Crosby Rodeo books top concert performers

The Crosby Fair & Rodeo has named their total acts for the upcoming concerts after the Rodeo, Cook-Off this June and the Spring Dance next weekend.

The Spring Dance for the Crosby Fair & Rodeo is to be held on April 12 at the American Legion Hall. It will be a Traditional Country Dance Hall Music venue featuring Jeff Woolsey.

Woolsey by the statement of his own website says “Woolsey was raised on traditional country music in the honkytonks, on the North side of Houston, Texas. He spent many Saturday nights listening to his step-dad’s band play all the great songs from Ray Price, Johnny Bush, George Jones, Mel Tillis, Faron Young and the many other great country music artists from the ‘50’s,‘60’s and ‘70’s. Woolsey sang his first song when he was four years old….Charley Pride’s, “Is Anybody Goin’ To San Antone”. From that moment on…he was hooked on singing and hooked on country music. ….. When Jeff turned 19 years old, he started his own band. Woolsey paid close attention to what the crowd enjoyed dancing to…just as he was taught. “Keep ‘em on the floor…if you don’t, you’re not doing your job.” That’s what he was always told and that is what he has always done….kept ‘em on the floor.

Throughout the ‘90’s, he and the band were one of the hottest bands on the dancehall circuit, playing 150+ dances a year. Jeff released his first single in 1991 and received considerable airplay in Texas as well as other states.

In 1994, they were named “Band of the Year” in the Houston area.

Hill Country Jane plays first for the Cook-off on June 6. The band leads for Johnny “Looking for Love” Lee.

Since 2005, Hill Country Jane has been steadily gaining momentum in the Texas/Red Dirt Music scene. Starting out as an acoustic trio in Austin, and now based in their hometown of Houston, Hill Country Jane has evolved into a Texas Country Rockin’ Blues powerhouse! With the release of their debut LP, “The Great Charade”, the buzz about this up and coming band grew louder and louder. Then, in 2012 HCJ made some big changes, joining forces with long-time friends and collaborators Chip Oliphant, Dan Payne & Derek Wilson from the local Houston band Last House on the Left. With the right pieces finally in place, the guys went straight to work with producer Billy Hillman of HillTrax Studios in Huntsville, TX, and are currently recording their latest CD “Home Grown” expected to be released in 2014.

Texas born and bred singer, songwriter Abbi Walker Petkoff has been dubbed a Rockabilly songstress sort of a cross between Adele and Miranda Lambert. She will lead for Jason Boland and the Stragglers on Saturday, June 7.

She has been landing huge gigs opening up for country headliners such as Jack Ingram and The Charlie Daniels Band, and now she is making her radio debut with the release of her new single Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

“Abbi is everything you want in a female country singer. For one she is very easy on the eyes and a total sassy sweetheart, but more importantly her vocals will knock you on the floor while her catchy songs will have you toe tapping and and wanting to sing along. The pros have found her fresh, edgy, talented and packed with personality.”

Daughter of a preacher, singing since she was 3 years old, she’s in love with not just singing, but songwriting and learning how to tell her story. Her songs are relatable. Abbi’s sound has many layers. Her fresh feisty lyrics hold deep Gospel soul and sweet harmonies mixed with gritty Southern Rock.

The Philip Griffin Band starts the Crosby Fair & Rodeo concerts on Thursday, June 12, leading for Aaron Lewis.

Dayton’s own blue collar, neighborhood band that everybody liked on Friday night after the football game has come full circle to re-play for the Crosby Fair & Rodeo. Griffin grew up on simple philosophies; go to college, get married and the good ol’ American dream. The rumors spread by people are something of tall tales and fiction. So many of these things are present in the music written and performed by Philip Griffin Band.

The bands EP release in 2009 “Philip Griffin Band” was just the beginning of small town pride and life lived through a young man’s eyes. The heart wrenching emotion of a love that didn’t last; “Left Us Here” to the triumph of “Watch Me Go”; the aspirations of “Worth It” and the countdown of the betrayal in “Running Out of Time”. Remaining on the EP is the true ballad of “Austin” and the honky tonk, two stepping success of “How Bout You and Me”. Griffin’s songs have such an emotional draw. The EP was just the beginning of the songwriting and heart and soul of each line that has been sung across the state of Texas.

Philip Griffin Band has performed at many venues considered to be staples for Texas Music. The list includes; Goode’s Armadillo Palace, Firehouse Saloon, Shiners Saloon, Bandera Saloon, River Road Icehouse, Tavern on the Gruene, Shotzi’s, Josabi’s, The Cow Pony, Falcon Club, House of Blues (Houston), Big Texas (Spring), Crosby Fair and Rodeo, Jackson County Fair and Rodeo, and 100’s more bars and honky tonks.

Philip Griffin Band released their second album, “Burning Bridges”.

Breelan Angel of Baytown will lead for Friday’s rodeo concert. The Turnpike Troubadours are headliners.

Breelan is a self-described “steel magnolia” and “It’s My Turn” is a personal testament to her Texas-gal determination. Showing off her talent as a vocalist and a songwriter, Breelan chose this as her debut single from the forthcoming album of the same name because of its strong message.

“I wrote ‘It’s My Turn’ as an anthem to represent female empowerment and independence,” stated Breelan. “Girls love to go out with their friends and enjoy themselves just as much as men. This song is for all women who need a day to themselves, a new pair of high heels and a night out on the town.”

Breelan showed off a God-given natural talent at the early age of three when she began ballet, tap and jazz. As she grew older, she took piano lessons for a time and also performed in choirs and theater productions crafting and developing her vocal talent, demeanor, and stage presence along the way. After working with renowned vocal coach Tom McKinney, Breelan took the next step toward a music career by recording two EPs and making several trips to Nashville to work on her songwriting skills.

Before dashing and penache’ Kevin Fowler takes the stage on Saturday, the board of the Crosby Fair & Rodeo has a treat for the guys.

Charisma to spare, camera-ready looks and dreamy country singing voice says Charla Corn is soon to be Country Music Queen. Style, and substance got her named best female artist in 2011 Texas Regional Radio Awards, Corn has two CDs More Than I Should for 2009 and Stella.

But after giving it a shot in Nashville, she’s back in Texas — the small-town girl with big dreams hoping she can rise to the top of the male-dominated worlds of Texas Red Dirt music and country radio. She’ll tell you God makes things happen for her, but she’s also doing plenty to propel her career forward — including a radio show and hitting the road on weekends to play gigs with her band the Trainwrecks.

If she doesn’t make it big, it won’t be for lack of trying, says her brother, Clayton Corn, an Austin-based music producer/manager who played keyboards for Pat Green for seven years.

For Charla Corn, who has been singing as long as she can remember, it was a great place to grow up. She performed at the town’s Border Town Days festival every year, and in high school, she started playing guitar, singing at church and competing in beauty pageants.

She began honing her songwriting skills at South Plains College in Levelland, less than 90 miles from home and about a half-hour west of Lubbock. “It’s a commercial music college, where you can actually get credit for singing songs and going onstage and recording.” Corn says.