He worked with entertainers such as Buddy Holly and Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys. Allsup was touring with Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson when he lost a fateful coin toss with Valens for a seat on the plane that crashed killing Valens, Holly and Richardson on February 3, 1959. Allsup moved to Los Angeles, played with local bands, and did session work, including writing credit for the Ventures', "Guitar Twist".
If you ask John David where he's from, he may say without hesitation; "I'm from Amarillo." But depending on who's asking, he may shrug and say: "I'm from everywhere, I guess." He would be mostly right either way.
"Hanging out in the bar at the Troubadour with Glenn Frey and Jackson Browne and playing open mike Mondays, then opening for Poco and The Flying Burrito Brothers --- it was the best study in songwriting I can imagine. So many great songwriters came through - Laura Nyro, Kris Kristofferson, Randy Newman, Elton John, James Taylor, Tim Hardin, Carole King, Rick Nelson, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Waylon Jennings, Tim Buckley, Gordon Lightfoot, Taj Mahal and more. It seems impossible now to imagine that much music in a year and a half or so, but that was my life and the Troubadour was our university. It's also where I met Linda Ronstadt and where Don Henley and Glenn Frey met to form this little country rock band called Eagles that would go on to make musical history."
It was during that time that Glen and John David made Longbranch/Pennywhistle, with Jimmy Bowen's new label, Amos Records. The band included Ry Cooder, Jim Gordon, Cajun fiddler Doug Kershaw and James Burton.
Mark Farner IS the engine that took the original Grand Funk Railroad, one of rock music's most successful groups, to the top of the charts. As their lead vocalist, lead guitarist and principle songwriter the group made a beeline to rock stardom following their show-stealing performance before 180,000 people at the Atlanta International Pop Festival in 1969. Capitol Records was soon on board releasing the band's appropriately titled first album, On Time, which included such timeless Mark Farner compositions as Time Machine, High On A Horse, Heartbreaker, Into The Sun and Can't Be Too Long. Within weeks it was certified RIAA Gold.
Since its beginnings in the late 1990s, Hot Club of Cowtown’s star has continued to rise as its reputation for jaw-dropping virtuosity and unforgettable live shows has become the band’s global brand. Lauded for its “down-home melodies and exuberant improvisation” (The Times, London), the Hot Club has always woven a combination of seemingly disparate styles together to its own magical effect, setting up camp “at that crossroads where country meets jazz and chases the blues away” (The Independent), and “conscious always that above all else, the music is for dancing and an old-fashioned good time” (New York Times). The band’s musical alchemy has been described as “another breathless journey in the Texas tardis” (The Times, London), while American Songwriter observed that “The excellent three players of this band could be doing anything but have chosen to honor the greats of jazz and swing with their sound.” The Belfast Telegraph calls them “a pretty much perfect country trio at the very top of their game,” while the New York Times, reviewing a live performance in New York City in 2011, describes the trio as armed with “an arsenal full of technique and joy.”
Along with the Hot Club’s dedicated cult following worldwide — they have toured for the U.S. State Department as musical ambassadors to Azerbaijan, Armenia, the Republic of Georgia and the Sultanate of Oman — certain titans of the industry have also taken notice. Bob Dylan, with whom the band toured and with whom James has toured and recorded, is a continuing inspiration. The Hot Club has opened several shows for Willie Nelson, toured with Nelson and Dylan during a summer-long stadium tour, and recently opened seven nights of Roxy Music’s sold-out “For Your Pleasure” U.K. stadium tour in early 2011. In the U.K. the Hot Club of Cowtown continues to tour extensively and has been featured at the Glastonbury Festival and has also been a returning guest on Later With Jools Holland, the Cambridge Folk Festival, and BBC Radio 2’s Radcliffe and Maconie and Bob Harris Country shows.
