know the depth and breadth of his own growing legacy would disagree.

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ABOUT JOHNNY COOPER

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Fort Worth favorite Johnny Paycheck performs in June of 1997.

ABOUT JOHNNY PAYCHECK

The first time that many people ever heard of Johnny Paycheck was in 1977, when his “Take This Job and Shove It” inspired one-man wildcat strikes all over America. The next time was in 1985, when he was arrested for shooting a man at a bar in Hillsboro, OH. That Paycheck is remembered for a fairly a musical novelty song and a violent crime (for which he spent two years in prison) is a shame, for it just so happens that he is one of the mightiest honky tonkers of his time. Born and raised in Greenfield, OH, Paycheck was performing in talent contests by the age of nine and riding the rails as a drifter by the time he turned 15. After a Navy stint landed him in the brig for two years, he arrived in Nashville, where he performed in the bands of Porter Wagoner, Faron Young, Ray Price, and George Jones. He recorded several singles under the name Donny Young, then, in 1965, cut his first sides as Johnny Paycheck for the Hilltop label. A year later, he and gadfly producer Aubrey Mayhew started the Little Darlin’ label, for which Paycheck recorded his greatest work. Marked by Lloyd Green’s knockout steel guitar and Paycheck’s broad, resonant vocals (not to mention his rounder’s sense of humor) his Little Darlin’ records of the 1960s have since become cult favorites. After splitting with Mayhew (and after running his life into the gutter) Paycheck made a celebrated comeback on Epic in the 1970s. “Take This Job and Shove It” was the most famous result, though ballads like “She’s All I Got” and “Someone to Give My Love To” are far more indicative of his stylistic range.

Born Donald Lytle, Paycheck began playing guitar when he was six, and within three years, he was performing talent contests across the state. When he was 15, he ran away from home, hitchhiking, and hoboing his away across the country, singing in honky tonks and clubs along the way. By his late teens, he had joined the Navy, but while he was serving, he assaulted a superior officer and was convicted of court martial. As a result, he spent two years in the brig. Upon his release, he moved to Nashville, where made the acquaintance of Buddy Killen at Decca Records, who offered him a contract. At Decca, Paycheck released two rockabilly singles on the label under the name Donny Young; neither were hits. Shortly afterward, he moved to Mercury, where he released two country singles, which were also failures. By that time, he had begun supporting other musicians, playing bass and occasionally steel guitar with Porter Wagoner, Faron Young, and Ray Price. He frequently moved between employers because of his short-fused temper. Paycheck finally found his match in George Jones. He stayed with Jones for four years, fronting the Jones Boys between 1962 and 1966, and singing backup on George’s hits “I’m a People,” “The Race Is On,” and “Love Bug.”

Toward the end of his stint with Jones, Donald Lytle refashioned himself as Johnny Paycheck, taking his name from a Chicago heavyweight boxer. Late in 1965, he relaunched his solo career with the assistance of producer Aubrey Mayhew, who produced a pair of singles — “A-11” and “Heartbreak Tennessee” — for Hilltop Records. Though it only charted at number 26, “A-11” caused a sensation within the country community, earning several Grammy nominations as well as reviews that compared Paycheck to his mentor, Jones. In 1966, he and Mayhew formed Little Darlin’ Records, primarily designing the label to promote Paycheck, but also recording Jeannie C. Riley, Bobby Helms, and Lloyd Green. That summer, “The Lovin’ Machine” became Paycheck’s first Top Ten hit. Also that year, he wrote Tammy Wynette’s first hit, “Apartment #9,” with Bobby Austin and Fuzzy Owen; Paycheck also wrote Ray Price’s number three hit “Touch My Heart.”

All of Paycheck’s recordings for Little Darlin’ Records rank among his grittiest, hardest country, but they weren’t necessarily big hits. Between 1967 and 1969, Paycheck had eight more hit singles, with each record progressively charting at a lower position than its predecessor — “Motel Time Again” reached number 13 in early 1967, while “If I’m Gonna Sink” climbed to number 73 in late 1968. Though “Wherever You Are” showed signs of a comeback in the summer of 1969, peaking at number 31, the label went bankrupt shortly after its release, partially due to Paycheck’s declining commercial performance, partially due to his heavy drinking and erratic behavior. Over the course of the next year, he moved to California and sunk deeply into substance abuse. Meanwhile, Billy Sherrill at Epic Records had been searching for Paycheck with the hopes of producing his records. The label finally tracked him down in 1971 and offered him a contract, provided that he cleaned himself up. Paycheck accepted the offer and, with Sherrill’s assistance, kicked his addictions.

Like many of Sherrill’s records of the early ’70s, his Paycheck recordings were heavily produced and often layered with stings. Though this was a shift from the hardcore country that Paycheck made on Little Darlin’, the new approach was a hit — his debut single for the label, “She’s All I Got,” became a number two hit upon its fall 1971 release. It was quickly followed by another Top Ten hit, “Someone to Give My Love To,” and Paycheck was finally becoming a star. During the next four years, he had 12 additional hit singles — including 1973’s Top Ten singles “Something About You I Love” and “Mr. Lovemaker,” and 1974’s “For a Minute There” — with the more accessible, pop-oriented songs Sherrill crafted for him, but Paycheck’s wild ways hadn’t changed all that much. In 1972, he was convicted of check forgery and, in 1976, was saddled with a paternity suit, tax problems, and bankruptcy. Accordingly, he shifted his musical style in the mid-’70s to put him in step with the renegade outlaw country movement.

11 Months and 29 Days

Paycheck’s first outlaw album, 1976’s 11 Months and 29 Days (which happened to be the length of his suspended sentence for passing a bad check), featured a photo of him in a jail cell on the cover, signalling his change of direction. Initially, his outlaw records weren’t hits, but early in 1977 he returned to the Top Ten with a pair of Top Ten singles, “Slide Off of Your Satin Sheets” and “I’m the Only Hell (Mama Ever Raised).” Later that year, he released his cover of David Allan Coe’s “Take This Job and Shove It,” which became his biggest hit, spending two weeks at number one; its B-side, “Colorado Kool-Aid,” also charted at number 50. Soon, Paycheck’s records were becoming near-parodies of his lifestyle, as the title “Me and the I.R.S.” and “D.O.A. (Drunk on Arrival)” indicated. Nevertheless, he stayed at the top of the charts, with “Friend, Lover, Wife” and “Mabellene” both reaching number seven in late 1978 and early 1979.

Shortly after the twin success of those singles, his career began to crumble due to his excessive, violent behavior. In 1979, his former manager Glenn Ferguson began a prolonged and difficult legal battle. In 1981, a flight attendant for Frontier Airlines sued him for slander after he began a fight on a plane. The following year, he was arrested for alleged rape. The charges were later reduced and he was fined, but by that point, Epic had had enough and dropped him from the label. Paycheck moved over to AMI, where he had a number of small hit singles between 1984 and 1985. Later in 1985, he had a barroom brawl with a stranger in Hillsboro, OH, that ended with Paycheck shooting and injuring his opponent. The singer was arrested for aggravated assault and spent the next four years appealing the sentence while he recorded for Mercury Records. None of his singles for the label reached the Top 40, and he was dropped from the label in 1987. He spent 1988 at Desperado Records before signing with Damascus the following year, after his conversion to Christianity.

In 1989, Paycheck’s appeals had expired and he was sentenced to the Chillicothe Correctional Institute. He spent two years at the prison, even performing a concert with Merle Haggard at the jail during his stint, before being released on parole in January 1991. Following his release, Paycheck kept a low profile, playing shows in Branson, MO, and recording for the small label Playback Records. After battling diabetes and emphysema for a number of years, Paycheck passed away in February 2003. He was 64.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Johnny Lee’s well known song “Looking for Love” is featured as #4 on his “Live at Billy Bob’s” recorded album.

ABOUT JOHNNY LEE

Johnny Lee was born in Texas City, Texas, and is a member of the “Texas Country Music Hall of Fame”.

In 1968, he began a 10-year working relationship with Mickey Gilley, at the World Famous Nightclub “Gilley’s” in Pasadena, Texas. In 1979, Lee’s first screen role was in a 1979 TV Movie, “The Girls in the Office”, starring Barbara Eden and Susan St. James. He was then asked to perform in the film, “Urban Cowboy”, which starred: John Travolta and Deborah Winger, “Lookin’ For Love”, Was from that Movie soundtrack, and became Lee’s 1st “Gold Record”.

The song spent 3 weeks as, #1 on the Billboard Country Music Charts, and #2 on the Pop Music Charts. Later becoming one of the Top 100 best Country Songs of all Time. When not traveling and Performing, Johnny can be seen on many Celebrity hunting and fishing shows. As well as on RFD TV’s: “Larrys’ Diner” & “The Homecoming”. With a string of Top 10 hits such as: “One In A Million” – “Bet Your Heart On Me” – “Cherokee Fiddle,” “Sounds Like Love,” – “Hey Bartender” – “You Could’ve Heard a Heart Break.” And Many, Many More.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

In 2019, Dennis Quaid was joined on stage for his encore with his friends Johnny Rodriguez and Tanya Tucker.

ABOUT JOHNNY RODRIGUEZ

Almost 40 years after he first arrived in Nashville, Johnny Rodriguez is right back where he started coming full circle back to making the kind of honest country music that he and his fans always enjoyed.

Born December 10, 1951, Johnny Rodriguez was the second youngest of 10 children living in a four room house in Sabinal, Texas, a small town about 90 miles from the Mexico Border.

Growing up in Sabinal, Johnny was an A/B student, captain of his Junior High School Football team, a high school letterman and an altar boy at church. But it wasn’t all innocent. In 1969, caught with friends stealing and barbecuing a goat, Rodriguez took the rap. It was this jail visit that gave Johnny his first break.

His jail house singing enthralled Texas Ranger, Joaquin Jackson, who told a promoter about Rodriguez. The promoter, Happy Shahan, hired Johnny to perform at the Alamo Village, a popular south Texas tourist attraction and location of many well know movie sets. It was here that Johnny was heard by Nashville artists Tom T. Hall and Bobby Bare who both encouraged Johnny to fly to Nashville in 1971. 20-year old Rodriguez found himself stepping off the plane with nothing more than his guitar in hand and $14 in his pocket. Soon he was fronting Tom T. Hall’s Band and writing songs.

Less than year later, Hall took Johnny over to the office of Roy Dea and Jerry Kennedy, then record producers of Mercury’s Nashville operation, for an in person audition. Dea offered a contract on the spot after hearing “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and “If I’d Left It Up To You”.

Fifteen of his singles rose to top ten, six of which were #1 hits. The first of the singles to reach number one was You Always come Back to Hurting Me”. The song raced through the country charts and put Johnny in the fast lane of the country music world. “You Always Come Back To Hurting Me” didn’t stop until it hit the top the first of 11 consecutive #1 records, some of which he wrote or co-wrote.

His debut album, Introducing Johnny Rodriguez, went to #1 on all three major trade charts and by 1973 he was nominated by the Country Music Association for “Male Vocalist of the Year” and won the Billboard Trend Setter Award for first Mexican-American to capture a national audience. Some of Johnny’s classic hits during this period included “Pass Me By”, “You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me)”, “Riding My Thumb To Mexico”, “That’s The Way Love Goes” and “Just Get Up And Close The Door”.

In addition to the hits came the industry Accolade Awards, and television film roles including a role on the TV show “Adam 12” and a guest appearance on “The Dating Game”. Since 1974, when Rodriguez made his debut as a TV actor, he has been a favorite on national talk shows and performance format shows. His emphasis, however, was still music; country music.

In 1979, Johnny moved from Mercury to Epic Records, where he worked with producer Billy Sherrill. His debut album with Epic, “Rodriguez”, contained with one exception, songs written by Johnny. His successes included: “What’ll I Tell Virginia”, “Love Look At Us Now”, “North Of The Border”, “Foolin”, “How Could I Love Her So Much”, and “Rose Of My Heart”.

The union of producer Tom Collins and Capitol Records in 1987 resulted in Rodriguez’ album titled “Gracias”, which contained such hits as “I Didn’t (Every Chance I Had)”, “I Want To Wake Up With You” and “You Might Want To Use Me Again”.

In 1993, Johnny recorded “Run For The Border” on Intersound and in 1996 he reunited with the Dea/Kennedy team to truly capture the fire and magic of their past collaborations with the creation of “You Can Say That Again”.

In the past 40 years, Johnny has released 35 albums and charted 45 singles. He has beat the pavement touring in every state in the U.S. and enjoys an enormous response when touring overseas in countries such as Switzerland, England, S. Korea, France, Spain, East & West Germany, Japan, Belgium, Guam, Poland, Canada and Mexico.

This favored son of Texas has received standing ovations by audiences ranging from Ryman Auditorium to Carnegie Hall. He has been honored with the presence of Presidents of the United States including Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton and playing the Inaugural Ball for George Bush.

Rodriguez has been high-lighted for his contributions and place in music’s traditions and history. This artist brings the Hispanic communities and country music together with his bilingual songs.

This favored son of Texas has received standing ovations by audiences ranging from Ryman Auditorium to Carnegie Hall. He has been honored with the presence of Presidents of the United States including Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton and playing the Inaugural Ball for George Bush.

Johnny was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in Carthage, TX in 2007, an honor well deserved for his contribution to country music. In 2010, Johnny received the Pioneer Award from the Institute of Hispanic Culture. Johnny received the Living Legend Award from CMA of Texas in 2019.

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ABOUT JOHN ANDERSON

Jon Anderson is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable voices in progressive rock as the lead vocalist and creative force behind Yes. Anderson was the author and a major creative influence behind the ground-breaking album Fragile as well as the series of epic, complex pieces such as “Awaken”, “Gates of Delirium” and especially “Close to the Edge” which were central to the band’s success. Additionally, Anderson co-authored the group’s biggest hits, including “I’ve Seen All Good People”, “Roundabout”, and “Owner Of A Lonely Heart”.

Never to stand still musically, he is getting ready to release an album he started 28 years ago through Blue Élan Records. The album’s title, 1,000 Hands is a reference to the fact that numerous guest musicians perform on the album, including Ian Anderson, Billy Cobham, Jean-Luc Ponty, Steve Morse, Chick Corea, Zap Mama, Chris Squire, Alan White, Steve Howe and many more. This album, produced by his friend Michael Franklin, really speaks to the power of a musical life still in the throes of a fervent artistic endeavor, always wanting new experiences in music, always wanting to surprise the listener. The album comes out on July 31, 2020 and will be offered on deluxe double gatefold vinyl, CD, and through all digital platforms.

If you asked Jon, he would say that he loves the adventure in making music, as evidenced in 50 years of success in the music business, working not only with many variations of Yes, but also with very successful collaborations with Vangelis and Kitaro, and more recently with Roine Stolt and Jean-Luc Ponty. His collaboration with Vangelis produced a number of hit records, including Friends of Mr Cairo which was groundbreaking in its use of narrative voiceover, creating a phenomenon that was copied by many artists and producers, most notably Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones with “Thriller”. As Jon would say, “We all copy each-others musical dreams, it’s the cross-pollenization of music that keeps the world spinning around”.

In the mid 70’s he created a pure solo album, in every sense of the word: performing all the music, playing every instrument, writing a storyline, and of course singing all the vocals in the critically acclaimed Olias of Sunhillow… a milestone in recording and adventurous creativity. You only need to look at his output of solo albums over the years to see how inventive his life in music has been, from Animation to Song of Seven, Three Ships to Toltec, City of Angels to The More You Know, to name just a few. All of these albums marked his own progression and adventure through music…leading up to 2009 following his near death, the release of the life affirming album Survival and Other Stories.

