For local country-western singer-songwriter Bodie Powell, those two little numbers ain’t no big deal. The guy’s been at this music thing for a while, and here on the Cowtown music scene, 50 normally means “legend.” (Powell says that’s just a nice way to say “old.”) He started performing as a youngster, and by the time he was 17, he was touring with popular gospel groups, including the Oak Ridge Boys.
He eventually left gospel for C&W and played with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Randy Travis, and Charley Pride. As his reputation as a skilled backing musician grew, he soon began landing gigs with marquee acts such as Marty Robbins, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Charlie Daniels, and Larry Gatlin. After playing in the last iteration of the Flying Burrito Brothers, he played bass for Johnny Cash, yes, the Man in Black and the person most responsible for encouraging Powell to write, record, and perform his own material. Since then, Powell’s been writing songs and recording c.d.’s, and playing gigs with more big-timers, including Billy Joe Shaver, Guy Clark, Delbert McClinton, Kelly Willis, and Ray Wylie Hubbard. Naturally, for a guy who’s done so much in and for music, an elaborate party is in order. On Saturday, Powell will be feted at the White Elephant, 106 E. Exchange Ave. in Fort Worth (817-624-9712).Visit MySpace.com/bodiepowell. Happy birthday, Bodie.
… Jeff Price is a busy dude. A couple of months ago, he released Limitations, an exceptional full-length solo c.d., his second, and just a week or so ago, he and the band he fronts, The Fellow Americans, dropped an unnamed four-song e.p., packed with loud, propulsive, melodic punk-metal. The tunes aren’t quite punk, ’cause they’re thicker and do more than just pound hard, and they’re not quite metal, either, ’cause they’re raw, sometimes dissonant, and don’t live or die by the quality of riffage. (You may detect some Sabbath, some Gang of Four, and some suggestions of both.) The quartet, built from the spare parts of the dearly departed Rio Grande Babies, couldn’t have landed a better bill than on Saturday at the Wreck Room (3208 W. 7th St.; 817-348-8303) with For Those Who Know and The Backsliders, whose bassist, Nolan Thies, also serves as four-string timekeeper in Price’s solo work. Incestuous? Not really. Just the best the scene can do to keep up with young Jeff. Visit MySpace.com/thefellowamericans.
… Some people (yes, including you, Bodie) get better-looking with age. Case in point: former Rock Star: Supernova contestant and Texan Patrice Pike. OK, maybe she had a fleet of stylists working 24/7 on her – and all of the other singers auditioning to front Tommy Lee’s new, dreadful alt-rock band – but there’s no accounting for her unprecedented, newfangled sex appeal. In a world of teenage tarts, performing in front of a national tv audience had to be a real confidence booster for the thirtysomething long-time local star. On Friday at Granada Theater (3524 Greenville Ave.), she’ll celebrate the release of her new solo c.d., Unraveling, with Deadman and Fishing for Comets. For tix, call 512-389-0315.
Contact HearSay at hearsay@fwweekly.com.