Larry Gatlin: On the strength of his song writing talents and exceptional vocal ability, his life was changed by the legendary Dottie West who saw gold just under the unpolished surface of young Gatlin. Larry landed a solo deal with Monument Records through friend Kris Kristofferson and invited his siblings up to Nashville to sing backup on his first two albums—1974’s The Pilgrim and 1975’s Rain Rainbow. The release ofThe Pilgrim landed Gatlin his first hit with “Sweet Becky Walker,” and then found himself at #1 on the charts the next year with “Broken Lady,” a song that captured him a Grammy in 76′.
Blackwood Quartet: The Blackwood name is legendary in the gospel music industry. The Blackwood Brothers Quartet was formed in 1934. Roy Blackwood, Doyle Blackwood, their youngest brother, James, along with Roy's oldest son, R.W. Blackwood, founded the original quartet in the hills of Choctaw County, Mississippi.
The Blackwood Brothers were the first group to travel by bus. A replica of the Blackwood Brothers original bus is on display at the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
The Blackwood Brothers have recorded over 200 albums and toured 47 countries. They have won eight Grammy Awards, 27 Dove Awards and have been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Cecil Blackwood, James Blackwood, and J.D. Sumner were also founders of the National Quartet Convention.
Mark Blackwood now continues the legacy of the Blackwood Brothers through the Blackwood Quartet. Mark traveled with his dad, Cecil Blackwood, in the for many years. The Blackwood Quartet does not take their heritage in music lightly, nor the responsibility of integrity that goes with it.
One day, around 1972, Hugh Roche rode over to my house on his Bultaco motorcycle with a guitar strapped to the back fender and played “Desolation Row” and “Just Like a Woman” and “Girl of the North Country” and I was forever and irrevocably changed. After that, everything—I mean everything—was different. Especially me. That whole sensible linear cosmology I had embraced so naturally was transformed into a metaphoric island hub, where I stood with a thousand roads before me, spoking and forking and forking again into infinite space, challenging and confounding the grasp of my newly hatched imagination. The colors, the textures, the meanings of words were all now immediately subjective. It was revelatory to the point of vertigo. I saw ideas as the mortar mix of my inner identity, the defining components of my soul. Activities, actions, were the bricks this mortar held together, forming walls that separated the good from the bad, truth from lie, redemption from oblivion. I was fifteen years old. And in a word, what I felt was a budding responsibility—the cornerstone of artistic sensibility. But I wasn’t smiling like before.
Paul Oscher -blues singer, songwriter and multiinstrumentalist (harmonica, guitar, piano, bass harp and melodica) was the first white musician to become a member of the great Muddy Waters blues band (1967- 71). He was Muddy’s harp player and recorded with Muddy for the legendary Chess label. Paul lived in Muddy’s house on Chicago’s Southside and shared the basement with the great Otis Spann. His 2006 “Down in the Delta” cd won two (WC Handy) Blues Music Awards for “Acoustic Album of the Year” and “Acoustic Artist of the Year.” Paul’s Album Alone with the Blues on the Electro-Fi label was nominated for four W.C. Handy awards. Paul has just released new album “Bet on the Blues” which features Paul in solo, trio and ensemble settings. This album was recorded live and in the studio and contains performances from his acclaimed solo show “Alone with the Blues” which has garnered rave reviews from critics, fans, and promoters. “Bet on the Blues has just been nominated for 2011 Blues Music Awards in three categories Acoustic Album of the Year, Acoustic Artist of the year and Instrumentalist – harmonica. Paul Oscher’s been playing those low down blues for over four decades. Besides Muddy, Paul has performed and/or recorded with a who’s who in the world of blues including John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, Big Mama Thornton, Otis Spann, Buddy Guy, Big Joe Turner, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Jimmy Rogers, Hubert Sumlin, Johnny Young, Johnny Copeland, Keb Mo, Mos Def, Victoria Spivey, Louisiana Red, Levon Helm, the list goes on. In 2000, Paul Oscher moved to L.A. with his wife, playwright and novelist, Suzan-Lori Parks (the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer prize in the drama category, for her play Topdog/Underdog. Urged on by his wife, Paul is also trying his hand at writing down his experiences in the blues. Excerpts from his almost finished book “Alone with the Blues” have already been published in the companion book to the PBS series Martin Scorcese Presents the Blues. Paul Oscher has lived such a rich and adventurous life, yet he is humbled by those experiences. “I always try to thank the high power. The real gift of talent is not the ability to be able to play, it is the gift of the love you have for the music. That’s what takes you over the hurdles.
