Junior Brown
By Christine Bohorfoush - AngryCountry.com Staff Writer
Junior
Brown... A Unique Artist
"A
lot of people tell me they do not like country music, but they like what I
am doing," says Junior Brown. I hear that line more than anything
else, which is ironic because a couple of licks is all it takes to erase
any doubts concerning Junior's stylistic allegiance. His music combines
the soul of country and the spirit of rock n' roll.
In Junior's case, playing everywhere from the Grand Ole Opry to rock
showcases on the West Coast and his hometown of Austin, Texas, *crossover*
is not synonymous with water-down or his light weight he says of his
ever-growing legion of converts.
"Just
about the time they label me as some old time honkytonk
singer,
I throw something new in there that surprises them. And
then
they will appreciate the traditional styles of country music
too.
Do something to wow them without ruining the roots of
country
and they end up accepting the music that they would
have
been prejudiced against."
For years as Austin's best-kept secret, then a few more years as the
town's one must-see act for visiting musicians and label heads, Junior
Brown and his music have since found an audience far beyond the Lone Star
border. Junior's first two albums (12 Shades of Brown and Guit
With It) have helped establish him as a crowd favorite from Texas
roadhouses to the hippest clubs of New York City and Europe.
There is usually a wide-eyed look accompanying one who witnesses Junior's
unique instrumental prowess for the first time... or the second, or third,
for that matter. What one might not know is that Junior invented his own
guitar, one that combines the standard six-string guitar and the steel
guitar. He calls it the "guit-steel."
"I
was playing both the steel and guitar, switching back and
forth
a lot while I sang, and it was kind of awkward. But then
I
had this dream where they just kind of melted together. When
I
woke up, I thought 'You know, that thing would work!' They
made
double-neck guitars and double-neck steels, so why not
one
of each?"
A call was made to guitar maker Michael Stevens, whose expertise made the
dream a reality, and around 1985 the guit-steel was born. Last year Junior
once again enlisted the services of Stevens to make a second guit-steel, a
cherry-red axe affectionately nicknamed "Big Red."
In Junior's hands, the guit-steel is an amazing tool, a means to
creating some of the hottest, most heartfelt playing heard in years (and
in a town like Austin, that is saying something.) His talents have led
major magazines like Musician to herald Junior as a genius. Life
magazine honored him as the only contemporary musician included in
their "All Time Country Band." and Guitar Player magazine's
1994 Best Of... listings made him their #1 lap steel player, #2 Country
Artist, and #3 country album (Guit With It.)
Instrumentalist is only one of the hats the 44 year old is comfortable
wearing... along with singer, songwriter, and producer - and he is equally
adept and impressive in each role, having turned professional as a
teenager in the late 60's.
"There
was always music of some kind in the house when
I
was growing up. My Dad was a piano player and so I started
playing
little melodies on the piano before I could talk. We
lived
out in the woods outside of Kirksville, Indiana and there
is
a lot of country folks out there. I used to hear country music
over
the radio, Ernest Tubb and others. When we got a TV, I
watched
his show, and I have always been a big fan of his."
Once Junior started his own career, he met Tubb several times, and Tubb
offered him some stern advice. "Keep it country, son." Junior
says. "Tubb was concerned about country music getting watered down.
He wanted young people to get a hold of it and get wild as they wanted
instrumentally, as long as they brought it right back down to the country,
backing the singer and to remember that they are in a country band."
Junior's admiration for Tubb inspired one of his better known songs, My
Baby Don't Dance to Nothin' but Ernest Tubb.
In the mid-80's, Junior taught guitar under Leon McAulliffe, the legendary
steel man for Bob Will's Texas Playboys at Oklahoma's Hank Thompson School
of Country Music, part of Rogers State College. He even passed on a little
more music to one student - it was there that Junior met "the lovely
Miss Tanya Rae," the talented woman who would become his rhythm
guitarist, backup vocalist, and wife. "I kept her after class,"
Junior laughs. They married in July of 1988.
Junior and Tanya Rae decided to seek out the best environment for their
musical vision. The place was Austin, Texas, where the lines between
various musical styles and genres have always been a bit blurry. They set
up shop at the legendary Continental Club, where slowly but surely their
appearances there got people talking. "It is music for
everybody," he says.
I immediately became impressed by Junior Brown, when I happened to catch
him performing one evening on television's Austin City Limits. As
reported here, it truly was only a few guitar licks and I was hooked...
Junior does indeed have a unique way around a guitar and in his
songwriting. When I realized that he was now touring with Toby Keith's Shock
and Ya'll tour, I knew that I wanted the opportunity to interview this
true country music legend.
As a writer for ANGRY COUNTRY, it was my pleasure to recently interview
outstanding musician Junior Brown:
Christie: Junior, you are a fantastic guitarist; when did you first
pick-up a
guitar and
begin to learn to play?
Junior: At about six years old. I found an old beat up guitar that
belonged to my
grandfather in my
grandparent's attic... had only a few strings on it. It was at about eight
years old that I got my first real guitar and one that had all the
strings.
Christie: You have written very unique songs such as: MY WIFE THINKS
YOU'RE DEAD.
Where do you
draw inspiration from, as you sit down to write such songs?
Junior: I draw inspiration from all sorts of areas... mostly, I come
up with a
title for a song and
than build a story around the title.
Christie: As mentioned, you have a very unique and different style
to your music;
whom were your
musical influences?
Junior: Actually, there are too many to mention. I usually followed
anyone who
played guitar well. As the
years passed, too, I learned to have an appreciation
for all musical
instruments.
Christie: I realize that you were with CURB RECORDS, but I have not
heard any
new music from
you since your 2001 MIXED BAG album. Is there a reason
behind your
absence from the music scene?
Junior: Right now, I am taking the time to search for a new record
label and
am looking for the best
offer. I did make six albums, however, with
CURB RECORDS that I am
very proud of. Laughing, he adds: They are still
in stores and I hope that
people are still buying them.
Christie: Now that you are out on the road touring with Toby Keith,
is there a
new album in
the works for you in 2003?
Junior: Yes, I am hoping to have a new album released within the
next six months.
Christie: Last, we have a signature question here at ANGRY COUNTRY
that we ask
all artists...
What is the one thing that your fans would be most
surprised to
know about you?
Junior: I bet my fans would be surprised to learn that I started out
in music
planning to be a classical
pianist. Needless to say, I did not stick with
that idea for too long.
- - -
NOTE: My heartfelt thanks to Junior Brown for allowing me to
interview with
him, and
to his wife Tanya for her help with background information.
|