In 2015, Jon partnered with his dear friend, world renowned jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, creating a wonderful fusion of jazz and progressive rock in the album Better Late than Never. In 2016, Jon joined forces with well-known prog rock guitarist and producer Roine Stolt, to create Invention of Knowledge, an album that garnered great acclaim with critics and fans alike. In 2017 Jon reformed YES with former band members Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman … YES Featuring ARW has toured the world to rave reviews and released the Live At The Apollo CD/DVD in September 2018.

Finally, in Jon’s words: “Music is our spiritual connection to the soul, that’s why people all over the world connect to Music and to each other through Music.”

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In 2010, 99.5 The Wolf hosted “The 12 Man Jam” where John Rich was joined on stage with 11 other artists to each play a little acoustic set.

ABOUT JOHN RICH

John Rich is an American country music singer-songwriter. From 1992 to 1998, he was a member of the country music band Lonestar, in which he played bass guitar and alternated with Richie McDonald as lead vocalist. After departing from the band in 1998, he embarked on a solo career on BNA Records in the late 1990s, releasing two singles for the label and recording Underneath the Same Moon, which was not released until 2006. In 2001, he self-released Rescue Me, an album he was inspired to record by a cancer patient named Katie Darnell. By 2003, he joined Big Kenny to form the duo Big & Rich, who released three albums on Warner Bros.

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On October 21, 2017, Jon Pardi sold out his debut and cemented his hands onto the “Wall of Fame.”

On October 9 & 10, 2021, Pardi played two back-to-back SOLD OUT shows on the mainstage. On the first night, he unexpectedly brought out legendary western singer Randy Travis onto the stage. On the second night, he paid homage to the Lone Star State by opening the night with ‘Deep in the Heart of Texas’.

ABOUT JON PARDI

Jon Pardi is a traditional country singer, bred in the West Coast honky-tonks, and he won’t apologize for chasing the dream on his own terms. It might be considered contemporary cool to inject country songs with programmed drums, rap phrasing, and poppy melodies. But Pardi isn’t worried about what’s trendy. He’s more concerned with making country music that will last. His music is stocked with classic Nashville melody, blue-collar lyrical themes, and authentic country instrumentation – real drums, loud-and-proud fiddles, and tangy steel guitar.

Ushered into the world on the same label that launched Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, Pardi has found a whole chain of believers in his mission: the dedicated band behind him, the foot-stomping fans with cold beers at the foot of the stage, and a label that knows Pardi’s “throwback” sound is really made for these times.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

During their first sold-out show at Billy Bob’s Texas, Kacey Musgraves joins Josh Abbott Band on stage to perform their hit duet “Oh, Tonight”.

ABOUT JOSH ABBOTT BAND

Let the good times roll.

When fans of Texas-bred Josh Abbott Band hear the four-track EP Catching Fire, they’re likely to reconnect with a sound from the not-so-distant past. They’re songs of positivity, built on solid country textures and unified by Abbott’s congenial-but-experienced voice.

The seven-piece group cut its teeth as a hard-touring act with hooky melodies that deliver real-world stories. Led by the true-to-life cycles in Abbott’s life, JAB explored new territory with its last two albums – documenting the dissolution of a marriage in Front Row and adding strings and a horn section to Until My Voice Goes Out – but Catching Fire captures a sense of personal renewal.

“My embers are startin’ to glow again,” Abbott sings in the opening line of the title track. Indeed, the entire Catching Fire project is bright, spry, and optimistic. From the limber lines of Preston Wait’s fiddle to the decisive crack of Edward Villanueva’s snare and the animated scratch of Abbott’s acoustic guitar, there’s relaxed energy to the project, a sense of hard-won spirit that can only be developed by confronting – and conquering – emotional hurdles.

“We have a whole new refocused attitude on what we’re gonna do now moving forward,” Abbott says. “Catching Fire is a reflection of what’s happened over the last year and a half of my life.”

“Surprise Surprise” – a jaunty, driving bit of autobiography – details the rise and fall and rise again, namechecking banjo player Austin Davis in the opening line as it follows JAB’s 2006 inception and ascent to one of country music’s most dynamic live acts. Likewise, verse two loosely documents Abbott’s own relationship travails, from love to broken heart to a marriage that resulted in his first child.

While Catching Fire captures the band’s current heartbeat, the songs fit so neatly into the JAB live set that fans experienced them as if they were already part of the band’s canon.

“Half the time, I don’t even introduce them as new songs,” Abbott notes. “We just roll in and play them and watch the fans just bounce around and jam and have fun. Sometimes you’ll see fans look around like, ‘Do you know this song?’ But by the end of the song, they’re singing it.”

Country fans have been singing JAB songs for more than a decade already. The band got its start when Abbott and Davis, frat brothers at Lubbock’s Texas Tech University, braved the stage on open-mic nights at Blue Light Live. Davis managed to make the bluegrass-based banjo fit in a contemporary country setting, establishing a blueprint as additional members joined JAB. Villanueva brought a rock-band spirit on drums and Wait hardened the group’s country stance with his flagship fiddle when they signed on 18 months later. Lead guitarist Caleb Keeter joined in 2010, amping up the group’s power quotient, while keyboard player David Fralin took his place in 2015, bringing an additional layer of texture. The newest member – bass player Jimmy Hartman – added his name to the lineup in 2018, solidifying JAB’s signature tough undercurrent.

The band’s relentless on-stage attitude quickly made it a successful touring act, building out from a Texas band to a regional act to a national crew with a devoted following from coast to coast.

Concurrently, JAB developed its own label, Pretty Damn Tough Records, before that was an accepted practice in country circles. Two of their projects, Small Town Family Dream and Front Row Seat, scored top 10 debuts on the Billboard country albums chart, while five titles cracked the Billboard country singles lists, including a pair – “Oh, Tonight” with Kacey Musgraves; and “Wasn’t That Drunk,” with Carly Pearce – that represented the first chart appearance for current female country stars.

All that music established JAB as a band of renown: a good-timin’ cast with a plethora of sing-along songs that raised concert-goers’ spirits whether your date was a fellow college student or a series of longnecks from the bar.

“When you’re a young band, you wouldn’t know this, but those first couple albums you put out, that is who you are,” Abbott notes. “That is your sound.”

As any reasonable rebel does, the band tested its parameters once it was on solid footing. They signed for a short time with a major label, experimenting by mixing their raw tone with a more commercial edge. As they returned to indie status, Abbott ambitiously documented his first marriage in Front Row Seat. And the expansive Until My Voice Goes Out, recorded as Abbott tended to an ailing father, mixed elegant strings and a Memphis-tipped horn sound. His dad passed away just weeks before they finished the album, and it created a rite of passage that was particularly difficult to process in such a public occupation.

“There were nights in that first year after my dad died, I was bawling five minutes before we went on stage, and I’d have to wipe the tears away and throw on a smile and sing ‘My Texas,’” Abbott recalls. “A good time is what they come for, and I didn’t want to rob them of their experience because of a hardship that I’m going through in my life. I could mourn my father when I was in the back of the bus. The time for it wasn’t when I was on stage.”

Those concerts, in fact, planted some of the first seeds of renewal in Abbott’s life.

“When you’re able to have fun with a crowd of people and sing and dance around on stage, it’s definitely therapeutic,” he says.

As he put the pieces back together and felt a personal sense of renewal, the band as a whole felt a need to get back to its own roots. They took the four new songs – the Abbott/Wait compositions and the two outside pieces – and teamed with accomplished producer Marshall Altman (Marc Broussard, Frankie Ballard, Aaron Watson) for sessions at the Sonic Ranch on the outskirts of El Paso.

The multi-studio facility, nestled in a working pecan orchard, is appointed with bright tapestries and cozy casitas – residences that provide uncanny flexibility. Billy Gibbons, Third Eye Blind, Midland, and Portugal. The Man are among the acts who’ve found inspiration at the Ranch. JAB typically recorded into the wee hours of the morning, hitting their creative stride around the hours when their biological clocks reach their live-performance peak.

“Generally when you record in the studio, you’re working daytime hours,” Abbott says. “But out here in this place, it’s your studio basically; you can do what you want. There were nights that we were recording till 2 or 3 a.m., and then the next day we just wouldn’t start until noon. That’s musician time. We’re so wired to really get our brains going at 10 p.m.”

The band’s musical renewal is perhaps timely. Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris, Aaron Watson, Midland, and Cody Johnson are successfully blending the Texas mindset – a country framework with unique, multi-genre flavors – into commercial country music, and the JAB tradition fits neatly into that trend.

“If you didn’t know any better, you would have thought Jon Pardi or Luke Combs could have been from Texas,” Abbott says. “I just look at what’s going on in music – not only with the Texas people but with some of the others that are succeeding from other states – and I just hear similarities.”

Catching Fire brings a sense of similarity back to JAB’s own foundation. It’s a return to the band’s sonic past, a revival of its bar-bred optimism and fiery individualism. And it’s a reflection of the group’s off-stage cycles as old chapters are closed and a renewed, upbeat storyline comes to life.

“It’s not about being sad, it’s not about losing a father or going through a divorce,” Abbott says, elaborating on its current emotional position. “We have a great career, we have a great fan base, we’re still making music for a living. I have a beautiful wife and little daughter that brings me to join every day. So there’s a whole lot of personal renewal, and Catching Fire represents all of that. There’s nothing slow, nothing sad.”

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In 1996 the Miami-based band The Mavericks perform with Junior Brown on April 19.

ABOUT JUNIOR BROWN

With his unique voice, more unique songwriting, and even more unique double-necked “Guit-Steel” guitar, there has absolutely never been ANYONE like Junior Brown. He’s an American Original. Born in 1952 in Cottonwood, Arizona, Junior Brown showed an affinity for music at an early age when the family moved to a rural area of Indiana near Kirksville. In the following years, Junior began to experience Country music and remembers it as “growing up out of the ground like the crops – it was everywhere; coming out of cars, houses, gas stations and stores like the soundtrack of a story, but Country music programs on TV hadn’t really come along much yet; not until the late fifties.” Discovering a guitar in his grandparent’s attic, he spent the next several years woodshedding with records and the radio. Junior was also able to tap into music he couldn’t hear at home which older, college-aged kids were listening to. This was possible due to his father’s employment at small campuses throughout the next decade as the family moved twice again. As a young boy, he was able to experience the thrill of performing before live audiences, at parties, school functions even singing and playing guitar for five thousand Boy Scouts at an Andrews Air Force Base jamboree; then while still a teenager, getting the chance to sit in with Rock and Roll pioneer, Bo Diddley. Armed with this broad spectrum of influences, he began to develop a storehouse of musical chops.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Justin McBride is a two-time world champion bill rider with more than $5 million in earnings. He met Billy Minick and the two ex-bullriders struck up a deal to record Justin’s “Live at Billy Bob’s”

ABOUT JUSTIN MCBRIDE

Justin Travis McBride is a former professional bull rider on the PBR’s Built Ford Tough Series Tour. He is a two-time PBR World Champion, has a record 32 career wins, and was the first professional bull rider to earn more than $5 million in the course of his career.

He is a country music singer and is also one of the color commentators of the Built Ford Tough Series telecasts on CBS Sports Network and NBC Sports Network. He is also the co-host of PBR Now every Thursday night on RFD-TV.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S:

Kacey Musgraves made her Billy Bob’s debut on May 1st of 2015.

It was a very special night in Cowtown when Kacey Musgraves returned bringing her A Very Kacey Christmas show and Leon Bridges to Billy Bob’s in 2016.

ABOUT KACEY MUSGRAVES

At the outset of her career, Kacey Musgraves bent country tradition to her will, writing songs that evoked the sound of classic country but were infused with progressive ideas reflecting her millennial perspective. “Merry Go Round” and “Follow Your Arrow,” the big singles from her 2013 major-label debut, Same Trailer Different Park, crystallized this gift and established Musgraves as a major voice in country music: she was the rare country singer who could cross over to a rock audience without playing pop. By the end of the decade, she expanded her musical horizons so they mirrored her expansive lyrical stance, a shift showcased on the critically acclaimed 2018 album Golden Hour, which helped her win four Grammys the following year.

Movin’ On

Born and raised in the East Texas town of Golden, Kacey Musgraves began writing songs when she was just eight years old, not long after she picked up a mandolin. By 12, she knew how to play guitar and began to write her own songs, teaming with Alina Tatum as Texas Two Bits for a self-released album called Little Bit of Texas in 2000. Throughout her adolescence, she’d write, sing, and play, performing at local festivals on occasion and releasing a series of independent albums — Movin’ On (2002), Wanted: One Good Cowboy (2003), and Kacey Musgraves (2007) — along the way.

After graduating high school, Musgraves moved to Austin, where she would sing on songwriting demos while working on music of her own. She also took a stab at the televised musical competition Nashville Star, appearing on the fifth installment of the CMT series; she was eliminated four weeks into the season, placing seventh overall. Her appearance, along with her independent recordings, eventually attracted the attention of major labels, and she signed with Mercury Nashville in 2012. By the end of the year, she had supported Lady Antebellum on tour and released a debut single, “Merry Go ‘Round.” In March 2013, the song peaked at number ten on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, setting up the release of her full-length debut, Same Trailer Different Park — which also arrived that March — quite nicely.

Produced by Shane McAnally, Luke Laird, and Musgraves, Same Trailer Different Park debuted at number two on Billboard’s Top 200, earned positive reviews, and spawned two additional hit singles (“Blowin’ Smoke,” “Follow Your Arrow”) on its way to a gold certification. The album snagged the Academy of Country Music Award for Album of the Year, and Grammy Awards for Best Country Album and Best Country Song (“Merry Go ‘Round”).

Pageant Material

The success of Same Trailer Different Park helped position Musgraves as one of the hottest stars in country music, raising expectations for her second album, Pageant Material. Arriving in June 2013, the album debuted at number three on the Top 200, but the record stalled out on the country charts; its lead single, “Biscuits,” peaked at number 41 on the Country Airplay chart, and “Dime Store Cowgirl” never made that chart.

A Very Kacey Christmas

Musgraves released the cheerfully retro A Very Kacey Christmas in October 2016, then set to work on her third album of original material in 2017. Produced by Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk, 2018’s Golden Hour boasted a sleek, modern sheen that sounded more contemporary than either of its predecessors, capturing fans in the pop and indie realms. The critically acclaimed crossover set went on to top numerous year-end lists and, in early 2019, won Album of the Year at the 61st Grammy Awards. In addition to that top honor, she also won for Best Country Album, Best Country Song (“Space Cowboy”), and Best Country Solo Performance (“Butterflies”). In the wake of her wins, “Rainbow” was pulled as the fifth single from Golden Hour; it made it to 33 on Country Airplay and 98 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show

At the end of 2019, Musgraves celebrated the holiday season with The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show, a tongue-in-cheek television special for Amazon Prime that also had its audio track released as an album. As an album, The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show peaked at 120 on Billboard.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Kane Brown played on the Billy Bob’s Texas main stage to help raise money for the Academy of Country Music Lifting Lives program.

ABOUT KANE BROWN

A multiracial singer with a genre-bending approach to country music, Kane Brown helped shift the sound of modern country in the late 2010s. Initially attracted to R&B, he later embraced country, and his first single, “Don’t Go City on Me,” went viral upon release in 2014. By 2016, Brown had signed with RCA and issued his full-length debut Kane Brown. He began crossing over to the pop charts with “What Ifs” (featuring Lauren Alaina) and “Heaven,” both of which landed in the Top 40. Brown’s, second album 2018’s Experiment, topped the Billboard 200 and spawned a trio of country hits with “Lose It,” “Good as You,” and “Homesick.” In keeping with his boundary-breaking approach, Brown has also collaborated with DJ Marshmello and singer Khalid.

