Blackberry Smoke--Southern Rock Music

​The Story of the Smoke---Southern Rock, or Country Music with an Attitude

 

In the tradition of Southern Rock greats like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers and .38 Special, comes Blackberry Smoke. This band sounds like a country band in some respects, but they are more of a Southern Rock band, or a country band with an attitude. Blackberry Smoke does not have a steel guitar player or a fiddle player. But, their music is played on CMT, Country Music Television. Country fans will love their rendition of Willie Nelson's Yesterday's Wine, with Jamey Johnson and the legendary George "The Possum" Jones.  They are from Georgia, which is fertile ground for producing music superstars like Travis Tritt and Alan Jackson. Their albums include Bad Luck Ain't No Crime (2004), New Honky Tonk Bootlegs (2008), Little Piece of Dixie (2009) and The Whipporwhill (2012). Their next album (November 29, 2013 release date) was a limited edition vinyl live EP with 3 tracks by Blackberry Smoke and 3 tracks by Lynyrd Skynyrd. In 2014, the band released a 22 track album called Leave a Scar: Live in North Carolina. On February 10, 2015, the guys released their next album, Holding All the Roses.  The band includes lead singer/guitar player Charlie Starr, Paul Jackson (guitar), Richard Turner (bass), Brit Turner (drums) and Brandon Still (keyboards). They are signed to the Southern Ground record label, which is managed by Zac Brown Band. Blackberry Smoke tours the country extensively and I first heard about them when they opened for Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Common Ground Music Festival in Lansing Michigan a few years ago. In January of 2013 I saw them perform as headliners at The Intersection in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I was never a Southern Rock fan until the mid-1990s when I heard my favorite country artist, Travis Tritt speaking so highly of bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers. It's nice to see a new band on the scene that embraces this style of music which hit its peak popularity in the 1970s. This group puts on a high energy show. It's clear that these guys love to perform. Fans of country, Southern Rock, even classic rock will like their infectious music. See them live, you won't regret it. Find out more from their official website.