Posted by Pete Smith on March 3, 2008, 11:37 pm
86.145.208.89
“The Advertiser” (UK) 22 February 2008
Mike Parrish was born in Jacinto City, Texas and developed three abiding passions, his home state of Texas, law enforcement and music of any description. His father, being in the oil business, travelled extensively throughout Texas and Louisiana taking his family with him and this no doubt laid the foundations for songs yet to come from Mike’s pen. By the time he was nine the young Parrish was onto his second guitar and had written his first song, as music became a bigger and bigger part of his life. It was during these years that Mike began a lifelong friendship with Sammy Hundley. After finishing high school Mike served for three years in the Army then promptly joined the East Texas Police Academy. As a fully fledged officer of the law Parrish worked first for the Sour Lake Police Department for six months then the Kountze P.D. for six years, half that time as Chief. Later he worked as an investigator for the Hardin Country D.A. but soon moved to Daisetta to achieve Chief Of Police in 2001. Having achieved almost all he hoped for in law enforcement Mike has time to relax a little and take care of his passion for music. He had been writing songs for years, many based on his experiences travelling around and meeting people, now was the time to do something with them. He formed a little band, Mike Parrish and Six Gun and created his first album “Texas In The Man”. Throughout these original songs I hear echoes of the old Sun rockabillies, Marshall Tucker Band, Allman Brothers, Poco and the Eagles with Parrish originality resonating throughout. There are fifteen well-crafted songs beautifully performed, musically and vocally, and the wonder of it is there are only three musicians, Mike Parrish (lead vocals, guitar), Sammy Hundley (lead and backup vocals, all guitars, keyboards), Allan Dossett (drums). In short, this is one hell of a country rock album! Great lead and harmony vocals are backed by tight, ear catching backings, particularly Hundley’s superb guitar work. The songs, I suppose quite naturally, frequently mention the “Lone Star State” – “Texas In The Man”, “Texas When I Die (Part 11)”, “Goin’ Back To Texas” and “Texas Blue Sky”. There is also a moving patriotic tribute with “Angels Fly” (featuring Krystal Parrish and Desiree Singleton). Mike is fiercely patriotic for both state and country and I can think of no better way to express these emotions than the songs that make up “Texas In The Man”. www.mikeparrishtexas.com
Rusty Young turns 62 tomorrow (Saturday). Rusty is an original member of Poco and his steel guitar playing has set the standard for all country rock bands that have followed. Much in demand Rusty was asked to join the Flying Burrito Brothers but opted instead for Poco with whom he has stayed ever since.
Remember there are stars in the southern sky.
“The Advertiser” (UK) 29 February 2008
For me a great Gospel album has to have songs that are meaningful, inspiring and uplifting. The performance has to have humility and conviction and all this applies to “That’s How Much I Love You” (EHK) by Juell. I have, for quite some time, enjoyed Juell’s contributions to the EHK radio samplers so am quite over the moon to receive my first full album by this wonderfully talented artist. The eleven song programme, entirely written by the singer, features conscious nudging stories and hand clapping singalongs all built around Bible truths. Amongst the songs are the obviously inspired “I Fell In Love With Jesus”, “You Should See Me Through My Father’s Eyes” and my particular top favourite “Take It To Calvary”. I must make mention of Mychael John Thomas who provides the tasteful backings playing piano, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitars, bass and drums and Thomas Fant for the effective harmonica. www.healinglink7@wmconnect.com
Over the years Australia has produced some pretty powerful country performers and Patti McKinnon certainly ranks among them. Patti began her career at the age of 8 years touring her native Australia with her father. During her early adult years Patti put music on the back burner whilst she developed a career in forensic and cardiac nursing and later to raise her two sons. As the boys grew into men Patti could find more time to devote to her passion – country music. As she developed her reputation as a first class perform Cable Trax offered her a recording contract and her debut, “Freedom Highway” received wide airplay throughout Australasia, Europe and the United States. Tours of Tennessee, Alabama and Texas followed as did the second album, “Good Hearted Woman”. The award winning Patti is a no frills, straight down the line country performer with a great voice and, equally if not more importantly, a real feel for the music she performs. For “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” (Cable), her latest release, Patti has selected a bunch of past country hits, some of them among the most beautiful songs the genre as ever produced, such as “Til I Gain Control Again”, “The Teddy Bear Song”, “Easy Lovin’” and “Seven Spanish Angels”. Also included are “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels”, “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad”, “Blue Kentucky Girl”, “What Part Of No Don’t You Understand”, Walk On By”, “Don’t be Cruel” (a duet with Cazna Goodall) and Patti’s own “Clouds Over Nashville”. Love ya Patti!
Email:freedom.ridge3@bigpond.com
Remembering: Wednesday (5 March) marks the forty-fifth anniversary of the tragic deaths of Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins and Cowboy Copas. The trio was travelling back to Nashville following a benefit concert in Kansas City when their twin-engine Comanche airplane crashed. There were no survivors. Wreckage was strewn over a large area and the search parties included Roger Miller and Carl Perkins who heard the news on radio and went straight to the scene.
Remember there are stars in the southern sky.
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