Kane Allen Brown was born in 1993 in Chattanooga, Tennessee to a white mother and African-American father. He spent much of his youth living with his mother in Redbank, Tennessee, where he first became interested in music while in high school. Initially attracted to R&B, Brown decided to focus on country after winning an 11th grade talent contest with his rendition of Chris Young’s “Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song).” Buoyed by that success, Brown began posting videos online of covers of songs by Brantley Gilbert, Alan Jackson, and others. He quickly developed a loyal following, a fan base that helped his own single, “Don’t Go City on Me,” go viral upon its release in 2014. In 2015, Brown released his debut EP, Closer, which reached the Top Ten of the Billboard Country Albums chart. Following Closer, he also released the stand-alone single “Used to Love You Sober.”

In early 2016, Brown signed a recording contract with RCA/Sony Music Nashville. That December, he returned with his eponymous full-length debut, Kane Brown, featuring the singles “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now” and “Thunder in the Rain.” The album debuted at number one on the country charts and peaked at number ten on the Billboard 200. Two more singles, “What Ifs,” featuring Lauren Alaina, and “Heaven” appeared in 2017.

“Lose It,” the first single from Kane Brown’s second album, appeared in June 2018. It climbed to number one on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart prior to Experiment’s release in November. Experiment debuted at number one on Billboard’s Top 200 and spawned two more number one Country Airplay singles with “Good as You” and “Homesick” arriving in January and August of 2019, respectively. Also in 2019, he joined DJ Marshmello for the single “One Right Thing” and cracked the Top 20 of the Billboard Country chart with his song “For My Daughter.”

As Experiment wound down its album cycle in 2020, Brown released Mixtape, Vol. 1 in August of that year. The EP was highlighted by the hit single “Cool Again.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On Friday July 13, 2001, Kansas cemented all 5 of their band members hands onto the “Wall of Fame.”

KANSAS

Fusing the complexity of British prog-rock with an American heartland sound representative of their name, multi-platinum-selling Kansas is among the most popular bands of the late ’70s. Their singles during the period — “Dust in the Wind,” “Carry on Wayward Son,” and their cover of J.J. Cale’s “Bringing It Back” became staples of AOR radio and still receive airplay at classic rock radio. During the ’70s, the band sold tens of millions of records, and the commercial success of Leftoverture (1976), Point of Know Return (1977), and Monolith (1979) propelled them to superstar status and sold-out concerts across the U.S., Europe, South America, and Asia. While their popular fortunes diminished in the ’90s, they continued to record and tour. Despite key personnel changes — the departure of founding guitarist Kerry Livgren and the eventual retirement of lead vocalist Steve Walsh among them — the band continued to work across the globe and record regularly. The latter stopped for 15 years after 2000’s Somewhere to Elsewhere, a release that featured all the original members of Kansas, with all songs composed by Livgren. Kansas resumed recording with The Prelude Implicit in 2016, featuring new lead vocalist and keyboardist Ronnie Platt. It registered commanding spots on the charts of 14 countries, including the Billboard 200 and Top Rock Albums charts at home.

Formed in Topeka in 1970, the founding members of the group — guitarist Kerry Livgren, bassist Dave Hope, and drummer Phil Ehart — first played together while in high school; with the 1971 addition of classically trained violinist Robbie Steinhardt, they changed their name to White Clover, reverting back to the Kansas moniker for good upon the 1972 arrivals of vocalist/keyboardist Steve Walsh and guitarist Richard Williams. The group spent the early part of the decade touring relentlessly and struggling to gain recognition; initially, their mix of boogie and prog rock baffled club patrons, but in due time they established a strong enough following to win a record deal with the Kirshner label.

Kansas’ self-titled debut LP appeared in 1974; while only mildly successful, the group toured behind it tirelessly, and their fan base grew to the point that their third effort, 1975’s Masque, sold a quarter of a million copies. In 1976, Leftoverture truly catapulted Kansas to stardom. On the strength of the smash hit “Carry on Wayward Son,” the album reached the Top Five and sold over three million copies. Released in 1977, Point of Know Return was even more successful, spawning the monster hit “Dust in the Wind.” While the 1978 live LP Two for the Show struggled to break the Top 40, its studio follow-up, Monolith, the band’s first self-produced effort, reached the Top Ten. That same year, Walsh issued a solo record, Schemer-Dreamer.

In the wake of 1980’s Audio-Visions, Kansas began to splinter; both Hope and Livgren became born-again Christians, the latter issued the solo venture Seeds of Change, and their newfound spirituality caused divisions within the band’s ranks. Walsh soon quit to form a new band, Streets, and the remaining members forged on without him, tapping vocalist John Elefante as his replacement. The first Kansas LP without Walsh, 1982’s Vinyl Confessions, launched the hit “Play the Game Tonight,” but after only one more album, 1983’s Drastic Measures, they disbanded.

In 1986, however, Kansas re-formed around Ehart, Williams, and Walsh; adding the famed guitarist Steve Morse as well as bassist Billy Greer, the refurbished band debuted with the album Power, scoring a Top 20 hit with “All I Wanted.” When the follow-up, 1988’s In the Spirit of Things, failed to hit, seven years passed before the release of their next effort, Freaks of Nature. The London Symphony-assisted Always Never the Same followed in 1998, and in 2000 Kansas issued Somewhere to Elsewhere, their 14th studio album, which saw the return of founder singer/songwriter Kerry Livgren. The next decade found Kansas continuing to tour heavily and release compilations and live albums, culminating in their 2014 induction into the Kansas Hall of Fame and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, which coincided with the group’s 40th anniversary. Miracles Out of Nowhere, a DVD/CD career retrospective, followed in early 2015. After signing with Century Media’s InsideOut label, Kansas released The Prelude Implicit in 2016. Their 15th studio effort overall, the prog-heavy LP also marked the band’s first new album in 16 years. The following year saw the release of Leftoverture Live & Beyond, a collection of concert performances culled from their 40th anniversary tour.

In March of 2020, Kansas released a three-and-a-half-minute video trailer hosted by Platt to announce the June release of Absence of Presence. Co-produced by drummer Phil Ehart, guitarist Rich Williams, and guitarist Zak Rizvi, it marked the studio debut of keyboardist Tom Brislin (Yes, Camel, Debbie Harry) who had come aboard in late 2018. After releasing three advance cuts — “Throwing Mountains”, “Memories Down the Line, and “Jets Overhead” — the album was delayed until July due to production delays.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On December 19, 1992, Kathy Mattea cemented her hands for us to add her to our “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT KATHY MATTEA

Kathy Mattea is one of the most respected female country stars of her era, a commercially successful hitmaker who was able to bring elements of folk, bluegrass, gospel, and singer/songwriter intimacy to her music. She offers the same commitment to country pop as she does to mining songs, honky tonk, and Celtic ballads as displayed buy her stellar Willow in the Wind from 1989. As her repertoire expanded in the ’90s, so did her grasp on the country charts. Single after single and album after album landed inside the Top 20. Her 1993 album Walking Away a Winner became her most successful of the decade.

From My Heart

Mattea was born in Cross Lanes, West Virginia, in 1959 and received classical voice training starting in junior high; she also took up the guitar when she discovered folk music. In 1976, while in college, she joined the bluegrass band Pennsboro and two years later dropped out of school to move to Nashville. She worked odd jobs and perfected her songwriting, and in 1983 she landed a deal with Mercury on the strength of her demo tape. Her self-titled debut was released in 1984, and the follow-up, From My Heart, appeared the following year; none of the singles from either record managed to breach the Top 20. While her 21st century albums didn’t reach the same commercial peaks, they were nonetheless critically acclaimed and sold better in the United Kingdom than they did back home, including 2012’s Calling Me Home. After a six-year hiatus she re-emerged in 2018 with Pretty Bird.

Walk the Way the Wind Blows

However, Mattea’s third effort, 1986’s folky Walk the Way the Wind Blows, proved to be her breakthrough both critically and commercially. Her cover of Nanci Griffith’s “Love at the Five and Dime” was her first Top Five hit, and the record produced three other Top Tens in the title track, “Train of Memories,” and “You’re the Power.” 1987’s follow-up album, Untasted Honey, confirmed Mattea’s newfound stardom, featuring two number one country hits in “Goin’ Gone” and “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses”; “Untold Stories” and “Life as We Knew It” also made the Top Five. Released in 1989, Willow in the Wind boasted an even stronger folk influence, and it became her first album to go gold on the strength of the number one hits “Burnin’ Old Memories” and “Come from the Heart,” and the number two “She Came from Fort Worth.” Additionally, the album’s Top Ten hit “Where’ve You Been,” co-written by her new husband Jon Vezner, won her a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal.

Time Passes By

Seeking to keep her music fresh by returning to its roots, Mattea made several trips to Scotland in the early ’90s, studying the links between country music and traditional Scottish folk. Her own music kept getting rootsier and more eclectic, and 1991’s ambitious Time Passes By featured guest spots by Emmylou Harris, folkies the Roches, and Scottish singer/songwriter Dougie MacLean. The album’s title track and “A Few Good Things Remain” both hit the Top Ten, but overall the album’s singles didn’t chart as well as was usual. Mattea subsequently had throat surgery, but recovered fully to record 1992’s Lonesome Standard Time, a less ambitious but still eclectic album whose title track was a near-Top Ten hit.

Good News

Mattea backed off her critically acclaimed sounds for 1993’s more commercial Walking Away a Winner, whose title track became yet another Top Five hit; however, the same year, she also issued the gospel-oriented Christmas record Good News, which won a Grammy for Best Southern/Country/Bluegrass Gospel Album. After a hiatus of several years, Mattea returned in 1997 with Love Travels, which balanced her folk and mainstream country leanings; it sold well enough, but failed to produce any major singles. Mattea subsequently moved to MCA for 2000’s ballad-heavy The Innocent Years, a heartfelt tribute to her ailing father. Wanting to explore her taste for Celtic folk, Mattea hopped labels to Narada, for whom she debuted in 2002 with the eclectic Roses. The holiday album Joy for Christmas Day arrived in 2003, followed by Right Out of Nowhere in 2005. In 2008, Mattea released the bluegrass-centric Coal for the Captain Potato label. Mattea followed it with another collection of songs from mining country entitled Calling Me Home in 2012 for Sugar Hill. Mattea soon took note of a change in her voice. There were certain notes she could no longer hit cleanly. She had the same vocal coach, Phoebe Binkley, who’d also been like a second mother to her. While she wanted to turn to her for help, Binkley’s health began to decline and she was unable to work. Mattea had to seek out someone else. She found Judi Vinar, a jazz singer from Minnesota who gave lessons via Skype. Discovering that the sweet spot in her voice had moved to a lower range, Mattea had to unlearn and relearn to sing, which she did over a painstaking three-year process. The end result was 2018’s Pretty Bird, whose tracks ranged from the jazz-inflected “October Song” to an a cappella rendition of the title tune, written and recorded by one of her musical heroes, the late Hazel Dickens.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Keith Urban began his debut show at Billy Bob’s coming to the stage from the back of the crowd. He stayed and played video games until closing.

ABOUT KEITH URBAN

Keith Urban, in full Keith Lionel Urban, (born October 26, 1967, Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand), New Zealand-born Australian singer, songwriter, and guitarist who earned recognition both inside and outside the country music sphere for his pop-rock influences and honest lyrics.

Urban moved with his family from New Zealand to Queensland, Australia, when he was two years old. Expressing an early interest in music, he was at four given a ukulele, and at six he took up the guitar. From an early age, Urban’s influences reflected the tastes of his parents, who enjoyed country music. At about age eight Urban began entering and winning talent competitions, and as a teenager, he played steady guitar gigs in pubs and clubs. He quit school at 15 to pursue his musical interests. In 1988 Urban formed a band that went on to tour throughout Australia. Two years later he won an award at an Australian country music festival, which led to a record contract with EMI Music Australia. His first album, Keith Urban, was released in 1991 and fared well on music charts.

Following his Australian success, Urban realized his dream of relocating to Nashville, Tennessee—viewed by some as the heart of American country music—in 1992. There he formed a band, eventually known as the Ranch. The band’s self-titled debut album was released in 1997 to moderate critical acclaim, but it suffered from poor sales. Shortly thereafter Urban developed a medical condition that prevented him from singing, and the Ranch disbanded. While his voice was healing, Urban turned more toward guitar work, playing on albums for artists such as the Dixie Chicks and Garth Brooks. In 1999, voice again intact, he released his first American solo album, also titled Keith Urban, and scored a number-one hit on the Billboard country singles chart with “But for the Grace of God.” The albums Golden Road (2002) and Be Here (2004) generated more number-one country singles, earning fans and critical acclaim.

In 2006 Urban began to gain attention for his personal life, marrying actress Nicole Kidman and voluntarily entering rehabilitation for drug and alcohol abuse. His next album, Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing, was released that same year and sold well despite his initial inability to tour to promote it. In 2009 Urban returned with the crossover hit album Defying Gravity. Its pop and rock influences and universal messages of love made it popular with both country and mainstream pop audiences and pushed it to number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart. He followed it with Get Closer (2010), Fuse (2013), Ripcord (2016), Graffiti U (2018), and The Speed of Now Part 1 (2020). Urban’s cross-genre appeal was further solidified when he joined the cast (2013–16) of the reality singing competition show American Idol as one of its judges.

Urban was the recipient of many awards for his music, especially within the country music arena. Among them were Grammy Awards for best male country vocal performance (2005, 2007, 2009, and 2010). In 2012 he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, one of country music’s highest honors.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

In 2010, Kellie Pickler made her main stage debut. We also got the opportunity to add her hands to our “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT KELLIE PICKLER: 

Kellie Pickler grew up immersed in country music in the small town of Albemarle, North Carolina with the words of Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton shaping her musical footing. At the age of 19, she gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of “American Idol.” In 2006, she signed with 19 Recordings/BNA Records and released her debut album, Small Town Girl, which has gone on to sell more than 900,000 copies worldwide and produce three hit singles: “Red High Heels,” “I Wonder,” and “Things That Never Cross a Man’s Mind.” She followed that in 2008 with her self- titled sophomore record, featuring country radio hits “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful,” “Best Days of Your Life” (co-written with Taylor Swift and her first Top 10), and “Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You.” Having established herself as not only a powerful vocalist but also a songwriter, Pickler released her third studio album, 100 Proof, in 2011 to huge critical acclaim. The album was named the No. 1 Country Album of The Year by Rolling Stone and was listed on “Best of 2012” lists by Washington Post, Rhapsody, AOL’s The Boot and more.

In spring of 2013, Pickler partnered with dance coach Derek Hough and won the Mirror Ball Trophy on “Dancing with the Stars.” That same year, she also released her fourth album, The Woman I Am, with Black River Entertainment, which featured three songs co-written by Pickler including the title cut. She voiced the lead character, a sweet potato named Mirabelle, in the Veggie Tales animated movie “Beauty and the Beet” in 2014, and launched her home goods line, “Selma Drye by Kellie Pickler” in cooperation with the Opry Stores (shop.opry.com) in 2015. She returned to “American Idol” twice in 2016: in February she mentored two of the Top 24 finalists, and in April she performed on the series finale.

Her CMT docu-comedy series “I Love Kellie Pickler” which co-stars her husband, songwriter/producer Kyle Jacobs, debuted in November 2015, propelling the network to its highest premiere with adults since 2012 and women since 2008. The hit television series returned for a second season in August 2016. The lively and unpredictable Pickler is a television favorite, having made guest appearances on shows such as “Celebrity Family Feud,” “Ellen,” “FOX & Friends,” “Good Morning America,” “Meredith,” “Queen Latifah,” “Rachel Ray,” “The Real,” “Steve Harvey Show,” “Today,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and more.

Pickler is an avid supporter of the U.S. military, having recently completed eleven USO Tours thus far. For more information, please visit www.kelliepickler.com.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S:

In February 2000, Kenny Chesney sold out Billy Bob’s for his first time.

