Jimmy Kaiser Jimmy Kaiser
    Growing up in Beaumont, Texas, Jimmy Kaiser was baptized in a richly textured tapestry of Texas singer/songwriters fused with southern rock and blues that would become the foundation for his future music. Like the legends before him, music flowed through Kaiser's veins at an early age.

In 2003 Jimmy and brother David Lee released their collaborative album, Spurlock Road, generating a path into Americana music which received enthusiastic support from numerous Texas stations and claimed #25 and #26 on the Texas Music Chart with singles Ringo and Best Times. They received Radio play on Sirius and XM Radio, as well as stations in Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Japan, and a nomination for TMA's "Rising Star Award".

In 2005 Jimmy formed his own band and released his debut solo album, "I'm Gone" with a rigorous, yet highly successful supporting tour that lasted over a year. Receiving accolades and charted recognition for the title track (reaching #24) and "Show Me How To Feel" (#23), the 2006 Texas Music Awards brought Jimmy four more nominations in the categories of "Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year, Live Band of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year". The later of which Kaiser received his first TMA.

Continuing to tour and play over two hundred shows annually, in early 2007 Jimmy signed a national sponsorship with the Coors Brewing Company and answered a multitude of requests from fans and radio supporters to make a live record. For this Jimmy brought it home to Beaumont to record a vibrant album indicative of a performer best known for his live shows.

"Live At Antone's" combines an arsenal of well-crafted Kaiser originals with a couple of refreshing classic rock crowd pleasers (Marshall Tucker's, "Can't You See and The Doors, "Roadhouse Blues"). A backing band of savvy musicians and showmen plus the energy of a passionate hometown audience who had followed Kaiser since the early days, made "Live At Antone's" worthy of what was yet to come. The album spawned another popular and well-received single: "Pass Me That Bottle". Hitting the Texas charts in February '07, "Pass Me That Bottle" peaked at #11 and continues to receive widespread airplay throughout Texas and Oklahoma.

Another Texas Music Award followed in 2008 for Record of the Year. The highly applauded ceremony closed with Jimmy Kaiser alongside Gary P. Nunn dueting on the Lone Star anthem, "London Homesick Blues" and received a fervent standing ovation.

With a soft-spoken demeanor and youthful good looks, prolific songwriting, a voice that can rock an arena or kindle the deepest emotion, and a band of highly adept players, Jimmy Kaiser has only begun to scratch the musical surface. The proof lies with over 40,000 hits on his MySpace site (www.myspace.com/JimmyKaiserBand), opening for national acts such as Dwight Yoakum, Mark Chestnut, Merl Haggard, Asleep at the Wheel, Pat Green, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Kevin Fowler, Charlie Robison and Jack Ingram along with several other big names, and two Texas Music Awards under his belt. This Texas Tech graduate continues to build a loyal and ever-growing fan base from coast to coast. Like his hometown predecessors (Tracy Byrd, Clay Walker and Mark Chestnutt), Jimmy Kaiser is a talent to be heard and seen.

Todd Howard Todd Howard
    Does he "play guitar" or "make love to the guitar"? That is the all time question. Watching Todd Howard play the guitar leads one to wonder if the latter isn't true! He displays such a deep passion when he rears back, closes his eyes and gets that intense attitude to hit the perfect sound a professional guitar player would want. Todd is a native Texan, and began his guitar career practically before he was born. His family history is made up of musicians. His grandma taught him his first song for competition. Todd's dad played guitar before he was born, and his grandfather, a fiddle player, began taking him to Bluegrass festivals at age eleven. He quickly developed the talent for "flattop picking," which is rare for young people in the world of Bluegrass music. Of course you can't pick guitar in Bluegrass without mastering the mandolin, which Todd also did. When he was fourteen he went to Nashville to compete playing standup bass with a local band and they took sixth place in the United States!

Ron Ron Harvey
    Music was a huge part of Ron's formative years. He started playing guitar at 13 years of age and soon switched to bass when his dad bought him a Peavey bass and amplifier. His dad, Thomas, played guitar locally in the Port Neches, TX area for years and was also a fine baritone singer in a gospel quartet.

