Born and raised in Vidor, Texas, Tracy Byrd grew up on a solid diet of traditional country music, however never pursued his interest until singing “Your Cheatin’ Heart” at a shopping mall karaoke stall. The stall representative was so taken back by the performance she invited him to an amateur talent show. Despite failing to win the competition, Byrd discovered his love for country music and passion for performing, and subsequently dropped out of university to join the group Rimfire. After making inroads locally in Beaumont, Byrd signed with MCA Records in 1992, who issued the singer’s debut single “That’s the Thing About a Memory” the same year. The following year, Byrd released the single “Holdin’ Heaven”, which rose to No. 1 on the Country Music Charts, paving the way for the songwriter’s debut, self-titled full-length.
It would prove to be Tracy Byrd’s sophomore album however, “No Ordinary Man”, that represented his breakthrough, selling over two million copies in the U.S. Produced by Jerry Crutchfield, the record spawned the singles “Watermelon Crawl”, “Lifestyle of the Not So Rich and Famous”, “The First Step”, and “The Keeper of the Stars”, the latter of which won Song of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards. Byrd’s third full-length, “Love Lessons”, arrived in 1995 however failed to match the success of its predecessor, and was followed by the popular album “Big Love” in October 1996. In 1997, marking his last album with MCA, Byrd released “I’m from the Country”, spawning the singles “I’m from the Country” and “I Wanna Feel That Way Again”, after which the singer issued the compilation “Keepers: Greatest Hits”.
After signing with RCA Records in 1999, work began on his sixth studio album, “It’s About Time”, which earned its release the same year. Marked by a more accessible pop sound, the record was led by the single “Put Your Hand in Mine”, and succeeded by the full-length “Ten Rounds” in 2001. The record's lead single, “Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo”, subsequently found the top spot of the Country Music Chart, his second single to do so. The studio album “The Truth About Men” appeared in July 2003, followed by “Different Things” in September 2006.
The music industry is viciously competitive when it comes to singer/songwriters and country artists, but Tracy Byrd managed to thrive in the competitive environment and enter the industry with a storm. His debut single Holdin Heaven rocketed straight to number one on the Hot Country Singles charts, which was the first of his almost 20 charting singles.
Watching him play live with his guitar was an incredible experience. He strolled out on stage in his casual manner wearing his typical country gear and gave the audience a huge smile and wave over the loud applause. His guitar slung over his back, he introduced himself before plunging straight into Drinkin’ Bone which got everyone singing and dancing along straight away. He had his band backing him up wonderfully, providing the strong bass lines and funky drum beats, and they all worked off each others energy really well.
He played mostly from Different Things, and The Truth About Men, but also revisited his older classics such as Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo, which the crowd went crazy for. I’ve not seen a concert with that much energy and conviction for a long time, and it was great to be able to let lose and have a great time with the artist himself encouraging everyone to join in.
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