ABOUT KENNY CHESNEY

Hailing from tiny Gibbs, Tennessee (near Knoxville), country heartthrob Kenny Chesney first made his mark in 1994 with his debut album, but it was a few more years before he started scoring major hits and making himself a household name. His straightforward, emotionally honest way with a romantic ballad is his trademark, distancing him from many of the country-pop acts so plentiful in contemporary Nashville. Among his many accomplishments (number one albums and singles, touring awards, association awards), the most impressive are his four consecutive CMA Awards for Entertainer of the Year, the annual pinnacle for country performers everywhere.

Chesney was born in Knoxville in 1968 and raised in the nearby small town of Luttrell, best known as the home of Chet Atkins. He grew up listening to both country and rock & roll but didn’t get serious about music until college when he studied marketing at East Tennessee State University. He received a guitar as a Christmas present and set about practicing, and was soon performing with the college bluegrass band. Chesney soon started writing songs as well and played for tips in local venues — most often a Mexican restaurant — every night he could; additionally, he managed to sell 1,000 copies of a self-released demo album. After graduation in 1991, he moved to Nashville and became the resident performer at The Turf, a rough honky tonk in the city’s historic district. Although he gained experience, it wasn’t the sort of place where he’d be discovered, and in 1992 he moved on to a publishing deal with Acuff-Rose. From there he landed a record contract with Capricorn and released his debut album, In My Wildest Dreams, in late 1993.

Unfortunately for Chesney, Capricorn wasn’t much of a country label; not only was the album underpromoted, but the label’s country division shut down completely not long after its release. Still, it sold 100,000 copies and caught the attention of several major labels. Chesney ended up signing with RCA subsidiary BNA, which released All I Need to Know in 1995. The album gave him his first two Top Ten hits in the title track and “Fall in Love.” His follow-up, 1996’s Me and You, became his first album to go gold, thanks to two number two singles in the title track and “When I Close My Eyes.” Released in 1997, I Will Stand was another gold-selling effort that gave Chesney his first-ever number one hit in “She’s Got It All,” plus another number two with “That’s Why I’m Here.”

His big-time breakthrough, however, came with 1999’s Everywhere We Go, which sold over two million copies and spawned two number one hits with “You Had Me from Hello” and “How Forever Feels”; it also featured another Top Ten single in “What I Need to Do,” and another, “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy,” that just missed. In 2000, Chesney issued his first Greatest Hits compilation, and two newly recorded songs — “I Lost It” and “Don’t Happen Twice” — which went to number three and number one, respectively.

Greatest Hits became Chesney’s second straight double-platinum release and topped the country LP chart. He followed it with the all-new No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem in early 2002, which gave him his strongest commercial performance yet. It, too, hit number one on the country album chart and spun off four Top Ten singles in “Young,” the number one “The Good Stuff,” the Bill Anderson co-write “A Lot of Things Different,” and “Big Star.” A Christmas album plugged the gap for 2003, and he had a strong return with 2004’s When the Sun Goes Down, which won in the Album of the Year category at the Country Music Awards. He repeated the win, this time as Entertainer of the Year, with Be as You Are (Songs from an Old Blue Chair).

Chesney found himself the subject of much tabloid fodder in 2005 with his surprise marriage to actress Renée Zellweger (he had composed 1999’s “You Had Me from Hello” after watching Zellweger in the 1996 film Jerry Maguire). The pair split that same year, citing irreconcilable differences, and Chesney released the chart-topping The Road and the Radio in November. In the years that followed, Chesney kept busy, releasing Live: Live Those Songs Again in 2006 and Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates in 2007. In April 2010, Chesney and director Joe Thomas released the 3-D concert film Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3-D. Taken from his 2009 Sun City Carnival Tour, the film included 23 songs from six stadium shows, shot in 3-D, interspersed with interviews and home movies. A completely new studio album, Hemingway’s Whiskey, named after a Guy Clark song, also appeared in 2010. His 13th studio album, Welcome to the Fishbowl, arrived in 2012.

Welcome to the Fishbowl performed respectably, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 and generating the number one country single “Come Over,” along with the Top 20 hits “Feel Like a Rock Star” and “El Cerrito Place.” Following its release, Chesney’s label BNA shuttered and he jumped over to Columbia Nashville, which released Life on a Rock in April 2013. The album hit number one, and the single “Pirate Flag” reached the country Top Ten. Chesney quickly followed Life on a Rock with The Big Revival. A conscious shift toward a brighter sound, The Big Revival was Chesney’s liveliest work of the decade, as evidenced by its first single, “American Kids,” a singalong that peaked at number two on the country chart.

Upon its September 2014 release, The Big Revival debuted at number two on Billboard’s Top 200 and number one on the country chart, and it spawned three additional country Top Ten singles: “Til It’s Gone,” the Grace Potter duet “Wild Child,” and “Save It for a Rainy Day.” In the spring of 2016, Chesney returned with “Noise,” the first single from Cosmic Hallelujah, the full-length album that was originally called Some Town Somewhere and scheduled for July release, but was retitled and rescheduled for October that same year. Chesney followed Cosmic Hallelujah in October 2017 with the double-disc Live in No Shoes Nation, his first live album in a decade.

Ending his contract with Sony Music Nashville, Chesney announced a move to Warner Bros. in early 2018 and in the spring of that year, issued the optimistic single “Get Along.” It was the first single from Songs for the Saints, an album written as a tribute to the victims of Hurricane Irma. The album landed at number two on the Billboard 200 and topped the country chart. In July 2019, Chesney released the song “Tip of My Tongue,” which he co-wrote with Ross Copperman and Ed Sheeran. The track served as the first single off his studio effort Here and Now, which arrived in 2020 and became his ninth album to reach number one on the Billboard 200. An expanded version of the LP arrived the following year and featured four new tracks, including the hit single “Streets.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Kevin Fowler recorded his “Live at Billy Bob’s” album the same night as Jason Boland and the Stragglers. In 2015, he played his 2000th show and we were lucky enough to be the stage he played on for it.

ABOUT KEVIN FOWLER

Kevin Fowler has a found way to live the dream – by earning it. It’s never been an easy or short

road, but it’s a path he wouldn’t trade and has positioned him as one of the most consistent

artists, in any genre, of the last two decades. His musical journey began playing in rock bands

before finding his footing as a solo act in the early 2000s in his home state of Texas, where he

burst onto the scene with the celebrated album Beer Bait and Ammo – a mainstay for fans to

this day. And while his songs have been covered by Country Music mainstays such as George

Jones, Mark Chesnutt, Montgomery Gentry, Sammy Kershaw, and others – Kevin’s versions of

these songs are feel-good classics that rival the most well-known and memorable songs of any

of his contemporaries. Fowler released seven additional albums over the following 14 years

after Beer Bait and Ammo, including his most recent effort 2016’s Coming To A Honkytonk Near

You produced by Trent Wilmon.

Now he readies his latest effort, Barstool Stories for an August 23rd release. The understated

title is a nod to what he does best – entertain. The album is filled with songs that invoke the

quintessential sound that Fowler has spent his career fine-tuning and reinforcing. The set kicks

off with the up-tempo rocker, “Neon” providing the listener a tone-setting compass for what’s

to come. He seamlessly weaves back and forth and through the eleven songs to highlight

everything that is Kevin Fowler – the upbeat, tongue-in-cheek master (“Beach Please,” “Fake

ID”), the live show veteran (“Livin’ These Songs I Write, “Better With Beer”), and the sentimental

dreamer (“She’s Growing on Me”, “Heaven”). The album doesn’t strictly rest of the laurels of

the familiar, it pushes the listener to consider where Fowler is going, as well as where he’s

been. Fowler once again turned to Willmon for producer duties, noting, “it was awesome to

work with Trent Willmon again. This is the second album he has produced for me. He did a

great job on this record. We have some great songs on this project. It makes it really hard to

choose one for the single. I love all of ‘em. I also got my buddies Cody Johnson and Roger

Creager to sing one with me. We all sang on one called “A Drinkin’ Song”. It turned out

amazing! This record is very well-rounded with plenty of good ol’ Fowler fun songs and a few

more heartfelt, serious ones. I love this record and I’m sure our fans will too. “

Barstool Stories confirms the dream Kevin Fowler keeps living – repeatedly making great music,

having a lot of fun doing it, and inviting the audience to do the same and this album proudly

claims its’ place as his current “snapshot in time.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Koe Wetzel solidified his place here at The Worlds Largest Honky Tonk on July 20^th of 2018.

ABOUT KOE WETZEL

Some artists break one or two rules. Koe Wetzel breaks pretty much all of them.

The Texas-born singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer kicks out hard rock hooks with a twang bred in rough and tumble dives, yet meant for stadium stages. For as much as he unapologetically trailblazes between grunge, country, Americana, and damn near everything else under the sun, this maverick broke through the old-fashioned way—he busted his ass. Since 2015, he has quietly sold over 200,000 units independently, cranked out 100 million streams and views, and went from playing bars with chicken wire in front of the stage to hosting and headlining his own packed-to-the-gills Koe Wetzel’s Incredible Music Festival surrounded by fireworks and thousands of screaming fans.

On his third album and debut for Columbia Records, Koe continues to set the rulebook on fire by simply being himself…

“We live what we write, man,” he exclaims. “I don’t make anything up. Everything I’m singing is true. Authenticity is the most important thing to me. All of the music is me.”

He began “living” music as a kid. Hailing from Pittsburg, TX, he accompanied mom as she performed on the Opry circuit. As they went town-to-town, he watched his mother belt out country classics from the side of the stage. Grandpa introduced him to Creedence Clearwater Revival. Meanwhile, dad bumped hip-hop gems from The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, and 50 Cent. In addition to listening to Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, George Jones, and Willie Nelson, he developed a passion for alternative rock. In eighth grade, a cousin shared an iPod playlist and opened Koe’s eyes to Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, and Nirvana. “I turned into a rock head,” he smiles.

He dusted off an old guitar received as a Christmas gift after a key realization. “I figured out you could get girls easier,” he recalls. In between performing, he played football as a linebacker for his high school and eventually Tarleton State University. Even with 5 am practices, he spent all night writing, jamming, and recording. After an ankle injury and subsequent six month-hiatus, he dropped out of college in sophomore year and went all-in for his career. Within eighteen months of throwing down four-nights-a-week around Texas and Oklahoma, shows began to sell out. Koe’s 2017 debut Noise Complaint became a phenomenon powered by “February 28, 2016” [19.2 million Spotify streams], “Something To Talk About” [15 million Spotify streams], “Love” [12.9 million Spotify streams], “Fuss & Fight” [11.9 million Spotify streams], and more.

Mind you, he managed to pull this off without a label, agent, or traditional structure to speak of.

“We did everything on our own,” he goes on. “We also like to get drunk and have a good time, so me getting arrested a couple of times probably helped out a bit,” he laughs.

The momentum continued with 2019’s Harold Saul High and its singles “Ragweed” and “Forever” as more sold-out shows ensued. Following a tireless grind, he surprise-released the 2020 anthem “Kuntry & Wistern,” which exploded right out of the gate trending on Apple Music and garnering praise from The Boot who wrote, “Wetzel has earned a reputation as one of the Lone Star State’s most high-energy and engaging performers.” Soon after, Koe inked a deal with Columbia Records.

As usual, he pulls no punches with the hook, “I think I’ve lost my fuckin’ mind, at least that’s what you told me,” over a palm-muted clean guitar.

“I’ve always listened to a big variety of artists, and that inspires me to this day,” he continues. “I might be crafting lyrics in a hip-hop sense, chords in a rock sense, and melodies in a country way. All of those elements combine within the process of making music.”

That inimitable style shines on the single “Sundy or Mundy.” A bass groan gives way to vivid verses before the chorus climbs over a wall of distortion and a guitar lead rings out.

“It’s about losing your mind,” he explains. “When you’re sitting there in the studio, you can forget what day it is. It was written from the same perspective. You get delirious and numb to the whole situation. It’s got a gritty and heavy sound, but the choruses go down smooth and steady.”

As he smashes more rules, Koe Wetzel emerges as the outlaw the 21^st century needed all along.

“Whatever you’re going through, I want to help you go through it,” he leaves off. “I know I’m not the only one who feels the way I do. I hope maybe this helps you build a better life. When I’m on stage, it’s carefree. There’s not a worry in the world. I don’t think about my troubles or what’s going on in my life. It’s just about the music and the fans. You don’t need anything else.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On December 27, 1996 LeAnn Rimes sells out the club.

ABOUT LEANN RIMES

LeAnn Rimes is an international multi-platinum selling acclaimed singer and ASCAP award-winning songwriter who has sold more than 44 million units globally, won 2 Grammy® Awards; 12 Billboard Music Awards; 2 World Music Awards; 3 Academy of Country Music Awards; one Country Music Association Award and one Dove Award. At 14, Rimes won “Best New Artist” making her the youngest recipient to take home a Grammy® Award. LeAnn has been honored with the Ally of Equality Award by the Human Rights Campaign for over 20 years of equal rights support, the 2019 HOPE Award for Depression Advocacy, and 2009 ACM Humanitarian Award, among other recognitions, solidifying her dedication to making the world a better place.

The powerhouse vocalist lit up television screens throughout the 2018 holiday season as she starred and served as an Executive Producer in Hallmark’s “It’s Christmas, Eve,” which earned the highest TV original movie debut to-date for the channel premiering to over 4.3 million viewers.

Passionate about using her voice to help heal the world, LeAnn released a chant record in November of 2020 called CHANT: The Human and The Holy (Soul of EverLe / Thirty Tigers). On November 30, Rimes will continue her wellness journey with the launch of an iHeartRadio podcast, Wholly Human, which will bring her lifestyle blog, Soul of EverLe, to life and introduce fans to the teachers and wise souls that have made a positive impact on her life. Next up, LeAnn will celebrate her 25th anniversary as a recording artist in 2021 with the release of her next studio album.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Lee Ann Womack had this to say about Billy Bob’s, “Billy Bob’s is somewhat scared ground for those of us who are from Texas. I’m very excited about the country music scene in Texas and Billy Bob’s plays a central part in that. I hear industry people down in Nashville talk about artists in Texas who don’t have major label deals and they can sell out Billy Bob’s. If you are a country artist in Texas, you grow up thinking about playing there. You go see other acts there and think about someday being on that stage. I know I did.”

ABOUT LEE ANN WOMACK

Artists don’t really make albums like Lee Ann Womack’s THE LONELY, THE LONESOME AND THE GONE anymore. Albums that seem to exist separate and apart from any external pressures. Albums that possess both a profound sense of history and a clear-eyed vision for the future. Albums that transcend genres while embracing their roots. Albums that evoke a sense of place and of personality so vivid they make listeners feel more like participants in the songs than simply admirers of them.

Anybody who has paid attention to Womack for the past decade or so could see she was headed in this direction. THE LONELY, THE LONESOME AND THE GONE (ATO Records) — a breathtaking hybrid of country, soul, gospel and blues —comes from Womack’s core. “I could never shake my center of who I was,” says the East Texas native. “I’m drawn to rootsy music. It’s what moves me.”

Recorded at Houston’s historic SugarHill Recording Studios and produced by Womack’s husband and fellow Texan, Frank Liddell (fresh off a 2017 ACM Album of the Year win for Miranda Lambert’s ‘The Weight of These Wings’), THE LONELY, THE LONESOME AND THE GONE marks the culmination of a journey that began with Womack’s 2005 CMA Album of the Year ‘There’s More Where That Come From,’ moving her toward an authentic American music that celebrates her roots and adds to the canon. It also underscores the emergence of Womack’s songwriting voice: She has more writing credits among this album’s 14 tracks than on all her previous albums combined.

