Press Release:
May 17, 2007
Press Coverage:
Aug. 2, 2007
June 2007
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"When I'm Sixty-Four"
"Turn Row Blues"
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For Immediate Release
May 17, 2007
Austin musical icon-lawyer Bobby Earl Smith’s
“When I'm 64” Birthday Bash
9 p.m. Friday, June 29, 2007
The Broken Spoke, 3201 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin
Cover: $10; Information: 512.442.6189
www.bobbyearlsmith.com
MUSICIAN-LAWYER BOBBY EARL SMITH HOSTS
64TH BIRTHDAY BLOWOUT AT BROKEN SPOKE
Co-founder of Austin’s 1st Country-Hippie Band-Turned-Attorney
to Share Life & Glory with Guests & Public
as He Hits a Big Musical Milestone
AUSTIN, Texas — Bobby Earl Smith, known around town as a singer-songwriter, musician, producer-manager-booker and a founding member of Austin’s original progressive country-rock hippie band, Freda and the Firedogs, as well as a musician’s attorney, will host a “When I'm 64” Birthday Bash at the end of June to mark that Beatles-celebrated musical milestone.
The big party is scheduled to take over Austin’s Broken Spoke, 3201 S. Lamar Blvd., at 9 p.m. Friday, June 29, 2007. Cover is $10. Information: 512.442.6189; www.bobbyearlsmith.com.
Despite hitting the Big 6-4, Smith is still out there making his mark, and he’ll mark this birthday with music, special guests and more — and ask the question so expertly put by John Lennon and Paul McCartney: “Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64?” The answer: undoubtedly a resounding “yes!”
Smith will play with former band and recording mates John X. Reed, Floyd Domino, Freddie Krc, his son Eric Smith, Kimmie Rhodes and Joe Gracey and with other special guests.
Born in the cattle ranching town of San Angelo, Smith began playing guitar in bands as rock ’n’ roll swept West Texas and continued after moving to Austin to attend law school. He spent a lot of time in the legendary Split Rail, trading hours of case law study for playing in a bluegrass group and various country bands.
In 1972, he joined Marcia Ball and Reed to form Freda and the Firedogs, the seminal Austin hippie country band, about which a Houston Chronicle reviewer wrote: “… [They] may look like freaks, but they pick like corralsful of kickers. With musical savvy.” As the cornerstone of the Austin progressive-country music explosion, Freda and the Firedogs was long-haired country-rock fusionist Doug Sahm's backup band of choice, played gigs behind Floyd Tillman, opened for Freddie King, and played on bills with The Texas Flatlanders at Armadillo World Headquarters.
Smith was the driving songwriting force in the band, and his songs were its signature. His mournful bluegrass-tinged vocals contrasted with Ball's brassy blues singing.
After it broke up in 1974, Smith partnered with Crow as his manager, booking agent and rhythm guitar player, resulting in an album deal with Polydor and a chart single. He and Crow co-produced Crow’s first album release on their label, Longneck, which won the Country Music Magazine Silver Bullet Award. A song from it, “Nyquil Blues,” charted in 1977.
Starting in 1978, Smith, with Gracey, recorded various people in Gracey’s Electric Graceyland studio, including Stevie Ray Vaughn and Lou Ann Barton’s Double Trouble, The Skunks, and Rhodes, and released several albums on their Jackalope and Rude labels, including Smith’s 1974 “Dry Creek Inn” masters, a Skunks record and a Best of Electric Graceyland album.
In 1981, Smith, Rhodes and Gracey began performing around Texas as Kimmie Rhodes and the Jackalope Brothers. They recorded an album at Willie Nelson’s new Pedernales Recording Studios that was released in 1983 on Jackalope Records. Smith also played in bands with Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, and then did record promotion for Gary P. Nunn as well as play in his band.
Three years later, Smith dusted off his never-used law degree and entered practice as a criminal defense attorney. In 1999 he and Gracey recorded REARVIEW MIRROR on their new label, Muleshoe Records. It was named Americana Album of the month by MOJO The Music Magazine and given four stars by The Austin Chronicle.
In 2002, Smith released FREDA AND THE FIREDOGS from the band’s long-lost Atlantic Records session produced by legend Jerry Wexler in 1972. In 2003, it was the album TURN ROW BLUES by the Jackalope Brothers with James Burton and Lloyd Maines on Dobro; Warren Hood on fiddle; Casper Rawls, Gabe Rhodes and Reed on guitar; Krc on drums; and Eric Smith on bass.
Until the end of June, the singer-songwriter, musician, producer-manager-booker, hippie band co-founder, attorney will be counting down the days to the Birthday Bash. Join him June 29 at The Broken Spoke. For more, www.bobbyearlsmith.com.
Contact: McGuckin Entertainment PR
Heidi Labensart, 512.478.0578; heidi@mcguckinpr.com
Jill McGuckin, 512.217.9404; jill@mcguckinpr.com
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