Dan Dyer writes songs with heart. His signature sound melds together soul, folk, and country to reveal music full of a storyteller’s lyricism, a rambler’s travails, and enough self-awareness to keep it honest.
A native of Tool, Texas, a tiny, rural town on Cedar Creek Lake flanked by oak, pecan, and ash trees, Dan has spent his life in the wide-open spaces of the Texas landscape. At age 18, he moved to Wimberley, Texas, and subsequently to nearby San Marcos for college (double major: math and physics), where he got a gig running the rapids on the Guadalupe River, delivering pizzas, and any other sort of odd jobs he could take to pay the bills.
It was in San Marcos that he picked up a guitar for the first time. He likes to say that guitar was something he practiced “ineffectively,” and he barely stumbled through his first open mike night. But this self-effacing musician now commands audiences with that guitar, combined with the vocal strength of a gospel choir and the raw edge of a man who knows the value of hard work.
Today, Dan calls the outskirts of Austin home, where he feeds his handyman tendencies and soulful nature with a plot of land framed by sky at the end of a dirt road. And nearly every day, he makes the time to write. Stories are the hallmark of his music. Because much like fellow Texan Lefty Frizzell, Dan seeks to wring every last bit of life out of every word.
Songwriter Dean Dillon has composed or co-written 55 songs for Strait, including 19 singles, 11 of which went to number one. Even in a career like Strait’s, the Dillon titles stand out: “Marina del Rey,” “The Chair,” “I’ve Come to Expect It From You,” “Easy Come, Easy Go,” “She Let Herself Go,” and “The Best Day.” His songs all pair instantly catchy melodies with gutbucket country lyrics, signature qualities of a Dillon composition that would also become hallmarks of Strait’s own style and sound. As Brown explained, they are the elements that allow Strait to sound traditional without sounding old-timey.
Music & Lyrics by Becky Hobbs Book by Nick Sweet & Becky Hobbs The Story of Nancy Ward is based on the life of Becky’s 5th-great grandmother, Nancy Ward, Beloved Woman of the Cherokee, who was first honored as a Cherokee war woman, then as a peacemaker in the 1700’s. She was first named Nanyehi, and later known as Nancy Ward. The musical chronicles her life (1738-1822), her struggles, her loves, her family. To read more about Nancy Ward’s life, visit the Association of the Descendants of Nancy Ward web site: www.nancyward.org Becky Hobbs's and Nick Sweet's interpretive story of Nanyehi is a world-class musical production. As one of her descendants, the story of Nancy Ward is both inspirational and deeply personal to me. The stirring compositions, riveting dialogue and modern choreography make this a must-see piece of musical theater. Cherokee Nation history enthusiasts and theater fans will be mesmerized with Becky’s wonderful creation. - Bill John Baker, Principal Chief, Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah, OK While Nancy Ward's history is intriguing and the basis for an exciting musical and Becky Hobbs original songs tell a haunting story, the 'cry for peace' that Ward made during the Revolutionary War era is one that still resonates today. - D. Ray Smith, The Oak Ridger, Oak Ridge, TN.
Orginating the role of Mufasa in the 1st National Tour (The Gazelle Tour) of Disney’s The Lion King. After just over a year of touring, Alton was thankfully invited to take over the role in the Broadway company. Then, in the Fall of 2007, Alton was offered the amazing opportunity to play the role of Mister in Oprah Winfrey’s The Color Purple opposite American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino. For a phenomenal 3 weeks, Alton was blessed with the wonderful challenge of rehearsing the role of the troubled, tortured Mister during the day while performing the role of the iconic father Mufasa in the evenings. Being a part of 2 incredible Broadway shows at the same time is a thrilling honor that Alton will never ever forget!!!