Womack had made the majority of her previous albums in Nashville, where the studio system is so entrenched it’s almost impossible to avoid. Seeking to free herself of that mindset, Womack says, “I wanted to get out of Nashville and tap into what deep East Texas offers musically and vibe-wise.”

So Womack and Liddell took a band to SugarHill, one of the country’s oldest continually operating studio spaces. In an earlier incarnation, the studio had given birth to George Jones’ earliest hits, as well as Roy Head’s mid-‘60s smash “Treat Her Right”; Freddy Fender’s ‘70s chart-topping crossovers “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” and “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights”; and recordings from Lightnin’ Hopkins, the Sir Douglas Quintet, the 13th Floor Elevators and Willie Nelson.

Womack found the lure of East Texas irresistible. “I love local things, and I missed local music,” she says. “I grew up in Jacksonville. It was small, so I spent a lot of time dreaming, and about getting out.” It required only a short leap of logic to view Houston, and specifically SugarHill, as the place to record.

Womack and Liddell found a perfect complement of musicians, players who clicked right away and became a one-headed band. Bassist Glenn Worf (Alan Jackson, Bob Seger, Tammy Wynette, Mark Knopfler and others),drummer Jerry Roe (numerous Nashville sessions and his band Friendship Commanders), guitarists Ethan Ballinger, Adam Wright (Alan Jackson, Solomon Burke and others),and Waylon Payne (son of singer Sammi Smith and Willie Nelson’s longtime guitarist Jody Payne)formed the SugarHill gang. Engineer and co-producer Michael McCarthy, known for his production work with Spoon, brought vintage gear from his Austin studio and help capture a sharper sound for sessions recorded entirely to analog tape.

“I got everybody out of their comfort zone and into a new element,” says Womack. “And it was funky there. This place was not in the least bit slick. Everybody there, all they think about is making music for the love of making music. Everyone comes in with huge smiles and positive attitudes. It was much different than what we were used to.”

Womack had brought a handful of songs to record, including the gospel-inspired original “All the Trouble”; the poignant “Mama Lost Her Smile,” in which a daughter sorts through her family’s photographic history looking for clues to a long-secret sorrow; and the love-triangle conversation “Talking Behind Your Back,” which she penned with Dale Dodson and Dean Dillon, the writer of several George Strait classics. To make the final cut, Womack and the band had to be able to get to the heart of the songs and shine their light from the inside out.

A trio of long-time favorites found their way onto the album, too. Womack joined a long list of legendary voices irresistibly drawn to Harlan Howard’s “He Called Me Baby,” putting a sultry Southern groove underneath its mix of sensuality and sorrow. On “Long Black Veil,” a tale of betrayal and closely held secrets that became a ‘50s classic as recorded by Lefty Frizzell, she taps into a ballad tradition that runs centuries deep. Womack recorded the album’s final track, a haunting version of George Jones’ “Please Take the Devil Out of Me,” standing on the same gold-star linoleum floor where Jones cut the 1959 original.

Capturing the reality of East Texas music isn’t always easy. Being in Houston and at SugarHill helped make that happen, inspiring an approach to the recording process that everyone embraced from the first note played. “Music down there — including Houston, Beaumont, Port Arthur and all the way through Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama —is this huge melting pot,” Womack says. “I love that, and I wanted that in this record. I wanted to make sure it had a lot of soul in it, because real country music has soul, and I wanted to remind people of that.”

“When you make albums, and aren’t just going for singles, you really have to treat them with respect,” Liddell adds. “We did that at SugarHill, taking a bunch of like-minded lunatics and seeing what happened.”

In Houston — with all its history, its eccentricity, its diversity and its lack of pretense — those like-minded lunatics found a place where they could flourish.

“We all felt we weren’t going someplace just to make a record,” Womack says. “We were going someplace to make a great record.” Don’t just take her word for it, though. Listen. And when Womack and the music take you there, you’ll find you want to stay.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

February 6^th of 2020, Lee Brice took the stage here at the World’s Largest Honky Tonk in front of a sold-out crowd.

ABOUT LEE BRICE

When Lee Brice isn’t selling out arenas, writing and recording songs, or building a new brand like American Born whiskey—you’ll find him with his wife Sara, two young boys Takoda(10) and Ryker (4), and new daughter Trulee Nanette, who was born on June 2, 2017. With more than 12million in RIAA certified sales, Lee has achieved Gold and Platinum on every album and single released, with“A Woman LikeYou” reaching double Platinum status. Gold album certifications include Love Like Crazy, Hard 2 Love and I Don’tDance.Single certifications include “I Don’t Dance” and “A Woman LikeYou,” with “That Don’t Sound Like You” reaching double Platinum. With well over 2 billion spins on Pandora, Lee Brice was inducted into the streaming service’s ‘Billionaires Club’ on June 8, 2018. The “Rumor” singer, who is now among the Top 25 most-streamed country artists of all time on Pandora, is only the second country artist behind KeithUrban to receive the Pandora Billionaire plaque and puts Lee in company with not only Urban, but legends including Johnny Cash and Fleetwood Mac, and pop phenoms such as John Legend. Lee is a GRAMMY nominee, a CMA nominee, and a double ACM award winner, and he’s taken five radio singles to #1: “A Woman Like You, “Hard To Love,” “I Drive Your Truck,” “I Don’t Dance,” and “Drinking Class.” Garth Brooks, Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, and others have recorded his songs and he’s performed on TV shows including NBC’s Today, ABC’s The Bachelor, NBC’s Voice, and FOX’s Miss USA 2018 (May 21). Lee’s new single “Rumor” is out now and follows “Boy,” the debut song from his fourth studio album, Lee Brice(November 3, 2017).

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Lee Greenwood cemented his hands to add to the “Wall of Fame” on February 24, 1989.

ABOUT LEE GREENWOOD

Music has always been a part of Lee Greenwood’s life. He started playing the piano when he was seven and the saxophone at 12. In junior high, he started his first group called the Moonbeams. His sister Patricia was the piano player in the band. By the time, he finished High School he played most all the instruments in the orchestra and was the Drum Major for the marching band.

Greenwood was born in Los Angeles California & finished high school in Sacramento in June 1960. He passed on track & music scholarships to the College of the Pacific along with a professional baseball career to pursue his passion for music. He also elected to skip his high school graduation ceremony to begin work at the Golden Hotel & Casino in Reno Nevada with his own band, the “Apollos”. That turned out to be a great choice.

The California native was discovered in 1979 by Larry McFaden, who saw him performing in a show at the Nugget Casino in Sparks, Nevada. Larry was the bass player and bandleader for Mel Tillis. He brought the singer to Nashville and got him signed to the Halsey Agency, who booked The Oak Ridge Boys. He began working with producer Jerry Crutchfield who would record with Lee for the next 20 years.

“Choosing songs to record is always exciting,” says Greenwood. “I’m a songwriter as well and I love lyrics that have depth and emotion. I’m thankful for the many writers & artists who have contributed to my career”.

With seven #1 songs & 25 charted singles to his credit, choosing songs proved to be a success for Greenwood. His country hits include: “It Turns Me Inside Out”, “Ring On Her Finger Time On Her Hands”, ”She’s Lying”, “I Don’t Mind the Thorns If You’re The Rose”, “Dixie Road”, “Somebody’s Gonna Love You”, “Going Going Gone”, “You Got A Good Love Comin”, “Fools Gold”, and “Mornin Ride” while he already garnered several crossover hits such as “Touch & Go Crazy”, “IOU” and the duet with Barbara Mandrell, “To Me”.

Lee Greenwood has won numerous industry awards including, Male Vocalist of the Year from the Academy of Country Music in 1983, two Male Vocalist of the Year awards from the Country Music Association in 1983 & 1984 and a Grammy for Top Male Vocal Performance in 1985 for “I.O.U.”. The CMA also named “God Bless The U.S.A.” its Song of the Year in 1985.

“God Bless the USA” went far beyond what Greenwood expected when he wrote it in the back of his tour bus in 1983. The song has been in the top five on the country singles charts three times (1991, 2001 and 2003), giving it the distinction of being the only song in any genre of music to achieve that feat. It was also #1 on the pop charts after 9/11/01. In addition, CBS News voted “God Bless The U.S.A.” the most recognizable patriotic song in America.

In 2011, Beyonce offered her version of “God Bless the U.S.A.” as a download, with the proceeds going to the 9/11 firefighters fund in NYC. It has been performed by contestants on “American Idol” twice & was the winning song in the 2011 “Dancing with the Stars” competition on ABC. It is performed at all military and patriotic events throughout the year all across America. “USA” has also been in several movies and is now part of the film shown by The Department of Homeland Security when new citizens are sworn in to the United States.

Greenwood says; “USA is the song I always felt the need to write. I wanted to have something that would unite Americans from coast to coast and to instill pride back in the United States. The song represents my family, my community and those men and women who have paid the price for the freedoms we all love and enjoy.”

President George W. Bush appointed Greenwood to serve on the National Endowment of the Arts Council and his appointment was U.S. Senate approved. That Presidential Appointment continued under President Obama and still continues under President Trump.

In 2012, Greenwood released a children’s illustrated book, “Does God Still Bless the U.S.A.,” and ranked #1 on many of the notable Best Sellers Lists. It features a 30 day calendar, “Prayers of a Patriot” and includes two songs, written by Greenwood, free for download in the back of the book. One is a new version of “God Bless the U.S.A.,” and the other is a Praise & Worship song, “Show Me The Way”.

Lee and his wife, Kimberly, a former Miss Tennessee, fell in love on his 1989 USO/DOD tour. They were married in Nashville in 1992 and have two sons, Dalton and Parker.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On September 11, 1992, Lee Roy Parnell made his Billy Bob’s Texas debut and got to add his hands to our “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT LEE ROY PARNELL

Part of a long line of Texas roots music eclectics, Lee Roy Parnell’s music was a blend of hardcore honky tonk, barroom rock & roll, blues, boogie, Western swing, blue-eyed soul, and occasional gospel. Unlike many other hard-to-pigeonhole artists, Parnell actually enjoyed a run of success on the country charts in the early ’90s. He was born in Abilene, Texas, on December 21, 1956, and grew up on his parents’ ranch; his father had toured with a teenage Bob Wills in traveling medicine shows, and his first public performance came on Wills’ radio show at age six. As a teenager, he played drums in a local band and soon picked up guitar as well, eventually concentrating on slide playing. He joined Kinky Friedman’s Texas Jewboys in his late teens and moved to Austin in 1974 to join the city’s budding music scene.

Love Without MercyParnell spent over a decade playing clubs in Austin, Houston, and Dallas/Fort Worth, honing his style and songwriting; he also married and held down a day job in radio. He moved to Nashville in 1987 and quickly landed a publishing contract and a regular spot at the famed Bluebird Café. He signed to Arista’s Nashville division in 1989 and the next year released his self-titled debut album, a collection of horn-driven country-soul. It received good reviews but didn’t break him commercially; that would happen with 1992’s Love Without Mercy, which mostly dispensed with the horns and emphasized Parnell’s slide guitar. “What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am” and “Tender Moment” both went to number two on the country charts, and the title track also made the Top Ten. Released in 1993, On the Road produced two more Top Tens in its title track and “I’m Holding My Own,” and his duet with Ronnie Dunn (of Brooks & Dunn) on Hank Williams’ “Take These Chains from My Heart” made the Top 20.

We All Get Lucky SometimesArriving in 1995, We All Get Lucky Sometimes found Parnell tailoring his sound to country radio a bit more and featured duets with Trisha Yearwood, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Tex-Mex accordionist Flaco Jimenez. It also spawned two Top Five hits in “A Little Bit of You” and “Heart’s Desire.” However, 1997’s commercially disappointing Every Night’s a Saturday Night proved to be Parnell’s last new album for Arista, which issued the compilation Hits and Highways Ahead in 1999 to coincide with his departure. Parnell next wound up on the rootsy Vanguard label, debuting for them with 2001’s Tell the Truth. He returned to the studio in 2006 with Back to the Well, which hit number ten on Billboard’s blues chart. Parnell took a decade-plus hiatus after Back to the Well, finally returning to action in August 2017 with Midnight Believer.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Leon Rausch was a dear friend to our Entertainment Director, Robert Gallagher, and to Billy Bob’s. Leon wanted to make his cemented hands a celebration of Billy Bob’s 10^th birthday.

ABOUT LEON RAUSCH

Known as “the voice” of Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, Leon Rausch was born October 2, 1927, in Missouri. Edgar Leon Rausch was raised in a musical family and began playing guitar with his father at local dances as a child and continued through his high-school years. Upon graduation, Rausch joined the military and played off and on with local bands until he moved to Tulsa in 1955. Rausch received his first big break with an appearance on the Louisiana Hayride the following year, and on St. Patrick’s Day 1958 he was asked to join Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, replacing vocalist Glynn Duncan. Rausch’s stint with Wills lasted into the early ’60s. He then briefly joined Johnnie Lee Wills’ band before forming his own group, the New Texas Playboys, in Fort Worth, TX. By the late ’60s the band had appeared on Cowtown Jamboree and released a few singles without much fanfare. In 1973, an ailing Wills contacted Rausch about rejoining his Texas Playboys on what would be Wills’ final record, For the Last Time. Following Wills’ death in 1975, Rausch and the original Texas Playboys continued to record and play gigs, including a high-profile appearance on Austin City Limits. In 1983 Rausch had slowed down his working pace but continued to take part in projects that interested him, including Asleep at the Wheel’s Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills with the group that became the Playboys II. Since then, Rausch has written a book co-authored by Dr. John E. Perkins Jr. titled Leon Rausch…The Voice of the Texas Playboys about his time with Wills.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On August 24, 2014 Little Joe y La Familia rocked it out on the main stage.

ABOUT LITTLE JOE

The traditional Tex-Mex style of norteño was fused by Little Joe (born Jose Maria DeLeon Hernandez) with influences of country music, blues, and rock to create the uptempo hybrid known as tejano. Together with his band, Y la Familia Borrachera, Little Joe has enabled his music to reach far beyond the Texas and Mexico borders. In 1992, their album Diez y Seis de Septiembre received a Grammy Award as Best Mexican American Performance.

The seventh of 13 children, Little Joe began playing music in 1953 with his cousin David Coronado’s band, David Coronado & the Latinaires. Two years later, he performed his first paid gig with the band at a high-school sock hop in Cameron, Texas. In 1958, Little Joe made his recording debut with the song “Safari,” released by Torrero Records in Corpus Christi, Texas. The following year, Little Joe’s brother Jesse joined the band on bass and vocals. When Coronado left shortly afterwards, Little Joe assumed leadership of the group. Throughout the early ’60s, Little Joe led the band through a series of recordings on small independent labels. He underwent a personal transformation after Jesse died in an automobile accident in 1964. Determined to achieve commercial success, he altered his musical approach to include more rock and blues influences.

In 1968, Little Joe formed two labels of his own: Buena Suerte for recordings in Spanish, and Good Luck for recordings in English. He later added a third label, Leona Records. His musical approach shifted again in 1970. After performing in the San Francisco Bay Area, he became enchanted by “Latinismo” and changed the name of his band again. In 1985, Little Joe y la Familia signed their first major-label recording deal with WEA International. Two years later, Little Joe formed his fourth label — Redneck — and released the double live album 25th Silver Anniversary. After releasing two albums for WEA, Little Joe switched to Sony International, where he remained until 1983, when he launched his fifth label, Tejano Discos. His first release on the label, “Que Paso,” earned him his third Grammy nomination. In 1996, Little Joe performed on the Frankie Yankovic album Songs of the Polka King, Vol.1, singing a duet with Yankovic of “Just Because/Si Porque.” Little Joe has appeared in two films: Proposition 187, a Deadly Law and Down for the Barrio.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On November 8, 1991, Little Texas made their Billy Bob’s Texas debut and added their hands to our “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT LITTLE TEXAS

As part of the Young Country movement of the early ‘90s, Little Texas were responsible for shaking up the country music world with a new, energetic sound that fused the look and attitude of modern rock music with traditional country themes and styles, bringing a much appreciated bolt of life into the genre. For their efforts, country fans the world over richly rewarded the band, buying up over 7 million of their albums, while critics showered them with 3 Grammy nominations plus honors from both the Academy of Country Music (Vocal Group Of The Year) and the Country Music Association (Album Of The Year).
Their first radio release in 1991, “Some Guys Have All The Love,” became a Top-10 hit, as did their next single, “First Time For Everything.” After the album First Time For Everything was released, five singles reached the top of the charts. The second album, Big Time, truly was the big time for Little Texas.

