Travis Tritt to Headline Threadgill Concert Series on November 10 Austin Singer-Songwriter Guy Forsyth
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Travis Tritt to Headline Threadgill Concert Series on November 10 Austin Singer-Songwriter Guy Forsyth Travis Tritt will bring his national acoustic tour to Greenville on Saturday evening, November 10 as he headlines the final installment of the 2012 Kenneth Threadgill Concert Series. Popular Austin singer-songwriter Guy Forsyth will open the concert at the historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Greenville. Tickets for the November 10 concert can be purchased in Greenville at Cavenders and downtown at the Greenville Municipal Building and downtown at the Magic Bubble, the Calico Cat, and at the venue manager’s office in the Municipal Building. Tickets are also available online : www.ShowtimeAtTheGMA.com. A limited number of seats are available in the Platinum and Gold reserved sections. Travis Tritt was one of the leading new country singers of the early '90s, holding his own against Garth Brooks, Clint Black, and Alan Jackson. He was the only one not to wear a hat and the only one to dip into bluesy Southern rock. Consequently, he developed a gutsy, outlaw image that distinguished him from the pack. Throughout the early '90s, he had a string of platinum albums and Top Ten singles, including three number one hits. Tritt fell in love with music as a child, teaching himself how to play guitar when he was eight and beginning to write songs when he was 14. He was determined to have a musical career, but his parents didn't encourage him to follow his instincts. Tritt's mother didn't mind that he wanted to perform, but she wanted him to sing gospel; his father was afraid there was no money in singing. In 1982, Tritt began his pursuit of a career in music by recording a demo tape at a private studio which was owned by Danny Davenport, who happened to be an executive at Warner Brothers. Davenport heard the vocalist's songs and was impressed, deciding to take Tritt under his wing. For the next several years, the pair recorded demo tapes while Tritt played the honky tonk circuit. The singer was developing a distinctive sound, adding elements of country-rock and Southern rock to his honky tonk. In 1989, Warner Brothers' Nashville division signed Tritt, and his debut album, Country Club, appeared in the stores in the spring 1990. It was preceded by the Top Ten hit, "Country Club." Upon the release of his debut album, Tritt entered the first ranks of new country singers. His next two singles, "Help Me Hold On" and "I'm Gonna Be Somebody," hit number one and two respectively. "Put Some Drive in Your Country," which had a clear rock & roll influence, stalled at number four, since radio programmers were reluctant to feature such blatantly rock-derived music. Tritt had a breakthrough success with his second album, 1991's It's All About to Change - which went into multi-platinum territory. T-r-o-u-b-l-e, Tritt's third album, was released in 1992 - it had the number one single, "Can I Trust You With My Heart," and went gold. Tritt came back in 1994 with Ten Feet Tall & Bulletproof, which went platinum, spawned the number one single "Foolish Pride," and marked his highest position, number 20, on the pop charts. His 1995 compilation Greatest Hits: From the Beginning went platinum within six months of its November release. Restless Kind was released in 1996, followed two years later by No More Looking Over My Shoulder. Down the Road I Go was issued in fall 2000. Live in Concert appeared in 2007 from Big Bang while later that same year Category 5 released a new studio effort from Tritt called The Storm produced by the well known American Idol judge and musician Randy Jackson. Tritt is currently traveling the country on his solo-acoustic tour and giving audiences an intimate experience playing his songs and telling stories in a rare and intimate experience. Austin singer-songwriter Guy Forsyth is known for dazzling live shows and his rich Americana roots sound. Forsyth (vocals, acoustic, electric, & slide guitar, harmonica, ukulele, singing saw), brings a unique mixture of styles such as folk, rock, blues, country, and Tin Pan Alley to create a sound that’s as diverse, raw and compelling as America itself. Forsyth brought his skills as a stellar live performer to help found and make infamous nationwide the theatrical acoustic group The Asylum Street Spankers. His time with the Spankers touring and recording 5 albums added to a wealth of earlier unique experiences in his life – working as a stuntman in renaissance shows, busking on the streets of New Orleans and playing on a mountain top in Nepal. Forsyth is known today as a musician with gripping, powerful vocals as well as a master of numerous instruments. He started his musical development first with singing, and began playing harmonica at 16. Shortly thereafter he heard a very distinct and overwhelming sound on Kansas City radio that changed his life; it was Mississippi blues legend Robert Johnson. After that, he borrowed a guitar, fell in love and learned to tune it with his feet from a friend who had lost both his arms in an accident. Since then, he’s been awarded an Austin Music Award for Best Male Vocalist in 2005, as well as numerous other AMA’s over the years in categories such as Blues and Best Miscellaneous Instrumental Player. Forsyth has opened for and shared the stage with musicians such as BB King, Ray Charles, Lucinda Williams, Jimmy Vaughn, Dr. John, and Robert Cray, among many others. Series coordinator, Larry W. Green, Jr. says the November Concert will be a new direction for the Threadgill Series. “Travis Tritt is a popular national touring artist who has a unique sound. The GMA is a perfect venue for an acoustic concert by Travis Tritt.” “This will be a rare opportunity to enjoy a Nashville hit maker in an acoustic setting.” Green continued. According to Green, Guy Forsyth is a natural complement to Tritt’s sound. “Guy Forsyth is well known in Austin for his energetic live shows. Like Travis Tritt, one of his primary influences is American blues music. If you have not seen Guy Forsyth live, you are in for a treat.” Violin students from local elementary schools will again perform at the concert. The Greenville Suzuki Strings Association sells bottled water at the concerts, with all proceeds being used to purchase new violins for the students. .