Carolyn Wonderland is a triple threat with diverse songwriting, soulful vocals and guitar goddess skills. One critic wrote “If you put Melissa Etheridge, Chrissie Hynde, and Dick Dale in a blender and hit puree, you’d get a pretty potent mixture called Carolyn Wonderland.” With her latest release, Miss Understood, Wonderland is on the cusp of national stardom.
Originally from Houston, Wonderland received numerous music awards there starting when she was a teenager. As the lead singer fronting the band Imperial Monkeys, Wonderland releases include 1995’s Play with Matches and 1997’s Bursting with Flavor. Of Bursting with Flavor, Billboard wrote “Wonderland and her Imperial Monkeys have built a strong regional following the old-fashioned way: by crisscrossing the state in a van, playing gig after gig wherever someone would have them. The road-worthiness of the band’s sound is evident.”
Wonderland’s solo work includes 2003’s Bloodless Revolution, about which The Austin Chronicle wrote, “Wonderland’s voice is as muscular as her name is evocative.” Her CD Miss Understood was released in February 2008 to overwhelming critical acclaim. Produced by Asleep At The Wheel’s Ray Benson, the CD features Wonderland at her finest.
Rhett Miller has recorded five solo albums. The 1989 album Mythologies was produced and recorded by future Old 97'smember Murry Hammond.[2] The 2002 album The Instigator, produced and recorded with Jon Brion, received critical acclaim and substantial airplay on alternative-oriented radio stations.[2] In 2006, Miller released The Believer, his first effort for theVerve Forecast label.[2] It includes a cover of Brion's "I Believe She's Lying", and "Fireflies", a duet with Rachael Yamagata. His fourth, Rhett Miller, was released in June 2009 (Shout! Factory), and includes Jon Brion on guitar and bass, The Apples in Stereo's John Dufilho on drums and Billy Harvey on guitar. Upon the album's release, Rolling Stone called it Miller's "strongest solo set ever." "I Need To Know Where I Stand" is the first single from the album.
Growing up in Sweden her music has always had a special tint of her Scandinavian heritage, making her a favorite among music lovers, but her 16 month, and 37 state long tour, through the USA (in an RV) has moved her music closer to the Americana tradition. The adventure on the road spurred a lot of emotions, both those of triumph and joy, but also those of self doubt and defeat – all of which found their way into the songs of her 2015 album ”Big Sky Country”.
Living like a musical nomad, moving from place to place, slowly but steadily building her audience through her heartfelt and personal performances she got to experience the USA in a way few people do. The people she met opened their homes and hearts to her and some of them even made it into her songs. But the new album is not a diary from her tour, it’s more of a storybook of emotions, new and old in which everyone can find their own place.
Cowboy Bill Martin and Chad Prather broke all the rules when it came to making it in show business! Martin built a huge stand-up following through 19 years of endless touring on land in comedy clubs, at sea with Carnival Cruise Lines, overseas entertaining our troops, and in concert with such acts as George Strait, Brad Paisley and all four members of the famed Blue Collar Comedy Tour. Then in late 2015, hit it big with his self-financed one-hour comedy special on CMT.
Prather’s rise to fame came a little different. The in-demand humorist and host of a show on RIDE-TV called, IT’S MY BACKYARD, he has become one of the most recognized personalities on the network and was named CMA Texas Personality of the year. But like Martin, in 2015 his stardom skyrocketed with his hilarious and often-poignant “rants in the truck” on Facebook that garnered him millions of fans where he became a household name.
Proudly sponsored by Rank Rodeo Threads, together, these two entertainment mavericks formed a partnership KINGS OF COWTOWNand kicked off a comedy tour playing theaters and large country bars across the. For more information please go totheir official tour site kingsofcowtown.com
The Kings are selling-out everywhere. They work hard; play harder! And oh, by the way, they spend their afternoons delivering new cowboy hats to kids with cancer as part of the Cowboys Who Care Foundation. What’s not to love?
