As I was sorting through scholarship offers and preparing for college, I realized that I wanted to be a country singer.  After two years of opry's, gospel conventions and karaoke passed, I got a little break.  While preparing a four song demo for a major label, the local studio owner asked me to sign with his firm  and record an album(Cooper Sound Recording, Dallas, TX).  The result was No Place Like Home, an album consisting of all original, traditional country music written by Texas songwriters(www.banncountry.com).  Neither Mr. Cooper, nor I really knew what to do after completing the album.  So, we hired Roger Ramsey Corkill to promote the album and my Dad and I began calling on radio stations in an effort to "chart" the music.  We fell just short of making the "Bubbling Under" on the Texas Music Chart. 

Well, we managed to sell a few copies of the first album through Tower Records and my website.  The most impressive sales effort though was by my mother, Beletta Grant who sold a number of copies through the 50 year old family owned beauty shop, J'Nell's.

The most important lesson I learned from this experience was that I needed real help!  My very good friend and bass player, James Anderson, introduced me to Michael Kubiak.  Mike has a great background in the music business.  He managed John Nitzinger, a performer and song writer of note and has successfully produced both live shows and albums.  Mike and I acquired songs from cutting edge songwriters in Nashville.  To evaluate the songs on a live audience, I "booked in" to open for Kevin Fowler at the Red Neck Games in Alto, TX. (August '06). We then began recording the second album, Trouble is a Woman at Palmyra Studios, an analogue/digital studio owned and operated by Paul Middleton, Bonnie Raitt's award winning sound engineer.  The new album was mastered in March, 2007 by George Guerin at DES Mastering (www.desmastering.com).

I have hired a performing band and am in rehearsals twice a week.  My set initial set list will be 48 songs with seventeen of those being original compositions from the two albums.  The balance of the set list will be cover songs that are venue appropriate.

BAND:

Phillip Looney: Keyboards / Vocals. Phil, a Dallasite, and graduate of the University of Texas, worked in New York and Houston as a studio musician/engineer, and has won several awards for Soundtrack music, including the New York Festivals Gold, and a Telly. Phil has had several national solo releases, and global music videos for the Playboy channel/ SpectraVision.

James Anderson: Bass Guitar/Band Director. A native Texan, began his career as bass player with Jimmy Reed, continued his career with Abnak Records playing bass on several gold records. He has with the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars with such notables as Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Jon & Robin & In Crowd. James has performed on numerous TV shows including the Tonight Show, and American Bandstand.

Bobby Hibbitts: Percussion/Vocals. Bobby started his musical career with a local rock band in Delaware called the Dimensions. After moving to Dallas, he has played, recorded and traveled with many of the country stars including Jerry Jeff Walker and Charlie Pride. He appeared in and played on the sound track for the movie Tender Mercies.

Larry White: Steel and Acoustic Guitars. Larry is one of the most accomplished steel guitar players in the country. After spending several years in Nashville as a studio musician he returned to Texas to play on and produce albums for several well known country singers. He was a member of the Spade Cooley Band and also spent time traveling with Roy Drusky.

Paul White: Electric and Acoustic Guitars/vocals. Paul is one of those gifted musicians that never found a musical instrument that he couldn’t play well. He began his musical career in Deep Elm playing in most of the clubs there with his own band as well as a solo act. In addition to traveling the rock circuit with his own band, he has become a noted studio musician.