The sophomore release, which has sold more than three million copies to date, spawned three No. 1 singles -“What Might Have Been,” “God Blessed Texas” and “My Love” -and captured the group’s first CMT Award, a Billboard award, a Radio & Records award and their first Grammy nomination.

Early in their career, Little Texas was designated as an arena act. They first signed on as an opener on an arena tour headlined by Clint Black. Later, they traveled with Travis Tritt and Trisha Yearwood on a tour sponsored by Budweiser. After that, they were on their own, with Crown Royal, singing to packed arenas across the United States and Canada. During this time, the band played a part in Common Thread: The Songs of The Eagles, which later earned their first Country Music Association trophy for “Album Of The Year.”

The group’s cover of “Peaceful Easy Feeling” charted well; albeit, without an official release, and with that, Little Texas broke another record in country music history: three different songs on three different charts with three different lead singers, all at the same time. It is a feat that has never been repeated since by any band. The year 1994 also brought the lineup an Academy of Country Music Award for “Vocal Group of the Year.”

Little Texas released their Kick A Little album, and their first true arena-headlining tour began, supported by Keebler and newcomer Tim McGraw with opening act BlackHawk. The tour and the album were huge successes, highlighted by shows in Detroit and Minneapolis, where they sold out the arenas just days after their heroes, The Eagles, had played the same venues. The tour continued on through 1995, finishing as the fifth largest-grossing tour of the year, and over the course of ’94 and ’95, the band received two more Grammy nominations and released Little Texas–Greatest Hits.

After the self-titled Little Texas album was released, Little Texas, the players, needed a break following years of performing a relentless concert schedule. Thus, at the end of 1997, each member went his separate way, opting to spend time with family and friends, and work on individual projects.

Says bassist-vocalist Duane Propes: “At that point it was time for our loved ones to have us back for a while. It all happened for a reason.”

In 2004, the multi-platinum band’s four original members—Propes, Porter Howell (lead vocals and lead guitar), Dwayne O’Brien (vocals and rhythm guitars) and Del Gray (drums) rebuilt the franchise with a completely new sound and they couldn’t have been happier to be back on tour and bringing fans what they do best.

“Everybody still has a ‘What Might Have Been,’ there’s always a ‘First Time For Everything,’ and folks still want to ‘Kick A Little,’ so we decided to take the party back on the road,” shares Propes, referring to the group’s continued rotation at radio and generations of both old and new fans that keep the band playing their classics and putting out new music.

In summer 2007, Little Texas returned to the airwaves, country charts and music video playlists with an album titled Missing Years. In typical Little Texas style, the band broke the rules yet again, choosing to unleash TWO new albums within the span of a month, including the band’s first live album, The Very Best of Little Texas: Live & Loud.

Currently, the lineup’s on the concert circuit celebrating its official 24th year on the radio since their first single, “Some Guys Have All The Love,” hit the airwaves in 1991. The music the band has generated over the years is timeless, and has been featured on hundreds of television programs and sporting events including Good Morning America, American Idol, Don’t Forget The Words, America’s Got Talent & HBO’s “True Blood,” while “God Blessed Texas” has been the theme music for the Texas Ford Dealers commercials since 1998.

This year, Little Texas is breaking new sonic ground with the release of their 8th album, Young For A Long Time. Undoubtedly the band has never sounded more confident, as the chorus of the titular lead off track proudly declares, “Don’t you know by now we’ve got this down / That Friday night fire still hasn’t gone out / We got a rock solid life and a rock n’ roll state of mind / We were born to run / So sit down, son / We’ll show you just how it’s done / ‘Cause we’ve been young for a long time.” The musicianship has only improved with age as well with Porter Howell truly coming into his own as the band’s lead vocalist in addition to his dazzling lead guitar work, and backed by the always solid playing of drummer Del Gray. “Young For A Long Time pretty much runs the gamut of everything we’ve ever done, plus takes us down some new roads as well,” Propes continues, “the vocals are there, the guitar work is there, the party songs are there, the ‘make you cry’ love songs, the songs about Texas. We even dive off into swamp rock and torch music, so each song has a totally different fuel behind it.”

“The four of us appreciate each other and still have a ball on stage,” says drummer Gray of the band’s chemistry on stage after all this time. “There is a comfort level that happens to us when we play together that can only happen with 20-something years of experience.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On March 15, 1996, Lonestar took over the main stage for the night. Lucky, for us we got to add them to our “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT LONESTAR

Lonestar is known for merging their country roots with strong melodies and rich vocals. For more than 20 years they’ve logged countless miles touring throughout the world, released several Platinum-selling albums and ten No. 1 singles. They’ve earned ACM and CMA awards and inspired rave reviews proclaiming them exemplars of “country’s greatest strength: picture-painting, story-based, tear-your-heart-out lyrics that are the most direct and lucid in popular music.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Lyle Lovett unexpectedly joined Loretta Lynn on stage for an impromptu performance.

ABOUT LORETTA LYNN

“To make it in this business, you either have to be first, great or different,” says living legend Loretta Lynn. “And I was the first to ever go into Nashville, singin’ it like the women lived it.”

Loretta first arrived in Nashville 55 years ago, signing her first recording contract on February 1, 1960, and within a matter of weeks, she was at her first recording session. A self-taught guitarist and songwriter, Lynn became one of the most distinctive performers in Nashville in the 1960s and 1970s, shaking things up by writing her own songs, many of which tackled boundary-pushing topics drawn from her own life experiences as a wife and mother.

In addition to being “first,” she was also “great” and “different.” Loretta Lynn’s instantly recognizable delivery is one of the greatest voices in music history. As for “different,” no songwriter has a more distinctive body of work. In lyrics such as “Don’t Come Home A- Drinkin’” and “Your Squaw Is on the War Path” she refused to be any man’s doormat. She challenged female rivals in “You Ain’t Woman Enough” and “Fist City.” She showed tremendous blue-collar pride in “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and “You’re Lookin’ at Country.” She is unafraid of controversy, whether the topic is sex (“Wings Upon Your Horns”), divorce (“Rated X”), alcohol (“Wouldn’t It Be Great”) or war (“Dear Uncle Sam”). “The Pill,” her celebration of sexual liberation, was banned by many radio stations. Like the lady herself, Loretta Lynn’s songs shoot from the hip.

As millions who read her 1976 autobiography or saw its Oscar winning 1980 film treatment are aware, Loretta is a Coal Miner’s Daughter who was raised in dire poverty in a remote Appalachian Kentucky hamlet. Living in a mountain cabin with seven brothers and sisters, she was surrounded by music as a child.

“I thought everybody sang, because everybody up there in Butcher Holler did,” she recalls. “Everybody in my family sang. So I really didn’t understand until I left Butcher Holler that there were some people who couldn’t. And it was kind of a shock.” She famously married Oliver “Doolittle” Lynn when she was a barely schooled child of 13. “Doo” was a 21-year-old war veteran with a reputation as a hell raiser. When she was seven months pregnant with her first child, they moved far away from Appalachia to Custer, Washington. By age 18, she had four children (two more, twins, came along in 1964). Isolated from her native culture and burdened with domestic work, she turned to music for solace.

“Before I was singing, I cleaned house; I took in laundry; I picked berries. I worked seven days a week. I was a housewife and mother for 15 years before I was an entertainer. And it wasn’t like being a housewife today. It was doing hand laundry on a board and cooking on an old coal stove. I grew a garden and canned what I grew. That’s what’s real. I know how to survive.”

Doo heard her singing at her chores and declared that she sounded just as good as anyone he heard on the radio. He bought her a guitar and told her to learn how to play it and write songs with it. Loretta says her songs were so forthright because she didn’t know any better.

“After he got me the guitar, I went out and bought a Country Song Roundup. I looked at the songs in there and thought, ‘Well, this ain’t nothing. Anybody can do this.’ I just wrote about things that happened. I was writing about things that nobody talked about in public, and I didn’t realize that they didn’t. I was having babies and staying at home. I was writing about life. That’s why I had songs banned.”

Doo began pushing her to perform in area nightclubs. Executives from Zero Records heard her in a nightspot across the border in Vancouver, Canada. She soon recorded her debut single, “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl,” for the little label. Loretta made herself a fringed cowgirl outfit, and she and Doo drove across the country in his old Mercury sedan promoting the single at station after station.

Astonishingly, it worked. The disc hit the popularity charts in the summer of 1960 and brought the couple to Music City. She began singing regularly on the Grand Ole Opry after her debut on Oct. 15, 1960. The show’s Wilburn Brothers took her under their wings. Teddy Wilburn helped to polish Loretta’s startlingly original songwriting style. Brother Doyle Wilburn took a tape of her singing “Fool #1” to producer Owen Bradley at Decca Records. Owen liked the song, but was already working with Kitty Wells, Goldie Hill, Brenda Lee and Patsy Cline and said he didn’t need another female singer. Teddy told him that he couldn’t have the song if he didn’t sign its singer. As a result, Brenda had a smash pop hit with “Fool #1,” and Loretta got a Decca Records contract.

Like everyone else who encountered her, Owen Bradley was smitten with Loretta’s innocence, individualism, infectious wit, independent spirit, humorous candor, refreshing frankness and immense talent. In fact, he came to regard her as “the female Hank Williams.”

Loretta’s Decca chart debut came with 1962’s “Success.” It became the first of her 51 top-10 hits and led to an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry cast later that year. Her fellow Opry cast member Patsy Cline taught her how to dress, style her hair and wear make-up. The Wilburns began featuring her on their nationally syndicated TV series. She sang a series of sassy domestic ditties with her childhood hero, Ernest Tubb. As a solo, she hit her stride with “Wine, Women and Song” (1964) and “Happy Birthday” (1965), both of them feisty, don’t-step-on-me numbers.

“She’s the spokesman for the ladies,” observed the late Owen Bradley. “Loretta had a lot of different ideas, and they were very fresh. Women’s lib was also coming on at that time. You have to be in the right place at the right time. And I think Loretta was standing right there.”

“Most of my songs were from the women’s point of view,” Loretta wrote in her best- selling autobiography. “That’s who I’m singing about and singing to during my shows. And the girls know it….Most of my fan club is women, which is how I want it.”

Among Loretta’s finest moments on disc are such empowering female statements as “You Wanna Give Me Lift” (1970), “I Wanna Be Free” (1971), “We’ve Come a Long Way Baby” (1978), “Hey Loretta” (1973), “Love Is the Foundation” (1973) and the hilarious “One’s on the Way” (1972). She memorably romanced and sassed Conway Twitty in a number of hugely popular duet performances in 1970-1982.

In 1967, she began picking up various Female Vocalist of the Year trophies. She and Conway also won a long string of Duet of the Year awards beginning in 1971, The industry showered her with BMI songwriting honors, Gold Record plaques, a Grammy Award and other accolades. In 1972, she became the first woman in history to win the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year trophy.

By the mid-1970s, Loretta Lynn was an undeniable superstar. She was featured on the covers of Newsweek (1973), Redbook (1974) and many other mainstream national publications. With her kookie humor, scrambled grammar and unpretentious manner, she became a TV talk-show favorite.

Loretta continued to dominate the charts as the ‘70s drew to a close, scoring major hits with 1976’s “Somebody Somewhere,” 1977’s “Out of My Head and Back in My Bed” and 1979’s “I’ve Got a Picture of Us on My Mind.” Her 1982 smash hits “I Lie” and “Making Love From Memory” carried her into the new decade.

One of the most remarkable things about Loretta Lynn is how she renews her creativity time and again. Two years after she was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983, she was back on the charts with the hit, “Heart Don’t Do This to Me.” In 1988, the year she entered the Country Music Hall of Fame, Loretta recorded with K.D. Lang. She earned a Gold Record in 1994 with Honky Tonk Angels, a trio CD with Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette.

Lynn’s husband Doo died in 1996. Numb with grief, Loretta admits that she was lost in a fog for more than a year. But she came back again with a 2000 CD titled Still Country. She also returned to the concert trail.

“It’s a good thing, too,” she says. “Because if I hadn’t, I would have been nuts by now. I would have been completely nuts.”

Loretta published a second memoir, Still Woman Enough, in 2002. She was honored at The Kennedy Center in 2003, yet pushed forward again the following year by winning two Grammy Awards for Van Leer Rose, a collaboration with rocker Jack White. Also in 2004, she published a book of recipes and anecdotes titled You’re Cookin’ It Country.

Lynn is also one of the most awarded musicians of all time. She has been inducted into more music Halls of Fame than any female recording artist, including The Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and was the first woman to be named the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year in 1972. Lynn received Kennedy Center Honors in 2003 and a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013. She has won four Grammy Awards (including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010) and sold more than 45 million records worldwide.

In March 2016, Legacy Recordings released FULL CIRCLE, Loretta’s first new studio album in over ten years. Produced by Patsy Lynn Russell and John Carter Cash, and recorded at the Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee, FULL CIRCLE took listeners on a journey through Loretta’s musical story, from the Appalachian folk songs and gospel music she learned as a child, to new interpretations of her classic hits and country standards, to songs newly-written for the project.

One of the most deeply personal albums of Loretta Lynn’s career, Wouldn’t It Be Great communicates in song the hard truths and spiritual insights Loretta has gathered throughout her life and reflects the resilience that sustains her still. Comprised entirely of songs written (or co-written) by Loretta, the album premieres new compositions alongside soulful reinterpretations of enduring classics from her catalog.

“This new record means so much to me, but this last year I had to focus on my health and I decided to hold up the release,” said Loretta. “I’m feelin’ good and look forward to it comin’ out. It was really important to me to be a part of it being released and I’m excited to celebrate with everybody!”

Wouldn’t It Be Great is available for pre-order now in digital, CD and 12″ vinyl formats: https://lorettalynn.lnk.to/WIBGAW. Exclusive Wouldn’t It Be Great album packages including limited edition, autographed, numbered photo prints and Loretta Lynn merchandise are also available (while supplies last): https://lorettalynn.lnk.to/WIBGAW/artiststore

Loretta Lynn’s life is still a work in progress. She’s still out there on the road, still writing songs and still recording them as only she can. “I ain’t a star – a star is something up in the night sky,” says Loretta Lynn. “People say to me, ‘You’re a legend.’ I’m not a legend. I’m just a woman.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On December 16, 1989, Lorrie Morgan made her Billy Bob’s Texas debut and even got add her hands to the “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT LORRIE MORGAN

One of the most eloquently emotive country vocalists of modern times is launching her first new solo album in five years.

Lorrie Morgan, the first woman in her genre to begin her career with three consecutive Platinum albums, re-emerges on Shanachie Entertainment with Letting Go….Slow. It is a collection that showcases a rainbow of emotions, from darkest heartache to bright, shiny humor.

“Where I am in my life right now, I’m not afraid to express what I feel, or what I don’t feel,” she comments about the collection’s varied moods. “I’m not afraid to express my views on anything, especially on being a woman.

“I have been a daughter, a bride, a mother, a divorcee, a widow, a single mother, a breadwinner and, ultimately, a survivor. In many ways, I am a living, breathing country song, and I know what I sing.

