Doo-Wah Rider Biography

DOO-WAH RIDER BIOGRAPHY There is no one else like the Doo-Wah Riders. For over 30 years they have been riding their own patch of the musical range throughout the west. They possess the rare combination of many years of experience and youthful energy, fired by a love for what they do. The Doo-Wahs are country, with a unique, original sound. They define their sound as "high energy country with a cajun twist". Their tight musicianship and powerful arrangements of clas- sic and original songs have made them favorites everywhere they go. The band appeared in the movie "Basic Instinct", starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone. They were featured doing one of their own songs, "Glowing in the Ashes". They appeared on TNN's "Prime Time Country" and on the prime time television Dick Clark Production "Will You Marry Me?" The Doo-Wah Riders have appeared in concert with: Garth Brooks, George Strait, Alabama, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Brooks and Dunn, Chris LeDoux, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, The Judds, Tracy Lawrence, Brad Paisley, Lone Star, Clint Black, Asleep at the Wheel, Jodee Messina, Randy Travis, The Oak Ridge Boys, Richochet, Travis Tritt, Marty Stuart, Leann Rimes, Mark Wills, John Denver, Ricky Van Shelton, K. D. Lang, Mark Chestnutt, Jo-El Sonnier, The Statler Bros., Jerry Jeff Walker, and Joan Jett. In addition to being artists in their own right, the Doo- Wah Riders have served as a back-up band for: Collin Raye, Pam Tillis, Glen Campbell, Deanna Carter, Bryan White, George Jones & Chalee Tennison, Billy Ray Cyrus, Neal McCoy, Lee Ann Womack, Martina McBride, Mark Wills, Chad Brock, Clay Walker, Rick Trevino, Moe Bandy, Aaron Tippin, Doug Supernaw, The Kinleys, Shelby Lynn, and other country legends. http://doowahriders.com ADMISSION: $5 FOR ALL AGES. All proceeds after expenses benefit the cancer support & assistance in H.C. BURNS GARAGE DOO-WAH RIDERS KENNY LEE BENSON— VOCALS, ACCORDIAN, KEYBOARD, & HARMONICA When I was in my early 20s I decided to quit playing country music in the beer and honky tonks of New Mexico and study music "seriously." I left Albuquerque and moved to Boston to go to music school. After two semesters I ran out of money and did what came natural... playing country music in beer joints and honky tonks. This time in the Northeast. In spite of playing with some won- derful people and players (including the legendary Sleepy La- Beef), I came to the realization that no matter where I was, I was always playing the "the worst place in town" and decided to get the hell out of Dodge. Torn between moving to Nashville and Los Angeles (I had an "ex" in Texas), I let my record collection decide for me. Emmy- lou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Brian Ahern, Byron Berline, Albert Lee and Chris Hillman were all in California and making the kind of records I wanted to make, so I packed up and moved there. Once again, I went to school and studied arranging and orchestration with Dick Grove in Studio City, California (my cur- rent home). One night after playing music at a friend's house, the guitar player and I stood in the parking lot and talked about country music until the wee hours of the morning. We found that we had a mutual passion for Bob Wills, Asleep at the Wheel, Guy Clark and, of course, Emmylou Harris; we decided that we should put a band together just for "laughs." Little did I know that the band would become a major part of my life and that I'd still be working with Lindy Rasmusson 30 years later! DOO-WAH RIDERS It all started June 3, 1970 when I was born in Colfax, Washington. Well.....it ac- tually started 9 months prior......but we won't get into that. At age 6 I saw a violin demonstration at school. I told my parents about it, and how I wanted to play violin. They eventually said yes. I started classical training using the Suzuki Method. My teacher was Jan Wasson. I did well with it, but wearing suits and playing stuffy recitals was not for a red- neck farm boy like myself! So I started fiddling at the age of 12. My fiddle teacher was Tony Ludiker, and he taught me Texas-style Contest Fiddle. I com- peted in numerous contests around the northwest, including the National Fiddle Contest in Weiser, ID. At this time I also started playing guitar and mandolin. I still try to compete in contests, and have placed, and won a few around the country, including 10th place in the Champion KEITH NIEHENKE—VIOLIN Division at the Nationals (1992, 1998). At age 16 I started to branch out with my music. I was playing swing, jazz, bluegrass, 50's rock, and country. I started teaching myself lead guitar by listening to Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, and Duane Eddy. I also began singing a little. When I was 18 I moved to Spokane, Washington. When I turned 19 I started playing at a honky tonk called Kelly's in Stateline, ID. I was playing with Kelly Hughes and the Kelly Hughes Band. This was the premiere country act in the northwest, and Kelly's was the place to be. We opened for numerous Nashville acts, such as Clay Walker, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, and Collin Raye. DOO-WAH RIDERS LINDY RASMUSSEN: VOCALS, ELECTRIC & ACOUSTIC GUITAR Raised in the "not-so-country" town of North Hollywood, California, Lindy began banging out the tunes on the guitar to the "California Country Sound." But The Eagles, Fogelberg and Michael Martin Murphey only lead to harder stuff. Asleep at the Wheel, Guy Clark and other "Cosmic Cowboys" lured him out of the art school classroom and into the honky tonks where he was fatefully introduced to Kenny Lee Benson. From there The Doo-Wah Riders were born. Almost 20 years later, the two have opened for or backed up nearly everyone in the country world. DOO-WAH RIDERS PAUL LORANGER: BASS At the age of 9, Paul saw his uncle’s wedding band playing. Seeing the upright bass being played, he thought to himself that’s what he wanted to play that when he grew up. Brought up in a musical family he played piano until he was 12. He asked to play upright in JR High but saying he was too short, they gave him a baritone horn to play. Paul began playing bass and guitar when he was 16. By the time he was 17, he was playing bass professionally. Although not his major in college, he studied music in college. While attending school full time he also played 4-5 nights a week. After college, Paul began tour- ing. Through out the years Paul has been fortunate enough to play in every country in Western Europe, most of Eastern Europe, Japan, Austria, South Africa and all of the United States except Alaska. Paul loves being on the road and per- forming live. .

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