Dustin Perkins to compete for recording prize

Dustin Perkins

The Texoma-based Dustin Perkins Band is one of 40+ bands statewide that will be vying for a recording contract and more, at the 2nd “Live at Billy Bob’s Texas” recording contest.

Dallas-based radio station KHYI (95.3) nominated The Dustin Perkins Band, being familiar with their energy and talents through the Shiner Rising Star competition, their appearance in the March Texas Music Revolution (also sponsored by KHYI), their latest CD “The Next Step,” and their numerous gigs across the Metroplex area and beyond.

The Dustin Perkins band has been around for about two years. It features Dustin on

Colton Gilbreath

lead vocals and guitar, Nathan Brown on drums, Colton Gilbreath on lead guitar and backup vocals, Michael Waitt on bass, and Chris (Jett) Romainon keyboards. Their music is a solid mix of Texas country originals and covers, heavier on the originals than the covers. And it’s no secret that they recorded a

Chris Romain

new video about a week ago, and it’s now in the editing process.

The “Live at Billy Bob’s Texas” recording contest will consist of Round 1 voting online for your favorite, and that begins Monday, April 9, and runs through April 19. Those vote tallies will be announced and bring the top 10 bands into Round 2, with each band performing at Billy

Nathan Brown

Bob’s Texas (in Fort Worth), on May 6. Following that is another round of online voting, running from May 11-20. The final winner will be named on May 21.

The Scotty Thurman band(Scotty Thurman & The Perfect

Michael Waitt

Trouble Band), with its roots in Texoma, reached the Top 10 in 2011, but it was finally Josh Grider who took the prize. His CD project was amazing, too, by the way. Sensitive and powerful music on a CD, and one of the songs on that, distributed to radio as a single, is “Slow,” currently on the Texas Regional Radio Chart and Texas Music Chart.

The winning band must, in addition to the recording sessions/gigs, also make themselves available for 75 tour dates a year, with the possibility of one of those being at Willie’s (Nelson) July 4^th Picnic, perform at the Billy Bob’s Music Festival, commit to fulfilling promotional duties, and cannot have been already signed to a major label. The winning band will then be billed at Billy Bob’s Texas, for their prize recording.

That’s exactly what The Dustin Perkins Band has been working toward during these past two years, although how they will add 75 more dates to their already-jam-packed schedule will be seen.

The “Live at Billy Bob’s Texas” CD series has featured Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, David Allan Coe, and Gary Stewart as well as Texas Music artists Stoney LaRue, Randy Rogers Band, Pat Green, Wade Bowen, and more. Brandon Rhyder’s CD recording, he said, was all completed with one show, and no do-overs afterward. CD projects in this series have sold over 2 million CDs nationwide and include more than 200 #1 Billboard hits. 
Distribution and support are through Smith Music Group, a co-sponsor of the contest along with Wrangler Retro and Cavender’s western stores.

Forty-seven (47) radio stations across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas have nominated recording artists. And Dustin, upon learning about the nomination and seeing the list of other bands, commented, “Man, it’s a tough contest. These bands are awesome!”

The 47 nominees in the 2012 competition are, in alphabetical order by first name, are on the Web site provided below.

For more information on the Live at Billy Bob’s Texas Recording Contest contact Dawn Gardin at Smith Music Group (817) 378-0900 x 111 or email  dawn@smithmusic.com.

To vote, go online to www.BillyBobsTexas.com/contest


Tickets for the Top 10 Finals at Billy Bob’s Texas are on sale now at Billy Bob’s Texas box office and at www.billybobstexas.com.

For more on The Dustin Perkins Band, go online to www.DustinPerkinsMusic.com

Category: *- Features