“I didn’t want this to be just another album. I wanted it to be something that really moved me. When I listened to songs for it, I’d think, ‘No, not that one. I’m not going to be able to sing that one, because I’m not going to be able to feel it.’ It was very important to me for this album to reflect the things that I am feeling today.”

Morgan has long been the envy of her peers for her lustrous vocal phrasing and the down-to-earth believability of her torchy performances. On records such as “A Picture of Me Without You” and “I Guess You Had to Be There,” she ached with pain. She was feisty and sassy in “Watch Me,” “What Part of No” “Five Minutes” and “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength.” She has kicked up her stiletto heels in fun on her hits “Except for Monday” and “Go Away.” On her epic “Something in Red” she was an anguished, struggling everywoman.

Her performances on Letting Go….Slow can match any of her earlier efforts, for they are among the most vibrant of her career. The collection is divided equally between new songs and her reinventions of country classics.

This peerless song interpreter brings a soprano lilt and a cha-cha retro tempo to the Patsy Cline favorite “Strange.” Bobbie Gentry’s Southern-gothic saga “Ode to Billie Jo” is taken at a slow, swampy pace with Morgan dipping into her deep alto register. She brings enormous tenderness to Vern Gosdin’s “Is It Raining at Your House.”

On Bob Dylan’s “Lay, Lady Lay,” Morgan is pert and jaunty, riding a reggae groove. She resonates sadness in her version of Larry Gatlin’s “I’ve Done Enough Dying Today,” but rises resiliently in her reworking of Earl Thomas Conley’s “What I’d Say.”

Each of the new songs she has chosen for Letting Go…Slow is a small revelation. “Something About Trains” is a highly inventive arrangement and a contemplative lyric, both of which fit this singing stylist like fine couture. “Slow” is a power ballad that she gives a torrid, emotional undertow. “Jesus and Hairspray is “one for the girls,” a humorous, upbeat and highly entertaining ditty incorporating the old aphorism, “the higher the hair, the closer to heaven.”

Morgan co-wrote “How Does It Feel” in response to her divorce from singer Sammy Kershaw several years ago. The sublimely country “Lonely Whiskey” is the penultimate barroom weeper. The stunning “Spilt Milk,” on the other hand, finds the singer exploring a jazzier tone as she adopts an after-hours cabaret mood.

To record this remarkable return to disc, Lorrie Morgan reunited with producer Richard Landis. He has helped craft many of her prior hits, as well as acclaimed recordings for Vince Gill, Neil Diamond, Ronnie Milsap, Juice Newton, Eddie Rabbitt, Poco, Kenny Rogers, Dionne Warwick, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and dozens more.

“Richard is so creative,” says Morgan. “It sounds like a cliche, but he really is a musical genius. And he believes in what he produces so passionately that it scares people. He’s very intense. We feed off of each other in the studio. We push each other to be better. He has a way of making me try harder.

“We recorded in a former church that has been turned into a recording studio on Music Row. It had a great vibe. We had all the musicians in there with me. I wanted it to sound like me and the guys just sitting and playing. It’s a very warm sounding record, with the steel, the harmonica and the dobro ‘answering’ my vocals. I like to sing ‘live’ with the musicians. A lot of the vocals on this album were done in one take, because I feed off the musicians. And Richard encourages that.

“I have been living with some of these songs for more than a year. ‘I’ve Done Enough Dyring Today’ and ‘Is It Raining at Your House’ are songs I have wanted to record for 10 years. I sang ‘Ode to Billie Jo’ in my live shows for a long time.”

“Slow” is co-written by Ashlee Hewitt, who is Lorrie Morgan’s daughter-in-law and former backup singer. Hewitt now performs in the up-and-coming Nashville trio Post Monroe. “How Does It Feel” is even closer to home, since Morgan co-wrote it herself.

“I have always written songs, and I do love to write,” she comments. “But I don’t like to pair up with a lot of people. It’s more of a personal thing with me. It usually bothers me to co-write, and I don’t like appointment writing, at all. Plus, I’m not one of those people who says, ‘If I didn’t write it, I’m not going to record it.’ If somebody else’s song is better, I’m going to record it and not mine.”

Lorrie Morgan has been around great songs all her life. She is a Nashville native who is the daughter of Country Music Hall of Fame member George Morgan. She made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry stage at age 13, singing “Paper Roses.” Her father died suddenly of a heart attack at age 51. She was l6 at the time and just beginning her musical career. Lorrie Morgan began making records shortly thereafter. She was honored with induction into the Opry cast when she was just 24.

Morgan married fellow country singer Keith Whitley in 1986. She was signed to RCA Records in 1987, and her onslaught of hits began the following year. Whitley’s tragic death of an alcohol overdose in 1989 left her a widowed working mother. Their duet “Til a Tear Becomes a Rose” earned her a 1990 CMA award.

Her first three albums, Leave the Light On (1989), Something in Red (1991) and Watch Me (1992), all earned Platinum Record awards. Her Greatest Hits collection (1999) is also Platinum. War Paint (1994), Greater Need (1996) and Shakin’ Things Up (1997) are all Gold Record winners.

She sang “The Sad Cafe” on Common Threads: Songs of the Eagles, which was named the CMA Album of the Year in 1994. Country fans voted Lorrie Morgan their TNN/Music City News Female Vocalist of the Year in 1994, 1996, 1997 and 1998.

Lorrie Morgan maintained her recording pace in the new millennium, releasing collections in 2002, 2004, 2009 and 2010. In 2012 and 2013, Morgan starred and sparkled in the lavish Enchanted Christmas productions at the opulent Opryland Resort in Nashville. She took that show on the road in 2014.

In 2013, she teamed with fellow Opry star Pam Tillis for the duet CD Dos Divas. The two hit makers then embarked on a two-year joint tour that sold out every appearance.

“We had a blast,” says Morgan with a chuckle. “It wasn’t until the Grits & Glamor tour that we really connected. We connected as working mothers, as businesswomen, as second-generation performers.” Pam is the daughter of Country Music Hall of Fame member Mel Tillis, who co-wrote “Strange” on Morgan’s new CD. Both women also share a finely honed sense of humor.

“I pride myself on my humor. My dad used to say, ‘You should never take yourself too seriously,’ and I got my sense of humor from my dad. I love to have fun. I’ve reached the age where I feel that I deserve good company around me, people who can make me laugh, who love music and who love to have a good time.

“On the outside, I’m very lighthearted. But on the inside, I have a lot of pain that I deal with. Singing is my therapy, and that is what this album is all about. ‘Lonely Whiskey’ says it all. Like I said, I’m at the point where I’m not afraid to sing about what I want to sing and to be creative. And this record gave me that chance.

“I didn’t want to record just another nice little album that gets put away on a shelf. I wanted to record a Grammy Award winning album. That was my goal.

“But no matter what happens, I think these recording sessions were just magical. It was the most fun I’ve ever had doing an album.”

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Lots of musicians compare their careers to roller-coaster rides, but Los Lonely Boys have had so many close-your-eyes-and-hang-on moments in the 14 years since they recorded their self-titled debut, they should buy an amusement park.

The story of how the Garza brothers – vocalist/guitarist Henry, bassist/vocalist Jojo, and drummer/ vocalist Ringo – rode their bluesy “Texican rock” sound from San Angelo, Texas, to worldwide fame is one of rock’s great Cinderella tales. But the story of how they’ve persevered in the face of subsequent challenges is just as compelling. In 2013, they canceled 43 shows and paused work on their last album, Revelation, after Henry was seriously hurt when he fell from a stage in Los Angeles. A couple of years previously, vocal cord nodules had forced Jojo to stop singing for months. And in 2015, their mother passed away.

Their strong brotherly bond helped them through those rough spots – just as it did when they made the hard decision to step out from under their father’s musical leadership and form their own band after performing with him since childhood. The desire to follow their musical muse still drives them today, according to Jojo.

“There is no rest for those who are chosen to be musicians,” he says. “Ideas for songs are constant. We are being charged with what will be spread through our songs. We want to make music that brings people together.

“We’re all about having a good time, but we also make an effort to write about subjects that matter. Life, death, love, hate, compassion, transgression, light, darkness, truth; they’re what we’ve always been about. We’re not interested in songs about how you look and what kind of car you drive and how much money you have. We want to create music that’s about the love and energy and spirit we all carry. It comes from a bigger source than ourselves.”

That’s why they titled their 2014 release Revelation. Its songs were meant to serve as mirrors of sorts, reflecting aspects of our lives in ways that reveal new insights. “As musicians and artists,” Jojo says, “we’re here to connect with people.”

Released on their LonelyTone imprint under Austin-based indie label Playing in Traffic Records, Revelation maintains the infectiously melodic mix of bluesy rock ’n’ roll and rootsy soul that’s long endeared Los Lonely Boys to their fiercely loyal fans. Flawless harmonies and soaring solos remain trademarks, but in these songs, they explore rhythms from conjunto (“Blame It On Love”) to reggae (“Give A Little More”), along with rustic acoustic textures (“It’s Just My Heart Talkin’”) and baroque pop shadings (“There’s Always Tomorrow”).

“We’re always trying to broaden our horizons musically,” Jojo says. “We’re always looking for new ways to communicate, so we experimented with different sounds and production approaches.”

They also turned to co-writers, including Americana icon Radney Foster, pop tunesmiths Matthew Gerrard and David Quiñones, Black-Eyed Peas collaborators George Pajon Jr. and Keith Harris, and Ozomatli’s Raul Pacheco.

Their scare with Henry caused all three brothers to re-examine not only how they make music, but how they conduct their lives. “The whole experience was a wake-up call,” Jojo admits. “It reminded us of what’s really important.”

Once again, they affirmed that’s family. And music. For this trio, the two are inseparable. In fact, the sons of Enrique “Ringo” Garza Sr. are a second-generation sibling band; their dad and his brothers played conjunto as the Falcones before the elder Garza formed a band with his sons.

They were still teens when he moved them to Nashville, hoping to hit career paydirt. But their big break came after they returned to Texas and began playing Austin clubs in the early 2000s. One day, Willie Nelson’s nephew heard some demos. Next thing they knew, Willie showed up at a gig. Then he showcased them at Farm Aid, fronted recording time at his famed Pedernales Studio and even guested on their album.

Released in 2003 on startup label Or Records, Los Lonely Boys got picked up by Epic and rereleased. Propelled by its No. 1 single, “Heaven,” it wound up selling over 2 million copies, spending 76 weeks on the Billboard Top 200 album chart and earning them a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group.

Their dream-come-true rise was chronicled in the documentary, Los Lonely Boys: Cottonfields and Crossroads, directed by fellow San Angelo native Hector Galán. Another dream came true when Carlos Santana invited them to guest on his 2005 album, All That I Am. They also released Live at the Fillmore that year. Their father and Nelson joined them on 2006’s Sacred, and in 2007, their cover of John Lennon’s “Whatever Gets You Through the Night” became the second single from the album Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur.

Forgiven and Christmas Spirit arrived in 2008, followed in 2009 by 1969, an all-covers EP homage to rock’s most influential era and their first LonelyTone release through Playing in Traffic Records. Then they traveled to Iraq to entertain American troops and embarked on an acoustic tour, documented with the 2010 album, Keep on Giving: Acoustic Live. Rockpango came in 2011. They’re now creating follow-ups to Revelation’s musical outpouring.

If anything, Jojo says, life’s upheavals have tightened their bond even more. “We stick together,” he adds, “and we’re trying to pass on that feeling of brotherhood, of familia, in all the music we make.”

HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

August 31^st of 2019, the Los Lonely Boys are showing everyone here in Stockyards how they like to party.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S:
Luke Combs sold out his main stage debut at the World’s Largest Honky Tonk in November of 2017.

Blending a love of classic country and Southern-fried soul — a fusion inspired equally by fellow modern mavericks Eric Church and Chris Stapleton — Luke Combs slyly updates these traditional sounds with a hint of modern R&B. This combination, which flourished on ballads, helped Combs stand apart from both slick country-pop crooners and bro country revelers, a distinction that helped him become a hit right out of the gate. His first single, 2016’s “Hurricane,” launched a series of five number one Billboard Country Airplay hits in a row, also including “When It Rains It Pours,” “One Number Away,” “She Got the Best of Me,” and “Beautiful Crazy.” All were pulled from his 2017 debut album This One’s for You (or its expanded reissue), a period that saw Combs become one of the biggest stars in Nashville, a status cemented by his winning the Country Music Association’s Best New Artist award in 2018.

Luke Combs is from North Carolina, born in Charlotte and raised in Asheville, where he moved when he was eight years old. As a teenager, he played football and sang in vocal groups. While attending college at Appalachian State — the same school Eric Church attended years earlier — he decided to put his studies on the back burner so he could concentrate on country music. Learning how to play guitar, Combs amassed a catalog of original songs as he played shows on a regular basis. When he was just shy of earning his degree, he dropped out of college. After gigging regularly in North Carolina, he headed to Nashville in 2014 to pursue a musical career.

In February 2014, Combs self-released The Way She Rides EP, which was followed in July by Can I Get an Outlaw. The single “Hurricane” arrived in 2015 and generated enough buzz to secure the singer a contract with River House/Columbia Nashville. The label released the This One’s for You EP in November 2015, then reworked “Hurricane” to country radio in 2016, accompanying it with a new EP, also titled This One’s for You.

In November 2016, “Hurricane” entered the Country Airplay charts, reaching number one in early 2017. Its success set the stage for Combs’ full-length debut, This One’s for You, which debuted at number one on Billboard’s Country Albums chart upon its June release. “When It Rains It Pours,” the singer’s second number one on Country Airplay, kept the album on the charts throughout the year, then This One’s for You gained additional momentum in 2018, thanks in part to “One Number Away,” Combs’ third number one single, but also due to the June re-release of an expanded version of the debut. Called This One’s for You Too, this revamped edition of Combs’ debut contained five new songs, including “She Got the Best of Me,” an anthemic single which followed its predecessors to number one Country Airplay, helping the album reach a peak of four on Billboard’s overall Top 200 Albums chart.

Combs continued to gain momentum during the back half of 2018 thanks to the ballad “Beautiful Crazy.” Originally an internet sensation, “Beautiful Crazy” became a smash on radio late in 2018, reaching number one on the Country Airplay chart in March 2019; its success was a factor in Combs receiving a Grammy Nomination for Best New Artist in 2019. “Beautiful Crazy” spent seven straight weeks at number one on Country Airplay, breaking the previous records for longevity on the charts. The single also helped Combs earn the distinction of being the first artist to simultaneously hold the top position on all five of Billboard’s main country charts: Top Country Albums, Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, Country Streaming Songs, and Country Digital Song Sales.

Combs teased out music from his second album with the May 2019 release of “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” a single that became his sixth number one Country Airplay hit. “Beer Never Broke My Heart” anchored the June EP The Prequel, which offered five songs from his second album, What You See Is What You Get, which arrived in November 2019 and entered the Billboard 200 at number one. In May 2020, Combs released the song “Six Feet Apart” as a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The track landed at number ten on the Hot Country Songs Chart and was included on a deluxe version of What You See Is What You Get, which also topped the Billboard 200.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Lynn Anderson was the first female to record a “Live at Billy Bob’s” in 1999.

Lynn Anderson cast her hands in cement for the Billy Bob’s Handprint Hall of Fame prior to her “Live at Billy Bob’s” recording.

ABOUT LYNN ANDERSON

Born September 26, 1947, in Grand Forks, ND, Lynn René Anderson will forever be remembered for the worldwide crossover hit that made her an international star, and the song’s title a global catchphrase, making “(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden” one of the most popular and memorable songs of all time.

Rose Garden was only one chapter in a career and life marked by a string of artistic and personal achievements that created a lasting impact across decades, placing Lynn Anderson among the most important and beloved female artists of the 20th century.