"I learned to play bass by listening to TONS of music back in the late 70's and early 80's… learning the riffs and grooves of the music I heard on the radio - mostly R&B, Rock, Funk, and Country stuff. As goofy as it sounds, I can remember being so proud playing along with the bands on the Hee Haw television show (wow that really dates me!). My mindset was, 'I can play bass as well as those guys can'. There were countless nights where I would lie in bed playing my bass and wake up in the morning with my guitar still in my hands. I had a hunger to play bass, and play it well - something I love seeing in younger bass players."

After graduating from Lamar University in Beaumont (having played bass in Lamar's Jazz Band), Ron moved to Nashville, TN in the mid-80's and enjoyed success as a road musician and a studio player. He toured as bass guitarist and road manager for Capital Records/ Columbia Records artist Larry Boone, and has made multiple appearances on the Grand Ole Opry, as well as television appearances on TNN's (The Nashville Network) Nashville Now and New Country shows, in addition to several music videos aired on TNN.

"My major influences on bass have been Marcus Miller, Bootsy Collins, Nathan East, David Smith, Will Lee, and David Hungate - such tasteful players; so professional, and so talented. I have been incredibly honored to work with some of the greatest musicians Nashville has ever seen: Brent Mason (guitar), Brent Rowan (guitar), Mark Casstevens (acoustic guitar), Jeff King (guitar), Warren Haynes (guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Hargus "Pig" Robbins (piano), Johnny Gimble (fiddle), Rob Hajacos (fiddle), Randy Beavers (steel), Tim Sergent (steel), Boomer Castleman (guitar), the Jordanaires (background singers), to mention only a few. It has been a great ride, to say the least!"

Moving back home to Texas in the late 1990's, Ron took a sabbatical from the music business to handle some family priorities. Having never lost his love for music, he returned to the Southeast Texas music scene to work with a country band, BOOMTOWN. After two years with them he joined forces with The Jimmy Kaiser Band.

"I feel at home with Jimmy and the guys in the band. We love what we do, and we have a great thing going. I'm proud to be a part of this project and I'm expecting to see great things in the future."

KEEP THE FAITH, and MAINTAIN THE GROOVE - Texas style!

Billy McQueen Billy McQueen
    William McQueen, also known as Billy found his inner passion and curiosity for the drums at an early age of 12 years old. At a young age he was influenced by Houston greats such as Chris Dave, Eric Harland and Sebastian Whitaker just to name a few. It was in the kitchen of a home located in Tomball Texas where he would use pots and pans of various sizes and the lids off of coffee cans to devise a drum set to fill the house with rhythmic beats. As Billy got older, his family who also had musical talents, realized Billy had the "gift". In high school, McQueen was the talk of the halls for his musical talent and as fate would have it, won his first drum set in a raffle competition held in in his high school. Even though Billy was famed for his solo performances on drums, he also played trumpet as well but soon found that drums was his first love.

Billy McQueen was recruited while playing in an all region jazz band in high school by a scout from Lamar University and given a scholarship to attend there. During his years of attendance at Lamar, McQueen played in numerous settings involving Jazz combos, Big Bands, and played with various churches located throughout the Golden triangle area. During his collegiate years, McQueen performed with various artists such as Michael Davis (with Buddy Rich Big Band), Shelly Berg (with the Rolling Stones), John Calderon (with Al Jaraeu) just to name a few. Billy also traveled back in forth to Houston to plant his musical roots and play along with some Houston's finest musicians at local hot spots and venues.

As Billy's passion for the "beat" grew so did his fascination for drums, so much that he decided to start building them. McQueen quickly grew a reputation for building the best custom snare drums in the South. He has made snares for many of Houston's top drummers and even LA session great Michael White. Billy also shares his love and knowledge for drums through teaching lessons in his spare time as well.

From day to day it is not uncommon to find Billy playing Funk, Jazz, Gospel, Latin, and now Texas Country. It is this musical pot of gumbo that is Billy McQueen.


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