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Flying his southern credentials high in the Los Angeles sky, Mississippi born Bobby Joyner has managed to beautifully blend Black Crowes' bluesy rock with long lost, laid back Southern California soul. At times, Joyner sounds like Chris Robinson's fraternal twin brother. On separate occasions, his songs could almost be mistaken for the Allman Brothers Band's most inspiring Mussel Shoals work of the early 1970s.
Joyner is a terrific songwriter, but it is his booming voice that has earned him the respect of southerners – and music fans – living in the west. Joyner's crowds can be a who's who of California country, and at any show you might find yourself rubbing elbows with the likes of Shooter Jennings, Dwight Yoakam or Lucinda Williams. (In fact, Williams' backing band is practically all over his debut CD Skies of Blue, Fields of Green )
Releasing his first CD on Papago Records in 2005 helped him gain a new collection of fans, but it was a trip to his home state and Memphis earlier this summer that paved the way for his biggest success. While in Tennessee, Joyner was spotted and invited to take part playing a benefit concert at Robert Redford's ranch in Colorado. Redford was immediately smitten, and a follow up trip to Tennessee will occur in early November.
“We sold out of all the 275 CDs we brought to Memphis,” Joyner says in his unmistakable Mississippi drawl. “And then we got so rip-roaring wasted that our guitar player Dan Wistrom slept on the roof of our van.”
Joyner and Co. spread themselves around the local Los Angeles clubs and are monthly mainstays at the Mint on Pico. Joyner spent months playing the Malibu Inn and Hotel Café, and is an integral part of the legendary underground L.A. outlaw country gathering “Sweethearts of the Rodeo” who recently took a hiatus after six years of turning Molly Malone's into a rip-roaring honky-tonk.
Frequent comparisons to the Allmans have brought Joyner to the attention of southern transplants living in L..A. He has been the house performer at Falcon on Sunset for its monthly “Arkansas Night.” It could be said that the gathering resembles Woody Guthrie singing for the dust bowl refugees in the 1930s.
Los Angeles is a popular topic for Joyner, whose brilliant song “Silver Screen” screams of a new life discovered west of the Rockies. “Now there's stars on everything / they're in my mind and they're in my dreams / what's this life but a silver screen / What's this life but an in-between?” Joyner delivers in his record's second song.
“When I wrote that I was just a southern boy living in L.A., smoking too much weed, sometimes dabbling in other substances and there were always these actresses and porn stars and famous rock photographers around … it was all very surreal,” Joyner says.
Should Joyner's music catapult him beyond the L.A. and Tennessee audiences that have already embraced his powerful music, life could become very surreal indeed.
Joyner's Skies of Blue, Fields of Green is available at www.papagorecords.com. Make sure you check out the stoney title track, the heartbreaking “Think of Me” and the dawn patrol celebration that is “Sunny Southern California.” - http://www.campuscircle.com/review.cfm?r=2799
Discography
His debut album, "Skies of Blue & Fields of Green" was released in 2006, produced by Dusty Wakeman (Dwight Yoakam / Lucinda Williams / Me'shell Dnegeocello). Featuring: Doug Pettibone of “Lucinda William's” band, Skip Edwards of "The Flying Burrito Brothers" & "The Byrds". Gia Ciambotti of “James Gang” & “Bruce Springsteen”, Susan Marshall, Lee Thornberg from "Tower of Power" and Tony Furtado are also gracing the album with there presence.
Two tracks from his debut album, "Skies of Blue & Fields of Green" & "Think Of Me" are currently being played in regular rotation on radio stations in Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Mississippi, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Scotland, France, Belgium & The Netherlands. "Think Of Me" was also recently ranked in the top 20 songs on American Idol Underground's Big Country Charts and the single "Skies of Blue & Fields of Green" was placed on a "Sin City" compilation with Rosanne Cash, Steve Earle, Linda Ronstadt, Kris Kristofferson & Jesse Colter. He has been touring the Southwest & Southeast in support of his record, "Skies of Blue and Fields of Green" for the last two years and is starting production on his new album in May 2008. “Skies Of Blue & Fields Of Green” is available through many fine internet retailers such as iTunes, CDbaby & bestbuy.
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Bio
Blazing out of The Deep South, (Oxford & Jackson, MS.) Bobby Joyner headed West and he's had one hell of a ride to this point. He's jammed with the likes of Tom Petty, Dave Immergluck (Counting Crows), Gilby Clarke (Gun's & Rose's), Doan Perry (Jethro Tull), Tony Coleman (BB King), Steve Gorman & Marc Ford (The Black Crowes), Ken Coomer (Uncle Tupelo, Wilco), Rivers Rutherford, Michelle Shocked & opened for acts ranging from 311 & Quiet Riot to Colonel Bruce Hampton & Rodney Crowell! Flying his Southern credentials high in the Los Angeles sky, Mississippi born Bobby Joyner has managed to beautifully blend bluesy rock with long lost, laid back Southern California's country soul. At times his songs could also be mistaken for the most inspiring Mussel Shoals work of the early 1970s. Joyner is a terrific songwriter, but it is his booming voice that has earned him the respect of southerners – and music fans – living in the West. Joyner's crowds can be a who's who of California country and at any show you might find yourself rubbing elbows with a number of well known artist. Bobby is also an integral part of the legendary underground L.A. outlaw country gathering “Sweethearts of the Rodeo” and "The Sin City Social Club" as well. He has played in front of thousand's of people over the last several years in venues ranging from his standard gigs at The Mint in Los Angeles, CA., Falcon in Hollywood, CA. & "The Malibu Inn" in Malibu, CA. to The Sundance Resort in Utah where he played for hundreds including Robert Redford and family. Up and down the West Coast and throughout the Southwest and Southeast people know his music and his name. Bobby has also written songs with Miles Zuniga of "Fastball", Tim Krekel of "The Jimmy Buffett Band", Ted Russell Kamp of "Shooter Jennings & The .357's" and well established Nashville writers Rivers Rutherford, Jim Collins and Tony Ramey. In 2008 Bobby officially became endorsed by "Mojave Audio" a division of Royer Microphones. He has been spreading his wings in the L.A. session scene this year as well with demo work for American Idol artist's Chris Daughtry & David Cook. Bobby also cut a commmercial for Blu-Ray Discs recently and did a cut for the short lived FOX series "Nashville". He also did a mean harmonica solo for an NBA Finals / Will Smith's "Hancock" commercial that aired on ABC. Production of his new album is moving along nicely & we should see a new record by Summer 2009!
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