An iconic role model for an entire generation of women, Lynn Anderson’s brilliance reflected the two great passions of her life: the American Quarter Horse and music. As the daughter of hit country-songwriter Liz Anderson and avid equestrian Casey Anderson, she was raised surrounded by both. A lifelong horsewoman, world-class cutting horse champion, and nationally-ranked American Quarter Horse Association breeder, Lynn was a celebrated star in the horse world years before she ever walked into a Nashville recording studio. Her love of horses and riding was as much a part of her DNA as the voice that made her one of country music’s most honored entertainers. In the span of a five-decade career, Lynn broke nearly as many records as she made: 52 stand-alone LPs and nearly 100 singles. Among those 100 singles, 50 placed within the Top-40 on the national charts, 18 in the Top-10, and 12 captured the No. 1 spot.

A distinctive stylist, Lynn Anderson ranks among the top-10 most successful female country artists for all-time record sales, as well as one of the most awarded country artists of her era. She performed for the Queen of England and for four American Presidents, including a special invitation to appear at a Ronald Reagan birthday celebration at the White House. She was the first female country artist featured weekly on national television, appearing as a regular on The Lawrence Welk Show from 1968-69.  She was the first female country singer to perform on The Tonight Show, first to headline & sell out Madison Square Garden and the first to win an American Music Award for Favorite Female Vocalist during the 1970s.

In 1967, she was named Best Female Vocalist by the ACM — an achievement that was repeated in 1970.  In 1971, NARAS presented her with the GRAMMY® for Best Female Country Performance, and the CMA awarded her the coveted Female Vocalist of the Year honor.  The People’s Choice Award named her Favorite Country Artist in 1975.  She was honored as ‘Artist of the Decade’ (1970- 80) by Record World, a major trade publication.

In 1974, she became the unofficial ambassador for the U.S. Marine Corps when ‘We Don’t Promise You a Rose Garden’ was launched as the Corps’ official recruitment slogan. In 1995, The American Rose Society christened its newest hybrid tea rose, ‘The Lynn Anderson,’ giving Lynn the lasting honor of having one of the world’s most beautiful roses named for her. In 2000, Governor Don Sundquist declared June 15 Lynn Anderson Day annually in the state of Tennessee.

Always seeking new musical inspiration, Lynn was excited over her long-awaited, newly recorded gospel album, ‘Bridges’, released in early June of 2015.  “Bridges” received rave reviews, some critics calling it the best work of her storied career.  Unfortunately, Lynn passed away on July 30, 2015, bringing one of country music’s most legendary careers to an end. Like the rose that bears her name, the music, memory, and legacy of Lynn Anderson continue to bloom in the hearts of fans young and old around the world.

Posthumous accolades and honors continue for Lynn Anderson. In 2017, the Country Music Hall of Fame  & Museum honored the country music icon with a long-running exhibit, “Keep Me in Mind,” named after Lynn’s No.1 hit.  In 2018, she was inducted into the  National Cowboy Museum’s Hall of Great Western Performers, joining former inductees such as John Wayne and Dale Evans.  In 2018, Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Nashville often referred to as “Cemetery of Country Stars,” created “The Lynn Anderson Rose Garden” – consisting of over 100 Lynn Anderson Hybrid Tea Rose Bushes – as a place of reflection and meditation. In November of 2019, the International Western Music Association made Lynn Anderson the newest member of its prestigious Hall of Fame.

Artist, cowgirl, and inspiration, Lynn Anderson was an American original.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On March 3, 1995, Mary Chapin Carpenter came to play on the main stage, we had her put her hands in concrete before she took the stage.

ABOUT MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER

Five-time Grammy-winner Mary Chapin Carpenter’s 15th studio album, The Dirt And The Stars, finds the singer-songwriter pondering life’s intimate, personal moments and exploring its most universally challenging questions at an unprecedented time. Written at her rural Virginia farmhouse before stay-at-home orders became the “new normal,” the songs celebrate invaluable experiences and irreplaceable wisdom, while also advocating exploration of the best in all of us. As one of just 15 women voted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, with over 15 million albums sold, 5 Grammy awards (from 15 nominations) and the recipient of two CMA and ACM awards, Carpenter’s now-classic hits include “I Feel Lucky,” “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her” and “The Hard Way.” Produced by Ethan Johns (Ray LaMontagne, Paul McCartney, Kings of Leon) and recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in Bath, in southwest England, The Dirt And The Stars marks Carpenter’s first collection of all-new material since 2016’s The Things That We Are Made Of. Below she reveals some of the inspiration behind The Dirt And The Stars.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S:

The trio of Mason Dixon put their hands in concrete so we could add them to our “Wall of Fame” on May 5, 1989.

ABOUT MASON DIXON

Mason Dixon was a rock-tinged country band from the ’80s that was formed by New York native Frank Gilligan and Texan Rick Henderson, who adopted the band’s name in tribute to their mixed Northern/Southern roots. The two met in college during the mid-’70s and started playing around southern Texas together; in 1979, onetime solo act Jerry Dengler, who was originally from Odessa, TX, joined the group to make it a trio. They hired several supporting musicians and attempted to mount a tour, but a shortage of bookings forced them to shed most of the additional lineup. A self-released single, “Armadillo Country,” caught the ear of promoter/producer Don Schafer, who signed Mason Dixon to his local Texas Records label. Starting with a 1983 cover of the Police’s “Every Breath You Take,” they scored a few local hits, which also included “I Never Had a Chance With You” and “Gettin’ Over You”; in 1985, they also released an album called The Spirit of Texas, in conjunction with the state sesquicentennial. In 1986, the band moved to another indie, Premier Once, and issued several singles with producer Dan Mitchell. These led to a deal with Capitol, and the band’s major-label debut, Exception to the Rule, was released in 1988. They had limited success with the singles “Dangerous Road” and “When Karen Comes Around,” but Henderson left the group in 1989, to be replaced by Terry “Caz” Casburn. A follow-up album, Reach for It, appeared in 1990, but didn’t sell particularly well, and the group later disbanded.

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

On October 6, 1990, Michelle Wright made her debut on the main stage and got to add her hands to Billy Bob’s “Wall of Fame.”

ABOUT MICHELLE WRIGHT

Growing up in Merlin, Ontario, a small Canadian farming community near Chatham, Michelle Wright heard the rhythm & blues and Motown hits coming out of Detroit, just forty‐five minutes away. But especially, she heard the strains of country music since her parents were both country performers. “My earliest memories of music are singing in the car or spending the weekend with my father after my parents separated and watching him put on a rhinestone‐studded suit to perform in.” As a young girl, she tagged along to countless shows. “We were never a family band, but I got a lot of inspiration and encouragement from my mother. That’s where my love of country music really began.”

In 1988, she teamed with Savannah Records President Brian Ferriman to release her first CD, Do Right By Me, in Canada and set off to tour North America. Do Right By Me was a major hit in her homeland, with seven chart singles and sales well over 40,000 copies, and it opened many doors in the United States. The American country music world was impressed, and the new Arista/Nashville label made Michelle one of its flagship artists.

The following year she signed with Arista/Nashville and in 1990, Michelle released her first U.S. album, Michelle Wright. American audiences responded immediately and enthusiastically to “that girl singer from up north with the snow in her videos,” and her first single, “New Kind Of Love,” became her first Top Thirty American hit.

In 1992, Arista released Now & Then, which included the song “Take It Like A Man,” “Take It Like A Man,” which was released in February of 1992, the first of seven singles from the project. In less than a year, Michelle became the first Canadian‐born artist in the modern era of country music to have a Top Ten hit in America, a Number One video on CMT‐USA (also for “Take It Like A Man”) and to win a major U.S. music industry award (the Academy of Country Music Top New Female Vocalist award in 1992). The song also catapulted Michelle to superstardom in Canada, receiving a total of twelve music industry awards, including the 1993 Canadian Country Music Association’s Fans’ Choice Entertainer Of The Year award and double platinum honors for Now & Then the same year.

The Reasons Why followed in 1994. After co‐hosting the TNN/Music City News Awards the same year and hosting the CCMA Awards in 1995, her ease in front of the camera led to her guest appearance on the syndicated series “Due South.” For Me It’s You (1996) marked the first time one of Michelle’s own songs, the stirring “What Love Looks Like,” was made available to her American fans. At the 1997 CCMA Awards, she delivered a show‐stopping, gospel‐tinged rendition of the Curtis Mayfield hit, “People Get Ready,” accompanied by a fifty‐voice choir. A personal career highlight for Michelle, she reflects, “I still get goose bumps whenever I hear that version.”

“Your Love,” Michelle’s 1998 collaboration with pianist Jim Brickman, was named the CCMA Vocal/Instrumental Collaboration of the Year, and the video for “Your Love” topped the CMT Canada charts. The success of “Your Love” did not go unnoticed by Brickman’s label, New York based Windham Hill Records. The collaboration was included on Brickman’s CD Destiny and released to U.S. Adult Contemporary radio in October 1999. The song became a Top 20 AC hit in early 2000.

At the dawn of the new millennium, Michelle marked her ten‐year association with Arista/ Nashville with the international release of her latest American album, Michelle Wright: The Greatest Hits Collection. The album contained eleven of the songs that shaped Michelle’s career since she signed with the label. They appeared in near‐chronological order, rolling out the soundtrack of Michelle’s life: “New Kind Of Love,” “All You Really Wanna Do,” “Take It Like a Man,” “He Would Be Sixteen,” “Guitar Talk,” “Now & Then,” “One Good Man,” “Safe In The Arms Of Love,” “Nobody’s Girl,” “What Love Looks Like,” and “The Answer Is Yes.” The album also contained five songs never before found on a Michelle Wright album: two new songs co‐written by Michelle, “When I Found You” and “I Surrender,” plus “Your Love,” her gospel version of “People Get Ready,” and her “Walkin’ After Midnight” duet with Patsy Cline.

Michelle Wright: The Greatest Hits Collection offered listeners a sonic overview of ten magical years punctuated by highlight after memorable highlight. Michelle is proud of the achievement her Greatest Hits Collection represents. “It felt great to be at that point in my career. Very early on, when I first hit the road with a bunch of guys crisscrossing North America in an old van, sleeping in the back on top of a couple of Peavey guitar amps, I could only dream about having enough hits to make a greatest hits package. And then there we were.”

The twenty‐first century saw five more CDs from Michelle generating more sales and more hits: Shut Up and Kiss Me (Sony/BMG 2002); her first Christmas album, A Wright Christmas, released in Canada in 2005 and internationally on Savannah Music at Christmas time, 2008; her first full album of country material in ten years, Everything And More, released in Canada in July 2006, and internationally on Savannah Music in late 2008; the Savannah Music reissue of a remastered and repackaged edition of Do Right By Me across North America in August 2010 and internationally the following October; The Wright Songs: An Acoustic Evening with Michelle Wright, a 17‐song collection of many of her hits performed on acoustic instruments and recorded live in Alberta at select venues during 2009 and 2010, released in Canada in late 2011 and internationally in early 2012 on Savannah Music.

Strong (2013) highlighted Michelle’s remarkable growth as a singer and songwriter ‐ inspired by the perseverance and strength that she has witnessed in friends, family, and strangers over the years. The album was produced by Jason Barry, Eric Silver, and Danick Dupelle and contained 11 songs, 10 of which she co‐wrote.

Michelle continued to divide her time between touring and songwriting, but in late 2016, Michelle knew that it was time to head back into the studio with a new team behind her. “My music is always an extension of me,” says Wright, “And each new song is a chance to push a little harder, to dig a little deeper.” In 2017, she enlisted producer, friend and fellow Canadian Bob Funk to sort through the mountain of songs she had written, co-written, and received from other writers. The results are an intoxicating mix of contemporary country and the R&B roots that have been the foundation of her musical journey since the very beginning.

The partnership has produced the grooving “Attitude Is Everything” (Daryl Burgess/Joanna Cotton), the gospel-tinged ballad, “Lovin’ This Day” (Daryl Burgess, Joanna Cotton/Angie Russell) released on Wright’s new label, Navigator Records. They returned to the studio in 2019 to record Michelle’s rendition of the Christmas Classic, “Silver Bells,” released at the start of her almost three weeks long A Wright Christmas: 2019 Tour.

With the pandemic coming to a close, Michelle Wright is ready for her return to the road and is poised for the next phase of what has already been a stellar international musical career, one that has seen her grace concert stages around the world and earned her twenty‐five Top Ten radio hits, more than forty major awards (including her 2011 induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame). Michelle continues to show her fans that the feisty girl from rural Merlin, Ontario is here to stay. Or, as she says, “What a way to make a living! I plan on making and playing music for a long time to come.”

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HISTORY WITH BILLY BOB’S: 

Mickey owned his own honky tonk place that was called Gilley’s and he was upset when Billy Bob’s opened that we called ourselves the worlds largest honky tonk. Well eventually when we got Mickey Gilley to play here, we sold T-Shirts that said “Gilley plays Billy’s.”

ABOUT MICKEY GILLEY

Singer and pianist Mickey Gilley became one of the biggest names in country music in the ’70s, scoring a string of hit records as well as helping to launch a cultural movement. Born into one of the most famous families in Southern music, Gilley was the cousin of rockabilly legend Jerry Lee Lewis, and he launched his career in the late ’50s with singles that mimicked Lewis’ trademark style. By the early ’60s, Gilley had remade himself as a country artist (years before Jerry Lee would do the same) but didn’t make a major impact nationally until 1974 when “Room Full of Roses,” originally cut as a B-side, began gaining major airplay and was picked up by Playboy Records, who turned it into a number one country hit. Gilley would score 15 more number one country singles between 1974 and 1983 (including “I Overlooked an Orchid,” “Don’t the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time,” “Stand by Me,” “Lonely Nights,” and “Fool for Your Love”), mastering a style that fused countrypolitan polish with honky tonk atmosphere, giving him a sound that was distinctly his own. Gilley also partnered with Sherwood Cryer in 1971 to open a honky tonk in Pasadena, Texas called Gilley’s; in time, the club became legendary in Texas, and was the setting of the hit movie Urban Cowboy, which not only made Gilley and his club a household name but helped give country music a new visibility in the mainstream music media. The Urban Cowboy craze would run its course, but Gilley would retain a loyal following, and would become a popular attraction in Branson, Missouri after his hit-making days were over.

Mickey Gilley was born in Natchez, Mississippi on March 9, 1936. Gilley spent most of his childhood in Ferriday, Louisiana, where he spent time with his cousins Jerry Lee Lewis, Jimmy Swaggart, and Linda Gail Lewis, who would share his enthusiasm for playing the piano. As youngsters, Lewis, Swaggart, and Gilley would sometimes play music together, and Mickey’s parents saved up to buy him a piano, but he wasn’t initially interested in making a career out of performing, especially after he married and settled in Houston, Texas. However, when Jerry Lee’s career began to take off, Gilley reconsidered, and in 1957, he released his first single, “Ooh Wee Baby,” on the local Minor Records label. The following year, he moved up to Dot Records and “Call Me Shorty” was an exercise in rock & roll boasting that, like his debut, bore more than a slight resemblance to Jerry Lee’s style. Neither achieved more than regional success, and through the ’60s Gilley cut singles for a variety of small labels and played night spots in the Lone Star State, as his sound evolved from rockabilly boogie to a mellower honky tonk country approach. In 1968, Gilley hit the national country charts for the first time with “Now I Can Live Again,” which peaked at number 68, but there was no immediate follow-up, and Gilley settled into what seemed like a career as a regional artist.

Gilley was a big enough name in Texas that in 1971 an entrepreneur in Pasadena, Texas, Sherwood Cryer, approached him about going into business together, with the singer lending his name to a nightclub Cryer planned to open. The club was named Gilley’s, and it became a success, with