Justin Moore
Justin Moore's Bio--
“It’s a dirt road, a fishing pole, a cold beer sittin’ on a tailgate, an old church, a kind word, it’s where I was born and raised, Heaven ain’t that far away.” The lyrics from Justin’s self-penned song “Heaven Ain’t That Far Away” typifies his philosophy on life. In music and in life, Justin embodies the soul and character of a kid from a small town.
He was born and raised in Poyen, Arkansas, population 272. The town has no streetlights or street names. His grandfather “Paw” Charles gave each one of his children 15 acres of land to build their homes on and to raise their families in - and that’s exactly what they all did.
Paw and grandma Faynette (Maw) raised cattle on their farm and from a young age Justin would help with the chores. He’d bush-hog the land and feed the cows and learn about hard work.
His other grandparents, Tom and Becky (PaPa and Nanny) live a mile down the road in Poyen. PaPa took Justin out to his first deer stand before he was one year old. He taught him how to hunt and fish and they haven’t missed a season since Justin was a boy.
Justin’s parents, Tommy Ray and Charlene, recognized at an early age Justin’s ability to remember songs and to sing them. Tommy Ray has a recording of a two-year-old Justin singing the George Strait song “Baby’s Gotten Good At Goodbye”. Says Tommy Ray, “We bought him boots and a cowboy shirt and a toy ukulele when he was 4 or 5 and he became obsessed with the Dwight Yoakum hit “I’m A Honky Tonk Man”. He would sing it into a fake microphone constantly. ‘Bout drove us crazy.”
Soon Justin was singing gospel songs at church. He won the talent search at Poyen High School when he was 8 years old. In high school Justin was a starter on their basketball team and helped lead the team to a 39-0 season as well as win the state championship. He was an all-region catcher on the baseball team and received multiple scholarship offers for both sports and academics; however, Justin took a bold leap and moved to Nashville in October 2002 – just a few months after graduating from high school.
By this point Justin had a manager and a writer/artist offer from Zomba music. As things sometimes go in the biz, Zomba was purchased before Justin could sign his deal. His manager hired a top Nashville attorney to help keep things moving and Justin’s attorney hooked him up with an up-and-coming young producer/songwriter named Jeremy Stover. Together they wrote and recorded some great songs that reached celebrated producer Keith Stegall (Alan Jackson). Keith loved what he heard and in March of 2004 signed Justin as an artist/writer to his publishing company, Big Picture Music, with the intention of getting Justin a record deal.
Soon Justin was singing gospel songs at church. He won the talent search at Poyen High School when he was 8 years old. In high school Justin was a starter on their basketball team and helped lead the team to a 39-0 season as well as win the state championship. He was an all-region catcher on the baseball team and received multiple scholarship offers for both sports and academics; however, Justin took a bold leap and moved to Nashville in October 2002 – just a few months after graduating from high school.
By this point Justin had a manager and a writer/artist offer from Zomba music. As things sometimes go in the biz, Zomba was purchased before Justin could sign his deal. His manager hired a top Nashville attorney to help keep things moving and Justin’s attorney hooked him up with an up-and-coming young producer/songwriter named Jeremy Stover. Together they wrote and recorded some great songs that reached celebrated producer Keith Stegall (Alan Jackson). Keith loved what he heard and in March of 2004 signed Justin as an artist/writer to his publishing company, Big Picture Music, with the intention of getting Justin a record deal.
Justin’s first ‘big gig’ was New Years Eve 2001 at The Music Mountain Jamboree in Hot Springs Arkansas, where he performed 4 songs with the house band and got a standing ovation.
“That was pretty exciting,” says Justin. “I had never been in front of 500 people before so I was a little nervous until I got going, but then I just loved it. I really wished I could have done a few more, but it put the fire in me to go after this as a career”.
He later played at The Roundup in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to a sold-out crowd of 600. The word was getting out in Arkansas about this kid from the small town of Poyen who was making some waves with the big boys on Music Row in Nashville.
