Photo credit: Chuck Madden
Tell us about your tour vehicle.
Our current Tour vehicle is a 2017 Chevy Express Passenger Van that we have named “The Alabama Ghost Rider” since we bought it in Atmore, Alabama where our previous van, “The White Lightnin’ Express” (same make & model) had finally died after we put 420,000 miles on it in just four years. We already have over 127,000 on the new ride in just over one year. We keep the maintenance up on our rides meticulously to keep up with our tour schedule which finds us playing over 300 shows a year all across the lower 48 of the Good Ol’ USA!
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
It’s different for everybody in our group when eating on the run but we collectively try to get in at least one good meal each day. Some of my personal favorite’s are Texas BBQ (specifically Blacks BBQ) seafood when we’re down South, a good pho joint that will make it EXTREMELY Hot, Nashville hot chicken and I’m always down for a good steak. When grabbing something on the go I try to stay away from junk food, carbs etc and make better choices. Of course I’m always down for the “Soup Of The Day” which is fine Kentucky bourbon!
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
Fortunately I have an endorsement with DR Strings and rarely break them. They are hand wound in America and I generally get upwards of 20 shows out of a set. I use HEAVY gauge and once they’re broken in they last a really long time and they do NOT lose tone. My personal record was a freakish 132 shows on the same set of strings. Anthony Corona and our family at DR are simply the best!
Where do you rehearse?
We don’t rehearse as we have been actively touring over 300 dates a year for several years now. When I’m introducing a new song to the band we kinda just play it a few times and let the arrangements grow organically.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
The first song I wrote was called “Wild Eyes.” I wrote it when I was 16 years old just a few days after I got my first guitar and learned a few chords. It wasn’t a very good song but it was a start to a lifetime of always trying to better my craft with each new song and kick the can a little further down the road.
Describe your first gig.
My first gig was also when I was 16 years old. The band that I had put together in high school with Bronson Burns and Russell Griffith was called Southern Frost. That first show was opening for local bluegrass banjo legend Taylor Farley and Blue Rock. We played at the now defunct Murray’s Chili Parlour in Norwood, Ohio. We played several of the first songs I had written along with tunes by Waylon, Willie, David Allan Coe and Hank Williams Sr.
All these years later I still have great lifelong friendships with both of my first band mates. I reconnected with Bronson Burns at a Kris Kristofferson Concert a few years back and Russell Griffith actually does select tour dates with my band as well as touring with other great artists.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
I haven’t a day job since way back in my college years at Northern Kentucky University. I just turned 49 years old and have been actively touring and supporting my family with my music for now on 30 years.
How has your music-related income changed over the past 5-10 years? What do you expect it to look like 5-10 years from now?
Fortunately my music related income has grown significantly in the past 5-10 years. I’ve had high times and hard times over the years and after nearly losing it all at one point I was able to turn it around and get back on track. My Wife, Jenna Danielle Moore single handedly turned my life around and helped me to get my act together and in turn move our business forward. There’s a song I wrote on my new album called “You Saved Me From Me” and it really is the truth in our case. Hopefully we’ll continue to grow over the coming years and I’ll continue to be able to provide a good life for my family.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
I’d say I wish would have known early on the best piece of advice that I ever got which came from Willie Nelson when he told me “Do It For The Love, But Never Be Above The Money!”