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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 2000)
Novemlv'. wd fron,; Leonafc| issner said ihe rini; nade v M. Bo«i Lossnerii It was of Turrd ird accq seated i1k| W. L ( Bowen lie Sanded not leave )ouglas t great for what for God'i ring mbersof who tually n hteroflt said the main® icatesthati e been ddtotlay, November 13, 2000 don MmGvEJ, t fe, Page % THE BATTALION 'wing City meets the Twin Cities ountry crooner Roger Brown sings the blues to Texas Hall of Fame crowd Friday night By Hju arv Can t The Battalion Roger Brown shook up the Hall of Fame Friday night with his fusion of country, swing and big hand. "file dean-cut. country crooner hung a maroon Texu:> A&M Hag on the edge of the Hall <H' Fame stage iur honor of his father, who graduated from A&M in f949 and was a Corps of Cadets commander. “My dad would have been proud to see me play here in Bryan,' 1 Brown said. Brown performed with an abbreviated hand because his regular touring hand was plagued with medical emergencies. The au dience did not seem to mind as they two-stepped around the dance floor while Brown cov ered a selection oibougs made popular by artists from flank Williams to Buck Owens. Brown returned to his home state. Texas, in 1998 after almost 20 years of successful song writ ing, in Nashville. He has penned songs recorded by George Strait, Randy Travis and even Barbara Streisand. His first big break came when Tanya Tucker covered his song “Fool Pool Heart” in the'80s. But-Brow n, being a, native Texan, want ed to return home. “As long as I lived in Tenues,see, l always T elt like a prodigal Texan, just waiting for the right time to move home,” Brown said. ' Brown has joined the recent wave of al~ ternative-eountry artists like Roger Oeager nd Bat Green, who are finding an audience ithout the support of a major h bel Ofh n, these artists are only eonsicfeiARl alteruative ; because they do not fit in — cutter country music played on the radio. “When 1 was in Nashville, they were al ways saying, ‘the radio is not going to play that,’ ” Brown said, “But Pm just stubborn f* guess, because I just keep doing it.” ■ Brown said lie has had bad luck with fail-1 ing recording labels. He recorded a 5-song CD' • in' ; l^96-ealt^df5M7«^ Records.-' just before it went belly up. The short a 1 bumf was critically acclaimed, but Brown said it was j unable to reach enough people because the la-~. be! was not able to suppoi t the album. : 1 “it wtus like being a baseball player in the;; minor leagues," Brown said. “Then, when you finally gel your shot at the majors, you never/ even get up to bate* Brown has recorded his first, full-length al bum. Rodeo Booeje, and has released it on his own label. Prairie Crooner Records. Brown is touring Texas promoting .the new album and playing in cities like San Angelo. Dallas and his hometov/n ofMenard, Texas. Rodeo Boogie features a 1 G-pieee band for a full, rich western swinging sound. Brown's self-taught rhythm guitar accompanies his soft, smooth voice with just a hint of Texas twang. Brown said his unusual combination of various musical styles has meant that, he of ten has to convince others that the combina tion will work and appeal to a broad audience. “My stuffs different, but that/s not to say that it can t be mainstream," Brown said. Brown describes hismuric as a mixture of his favorite musical influences. “Ifs Bob Wilis meets Duke Ellington.” Brown said. Brown said Texas is the perfect place to play his music because Texas has such a great musical heritage and the fans are open to new things. He said Texans have embraced differ ent musical styles horn Western swing toTe- jano and Americana, so his style should fit in here. “Texas is like a country unto itself mu sically.” Brown said. “People accept stuff Vat might not be played in Nashville or ■Komia." said he would love to play in other Western states like Colorado, but, for now, he is focusing on Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. en strong when yot It siw* makes t iess of / lity, a® the col undersltf ‘ hided ^ is to rejoief ce lies' |ared bet* Bonfire strike. Find courses you will succeed in! : aware d how d that A have' I :: rys incur is kno f icor iror Editor PlCKAPRDF. COM -Read what other students say about professors before you register. i»i* ttalioa* ■ sifietts-' to pi^ ^ are h To#' -Course evaluations and the number of A, B, C, D, E, &F's in classes. Created and maintained by students, for students