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Entertainers at the 2008 Oil & Gas Blast
Johnny Lee
Born
John Lee Ham on July 3, 1946, in Texas City, Texas, Johnny Lee was raised on a
dairy farm in Alta Loma, Texas. His main interest was rock 'n' roll, and he led
a high school band, Johnny Lee and the Roadrunners. After a stint in the U.S.
Navy, he worked through the '60s by playing cover tunes in Texas clubs and bars.
n 1968, he began a 10-year working relationship with Mickey Gilley, both on the
road and at Gilley's nightclub in Pasadena, Texas. Recording for the ABC/Dot and
GRT record labels, Lee charted his first single in 1975 with "Sometimes."
Moderate chart success followed with "Red Sails in the Sunset" and "Country
Party," the latter adding new lyrics to Rick Nelson's pop hit, "Garden Party."
He made an appearance in the 1979 television movie, The Girls in the Office but became a major star after being featured in another film -- Urban Cowboy, starring John Travolta and Debra Winger. Shot largely at Gilley's club, the 1980 box office hit spawned a series of hit singles. Lee became a primary beneficiary of the media attention surrounding the film and the soundtrack. His 1980 single, "Lookin' for Love," spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard country singles chart.
He followed up "Lookin' for Love" with "One in a Million," which spent two weeks at No. 1. He scored three more No. 1 singles -- "Bet Your Heart on Me," "The Yellow Rose (a duet with Lane Brody) and "You Could've Heard a Heart Break." His string of Top 10 hits continued with "Pickin' Up Strangers," "Prisoner of Hope," "Be There for Me Baby," "Cherokee Fiddle," "Sounds Like Love," "Hey Bartender" and "Rollin' Lonely."
Tony Booth

Grady Lee has been playing his own style of Texas music since the nineteen sixties. Grady's musical influences include Bill Monroe, Peter Rowan, Jimmie Buffett, Bob Dylan and many other singer-songwriters. Grady has worked as a headline act as well as opening for other musicians and groups including Robert Earl Keen, Shake Russell, Steve Fromholz, The Austin Lounge Lizards, Kimmie Rhodes, Charlie Robison, and Trout Fishing in America. Grady works as a single, duo with fiddle or lead guitar or with a band with up to five other musicians.
Grady was the resident cowboy singer at the George Ranch Historical Park in Richmond, Texas for 6 years and performed for corporate events as well as wedding receptions and various other types of events. Grady performed during Texian Market Days at the George Ranch where as many as 10,000 visitors a day may pass through. Grady also performed at the Campfire Christmas event, which was listed as one of the best Christmas events in the country by the New York Times.
After his recent move to Marshall, Texas, Grady gave up his work at the George Ranch and is now booking to play festivals, corporate, and private events throughout Texas and the southwest. Grady is also booking other musicians and bands to perform around Texas. Grady has appeared in numerous local and national advertisements as as well as being featured in articles in local and national newspapers and magazines
The
Calvary Boys & The Calvary Boys Trio
In 1970, when the Beatles were at the
top of the pop music charts, the Vietnam War was in full swing, Richard Nixon
was the president, riots and protests rocked the nation, 8-track tapes were the
norm and no one had even dreamed of a VCR, a young group of gospel singers,
coached and led by their mentor, Waylon Moore, emerged. Singing for churches,
homecomings,
radio
programs and just about anywhere they were asked to, the young group began to
develop a following. Encouraged to do so, the group (who were all FFA members at
the local high school) entered competitions and won awards - most notably
winning both state and regional FFA talent competitions. But they were known
then as the Farmers Quartet.
Inspired by early success and with lots of encouragement from parents, friends
and fans, the group changed their name to the Calvary Boys
Quartet and
started performing more and larger venues - on stage with other regional and
nationally recognized groups.
Aubrey King (tenor) and Chip Roberson (baritone) are original members of the
quartet. Their first album ‘Our First - At Last’ was released in 1972. In 1981
Ron Meadows joined the group as the lead singer and in 1983 Bill Smith joined
the group as bass.
Shane Matthews
2007 Texas Country Music Hall of Fame
Showcase Winner from San Augustine, Texas
Shane has been singing and
performing since his freshman year in college. He is truly faithful to the
traditional country
music
that has somehow been forgotten. Since picking up the guitar in college, he has
gone on to perform and meet with many artists along the way. Such stars as
Jeannie Seely, Ray Price, Mickey Gilley, Gene Watson, Charlie Walker,
Linda Davis, Marty Stewart and others have crossed Shane's path. He has also had
the opportunity to open for some of these and sing at such places as the old
Louisiana Hayride and the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. Throughout his
upcoming career, he has already been named best male vocalist in competition and
won several other awards as well. In 2006 Shane was nominated in the AWA
(Academy of Western Artists) for Best Male Vocalist.
http://www.myspace.com/shanermathews