Review by Billy Keith Bucher, courtesy photo

When I first came to Ben Wheeler, Texas, I became an avid fan of the Forge Bar and Grill and the Moore’s Store. These music venues provided an opportunity to activate my knowledge of the local music scene. I tried to never miss a performance. It was a great lesson and an education for me. One of the best performers who I was privileged to hear was a singer named Grace Pettis. She hailed from Lookout Mountain, Alabama, and now lives in Austin, Texas.

Pettis has a captivating collection of songs, which are currently contained on her two CDs. The most current are her stunning performances on “Two Birds.” One of her most haunting songs, which also became a video, is “You Are the Cowboy.” Another chilling offering is “Love Is There.” Grace can easily jump an octave with the same aplomb as an Olympic diver executing a swan dive. Another current creation is the song “Four Wheel Hotel”. It has become a nice flight with the newly created Grace Pettis Band which will be featured on her next CD. It will be on sale this summer.

Exciting news to Ben Wheeler audiences is that Grace Pettis will be performing at the Forge Bar and Grill on New Year’s Eve, along with Guthrie Kennard. This will be followed by a West Coast tour to San Diego and Fullerton, Calif., and on to Tuscon, Ariz. Since the release of her new CD is in sight, it will be a great beginning to the new year.

Said Grace, in a recent telephone interview call to Austin, “I was just very excited to get the call from Michael Lenz, booking agent at the Forge. I will be glad to be back at this great venue. It is just a wonderful place to perform.” Following Ben Wheeler, Grace will be appearing at the Calvary Cafe in College Station and, after her West Coast tour, she will be back to perform in Texas at the Cactus Cafe in Austin, near the University of Texas campus.

I hope to see you on New Year’s Eve at the Forge in Ben Wheeler to enjoy this award-winning singer/song writer, Grace Pettis. You will certainly not be disappointed.

Awards Grace Pettis has won:

Ω Kerrville New Folk Songwriting Contest Winner

​Ω NPR’s Mountain Stage NewSong Songwriting Contest Winner and “Best Song” Winner

Ω Wildflower! Songwriting Contest Grand Prize Winner and “People’s Choice” Winner

Easton Corbin

Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer — Click on the link below for more photos

K95.5 The Wolf, with its station in Fort Worth, sponsored this year’s 10-Man Jam at Billy Bob’s Texas Sunday (Dec. 4, 2016). There were five performers originally listed — Granger Smith, Casey Donahew, Joe Nichols, Chris Janson, and Jon Pardi, with a promising … ‘more to be announced.’ Then, on Saturday, they announced (surprise) Michael Tyler to the line-up about the same time that everyone found out Granger Smith had been involved in a major catastrophe in New Jersey and was in the hospital… couldn’t make it. But no more announcements….

The first set, then, which was to have featured Granger, lined up Michael Tyler, Chris Janson, Joe Nichols, and Easton Corbin, with Joe and Easton both having side men on guitars and backup vocals. Easton Corbin had performed at Billy Bob’s the night before, and stayed over for this event. Basically, a Nashville songswap, and it was dynamite. And just as an aside, any time you get a chance to see Chris Janson live, take it!

The second set, then, had four surprises.. Casey Donahew and Jon Pardi were joined on stage by Texas/Red Dirt artists (surprises) Randy Rogers, and Josh Abbott, plus a girl singer with a name that none of us in my section of the audience ever caught.

And all the while, country music icon (surprise) Randy Travis sat in the stage sidelines, almost out of sight, completely, obviously, enjoying the whole evening. Randy, as most know, has been recovering from major heart problems developed a few years ago. He’s working hard and coming along, slowly but nicely.

This was a fundraiser event that K95.5 sponsored, with Billy Bob Texas’ help.

Link to photos, click here

And PS: another aside — (Surprise) I didn’t get very many photos. Apparently, the radio station said no press people take photos, but by the time I got that information, I had already snapped a few, so… what I snapped is here…