When Harold Hill (Robert Preston), a traveling con man, arrives in River City, he convinces the locals to start a band by purchasing the uniforms and instruments from him. His intention is to flee as soon as he receives the money. Librarian Marian Paroo (Shirley Jones) suspects Harold is a fraud, but holds her tongue since her moody brother, Winthrop (Ronny Howard), is excited about the band. As Harold begins to develop feelings for Marian, he faces a difficult decision about skipping town.
By the time Edgar Winter left his hometown of Beaumont Texas in the 1960's, he was already proficient in every aspect of music, A child prodigy, Edgar has found success in music, film and television. Edgar's immediate impact on the record business with his first record, "Entrance", was followed up with two hit albums with his band White Trash, and he topped that success with The Edgar Winter Group, creating the number one hit "Frankenstein" as well as the ever-popular "Free Ride". The album "They Only Come Out At Night" peaked at number 3 on the Billboard charts and stayed on the chart for 80 weeks; on it's way to double platinum. Edgar invented the keyboard body strap, an innovation that allows him the freedom to move around the stage during his high-energy multi-instrument performances. His live appearances have occurred around the world, and Edgar is known for his own scintillating shows, as well as his riveting collaborations with the likes of Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band. Edgar's music can be heard in no fewer than fifteen film and television projects, including "The Simpsons”, "Wayne's World”, “Air America"," Wag The Dog", "Encino Man" and "My Cousin Vinny", as well as advertising campaigns such as Miller Highlife, and most recently the "Tupac Resurrection" film, which includes his powerful song "Runnin' (Dying To Live)", which charted #5 on the R&B/Hip Hop Charts. Produced by Eminem, the song was part of a soundtrack album that was number one for eight weeks. His live TV appearances include David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel. Edgar's live shows constantly receive rave reviews. His music is always evolving and he is a master of stretching his skill and imagination to produce amazing results. He also is a prolific writer, with a volume of poetry and a collection of exciting stories in his writing repertoire. Edgar is a musician at the top of his game, and he's proved he can do it all.
The Highwaymen Live lineup includes fine performances by: Michael Moore as Willie Nelson, Bob Gill as Waylon Jennings, and Daryl Weyman as Johnny Cash.
Michael Moore was born and raised in McKinney, Texas. His passion for Willie’s music came at an early age. Through many years of study, Moore’s ability to capture the country music legend’s voice and style are considered by many to be the best in the world. Michael is also an accomplished guitar player and performs all of the guitar parts played by Nelson in his shows. Michael has performed his Willie tribute show throughout the USA as a solo artist and also with several top tribute shows including Cavalcade of Stars, Mirror Image, Memories Theatre and Superstars Live in Concert, a BC Entertainment, Inc. production.
Bob Gill has been singing since his early years and has with the use of floor bass, guitar, and beat box as well as with a six piece cover country band. His performances have graced Nashville stages and other venues across North America. Bob has several albums to his credit and became interested in Waylon’s music when he first heard him in the early seventies and since then has amassed a repertoire of most of the songs ever recorded by Waylon.
Daryl Weyman loves the pleasure people get from his presentation of his “Tribute to Johnny Cash”. His deep baritone voice a rugged features are parallel to Johnny Cash, “The Man in Black” himself.
Daryl has performed in many venues such as the Merritt Mountain Music Festival, in front of 10,000 people at the Penticton Peach Festival, to senior residences, fall fairs, civic festivals, charities and various clubs. He opened for Carlene Carter at the Missouri Vally, Iowa National Traditional Country Music Festival when they inducted June Carter Cash into their hall of fame. Daryl is also on the list of characters for “Legends in Concert” with venues in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Branson and Myrtle Beach.