In March 2005 Justin returned to his hometown for a sell-out concert with his own band. The enthusiastic crowd of over 700 went wild when it heard Justin’s new material.
“It’s a lot of fun playing in the clubs around Nashville, like The Wildhorse, The Bluebird, The Stage, The French Quarter and all of the others, but nothing’ beats going home to play for family and friends and all the people who are supporting me in my journey."
In June 2005 Justin traveled home again to play at the annual “Brickfest” festival in Malvern, Arkansas, to an estimated crowd of about 2000. Needless to say the hometown fans were great to Justin and he to them. The show was so well received that he was booked to play it again in 2006, this time to a crowd of 4000.
2007 has been equally exciting for Justin, as he recently signed a recording contract with the Valory Music Co., sister label to Big Machine Records which is the home of Taylor Swift, Jack Ingram and Trisha Yearwood as well as the exclusive radio promoter for Garth Brooks. Look for a new release in 2008.
Ryan Couron's Bio::
Arkansas, might not be the first place you would look for young, new talent in country music, but that is exactly where you’ll find Ryan Couron, a twenty-three year old singer/songwriter who is turning heads with his music. Ryan started with the release of a five-song album of original songs, one of which, received radio airplay across the United States and Canada and throughout Europe. Ryan’s songs authentically reflect his love of country life. His youthful exuberance and down-home goodness show themselves in the songs Huntin’ or Fishin’ and Saddle Up. His beautiful ballad, Heaven, showcases the soothing vocals that are sure to become his trademark. Ryan has now recorded a full length album and is set to make his mark on the country music world. In live performances Ryan brings a fresh, unpretentious personality to the stage. He captivates audiences with his natural humor, infectious smile, clear, commanding voice and distinctive Southern edge. In addition to local gigs, Ryan has performed at Johnnie High's Country Music Revue in Arlington, Texas, the same place well-known singers like LeeAnn Rimes and LeeAnn Womack began their careers. Ryan has been invited back to numerous Saturday night shows as the headline performance. Since then Ryan and his band have played all over Arkansas from Texarkana to Batesville in an assortment of venues including the BuzzBque in North Little Rock, The Electric Cowboy in Little Rock, and the National Finals Chuckwagon Races in Clinton, AR. Ryan says that his music is greatly influenced by his favorite performers: Chris LeDoux, Randy Travis, Travis Tritt, Alan Jackson and Hank Williams, Jr. But he hopes his songs find their own place in country music. "I know it’s a long road ahead, but I’m determined to stay on it." He says. Who would have guessed that this laid-back country boy got his start singing at the age of sixteen as a cantor for his church after completing Gregorian Chant classes at a Catholic seminary? It was this early vocal discipline that helped form the clear, true tones you hear in Ryan’s voice today. His passion for country life and his talents in piano, guitar, and harmonica bind him tightly to the country music he’s loved all his life. Ryan met co-writer John Connor McInnis (JC) while they worked together as teenage ranch hands. In no time they discovered their mutual love of music and started to compose their own songs. Ryan began singing those songs for friends and was soon fielding requests to stage live performances. Then his true genius for entertaining showed. Ryan doesn’t simply sing to his audience. He serenades each person as if no one else were there. Over an incredibly short two-year span, he has captured an impressively loyal fan base. “It’s definitely a party when we play!” Ryan claims, which is becoming more and more apparent each time he sells out a venue. Ryan has just been in the studio cutting eight new tracks and will be releasing the full album at the end of January 2009. “They’ve got some really good stuff here.” says Jon Rainey, three-time Grammy Nominated Engineer and owner of Rainey Recording Studios. “Lord willing, you’ll hear Ryan Couron at the CMA’s (Country Music Awards) one day!” says Ryan. “But as long as I get to keep doing what I love, that’s what it’s all about!”