Digging Up Bones Live

Stereo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPbU6HFr2tw&fmt=18

Buck Norris sings "Diggin Up Bones" by Randy Travis and written by Paul Overstreet.
Like the Beatles in rock, Randy Travis marks a generational shift in country music. When his Storms of Life came out in 1986, country music was still wallowing in the post-urban cowboy recession, chasing elusive crossover dreams. Travis brought the music back to its basics, sounding like nothing so much as a perfect blend of George Jones and Merle Haggard. He became the dominant male voice in country until the rise of "hat acts" like Garth Brooks and Clint Black, releasing seven consecutive number one singles during one stretch. He won the CMA's Horizon Award in 1986 and was the association's Male Vocalist of the Year in 1987 and 1988.

Travis (born Randy Bruce Traywick, May 4, 1959, Marshville, NC) was born and raised in North Carolina, in a small town outside of Charlotte. His father encouraged his children to pursue their musical inclinations, as he was a fan of honky tonkers like Hank Williams, Jones, and Lefty Frizzell. Randy began playing guitar at the age of eight, and within two years, he and his brother Ricky formed a duo called the Traywick Brothers. The duo played in local clubs and talent contests. Both of the brothers had a wild streak, which resulted in Ricky going to jail after a car chase and Randy running away to Charlotte at the age of 16. While he was in Charlotte, he won a talent contest at Country City U.S.A., a bar owned by Lib Hatcher. Hatcher was impressed by Travis and offered him a regular gig at her bar, as well as a job as a cook.

For several years, he sang and worked at Country City. He still had trouble with the law in his late teens. At his last run-in with the police, the judge told him if he saw Travis again he should be prepared to go to jail for a long time. Travis was released into the care of Hatcher. In a short time, Hatcher became Travis' manager, and the pair began to concentrate on his career. Joe Stampley helped Travis land a contract with Paula Records in 1978. The following year, Travis released two singles under his given name; one of them, "She's My Woman," scraped the bottom of the country charts.

In 1982, Travis and Hatcher moved to Nashville, where she managed the Nashville Palace nightclub while he sang and cooked. Within a couple of years, the pair independently released his debut album under the name Randy Ray; the record was called Randy Ray Live and sold primarily in the Nashville Palace.

Thanks to Hatcher's persistent efforts and the Randy Ray Live album, Warner Brothers signed Travis in 1985 and suggested that he change his performing name to Randy Travis. "On the Other Hand," his first single for the label, was released in the summer of that year and climbed to number 67. Despite its lackluster performance, radio programmers were enthusiastic for Travis, as evidenced by the number six placing of "1982," which was released late in the year. "1982" was followed by a re-release of "On the Other Hand" in the spring of 1986. This time, the song hit number one.

Storms of Life, Travis' full-fledged debut album, was released in the summer of 1986 and became a huge success, eventually selling over three million copies. Travis was the first country artist to go multi-platinum; before his success, most country artists had difficulty achieving gold status. With his mass appeal, he set the stage for country music's crossover success in the early '90s. However, Travis dominated the late '80s. The last two singles from Storms of Life, "Diggin' Up Bones" and "No Place Like Home," hit number one and two, respectively. "Forever and Ever, Amen" — the first single from his second album, 1987's Always & Forever — began a streak of seven straight number one singles that ran through 1989. Always & Forever was more successful than his debut, reaching number 19 on the pop charts and going quadruple platinum; it also earned him the CMA's award for Male Vocalist of the Year. Old 8x10 (1988) and No Holdin' Back (1989) weren't quite as successful as their predecessors, but they still spawned number one singles and both went platinum.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Buck
• Norris
• Live
• Randy
• Travis

[musicloverjustin]

Good job at doing the song.

I just wish country would go back to the way it used to be,like this song. I am only 28 years old, and the older the songs the more i like them.

Most new country is just people screaming and so on.( just my thoughts and opinions )

[bucknorrismusic]

Thanks, I would tend to agree with you there. I don't even know who is hot in country music now since I don't listen to the radio shows anymore. The vast majority of our songs are 25 years or older.

[VideosToEnjoy]

vnice Buck

[bucknorrismusic]

Thanks very much Lloyd.

[bucknorrismusic]

Thanks very much, I listen to very few modern country artist. Of course Brad is a big exception. I do several of his songs.

[bucknorrismusic]

I thought so, too bad about them getting stomped by Nebraska today.

[bandbsmom]

ksu for sure...kstate country over here hehe:)

[bucknorrismusic]

Thanks Stewball, if only you had been there to taste wine and give history of the music. Thanks.

[bucknorrismusic]

Thanks much Jimmy.

[stewballmax2]

Say

Buck...

Back among the wine sippin' crowd I see...lol! This latest installment in your offerings of snippets from your live floorshow was performed with energy and drive.

Peace,

Pretty Boy Floyd