Charles Wilson, has been tagged as “The Crown Prince of Soul” for a reason. Being the nephew of the late great blues legend, Little Milton, Charles grew up in Chicago. He began performing at age seven and started singing as a teenager in Chicago area nightclubs. Blessed with his unique soul voice, Charles became a fixture on the soul circuit performing original songs, covering 70’s music and Motown Soul classics.
Rita's credentials are the stuff of legend. After earning a degree in art at Florida State University, the Tennessee native decided to give music a shot before settling into a career as an art teacher. She moved to Memphis and was soon singing jingles, demos and background vocals for a number of area bands. Among them was a husband and wife duo, Delaney & Bonnie. When the pair signed their record deal, Rita suddenly found herself on big-time pop music's leading edge. Her reputation as an A-list backup singer spread quickly. Joe Cocker enlisted her in that role and as a featured soloist on his Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. (Rita performed a song she'd co-written, “Superstar,” which would later be a huge hit for The Carpenters.) Work with other rock royalty followed, including tours and recordings with Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Leon Russell and Stephen Stills. In 1971, A&M Records moguls Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss signed her to the label, and one of the most enduring solo careers in all of music was underway.
John Fullbright got his start at the legendary Blue Door listening room in Oklahoma City. It was there that he recorded a live album and found his base, opening for many other writers including fellow Oklahomans Kevin Welch and Jimmy Webb. His 2012 studio debut, From the Ground Up, received a Grammy nomination for Americana Album of the Year, and later that year he won ASCAP’s Harold Adamson Award for lyric writing. In 2014, John released the critically acclaimed Songs, toured all over America and the UK, and appeared on Late Night with David Letterman.
Despite the name, Matt the Electrician is no longer an electrician, focusing instead on a music career that has spanned the course of two decades, a dozen records, and literally thousands of shows. It’s folk music for a modern age, rooted in lyrics that focus on the realities and challenges of the 21st century as opposed to, say, the old-school thrill of hopping trains.
“I don’t generally write mining disaster songs,”he explains. “I tend to write about things that have happened to me and my family. Songs about the small things in life, which, to me, are really the big things.”
In 1967, a little known vocal group called The 5th Dimension recorded a song called “Up, Up and Away” which turned out to be one of the biggest smash hits in musical history. The single won several Grammy Awards, the group capitulated to stardom, and their story has been one of success ever since. The 5th Dimension has released over a dozen hit albums and received 14 gold records, 6 platinum records and 6 Grammy Awards. Their classics include such hits as: “Up, Up, and Away,” “One Less Bell To Answer,” “Wedding Bell Blues,” “Stone Soul Picnic,” “Last Night I Didn’t Get To Sleep,” and “Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In.”
To put it simply, John Anderson is one of the greatest country music singers to ever step up to the microphone, possessing one of the most instantly recognizable vocal instruments in the history of the genre.
On his latest album Goldmine, released on his own Bayou Boys label, Anderson has completed a long overdue record of original songs. The award-winning songwriter wrote or co-wrote 12 of the album's 13 tracks. That will bring joy to the hearts of some of the most devoted fans in country music. Goldmine is also a record that, given the current state if contemporary country, could, like Cash and Haggard before him, find a home amid lovers of authentic music of any genre. Though he would never compare himself to his heroes, the fact is, John Anderson is now the standard bearer for traditional country music, of the 100 Proof variety.
With gold and platinum records on artists like Trisha Yearwood, John Michael Montgomery, George Strait, and a host of others who have covered Tony’s material, and with BMI awards and more than fifteen years of professional writing behind him, Tony has proven himself as a songwriter, but the best is yet to come for those watching and listening to Tony as he is proving himself as an artist…It will be a journey worth taking–wherever the journey takes us.
2009 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Contest Winners! The HillBenders perform a high-energy, foot-stomping bluegrass show full of tight 3 and 4 part harmonies and intricate, driving instrumental parts. Their widely varying influences lend much to their unique sound and their arsenal of original songs are sure to be your new favorites!
