BILL DEWEY and the DYNAMICS
Nashville, Tennessee, United States | Established. Jan 01, 1985 | SELF | AFM
Music
Press
Few artists in either the rock ‘n’ roll or country genres have achieved the iconic status of Johnny Cash, so it should come as no surprise that there are plenty of tribute albums on the shelves paying homage to the Man in Black. But I’m not sure there is another tribute album on the market that channels the sound and style of the man with such eerie familiarity as Bill Dewey’s My Tribute To Johnny Cash.
From his classic “Big River,” to his trademark “Folsom Prison Blues,” Dewey captures Cash’s signature grit and gravel bass vocals and twangy guitar licks. He manages a familiar pathos of “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” although a couple of the lower notes feel just a tad out of his vocal range (not that Johnny Cash ever let that stop him, either). “One Piece At A Time” is just as grin-inducing today as it was Cash first recorded, and “Let Me Down Easy” is as classic country as it gets.
Dewey’s ten-song collection is a fine tribute to the second half of Johnny Cash’s career, although it is inevitable that many of your favorites, such as “Ring of Fire,” are missing. And there is no nod to Cash’s earlier success as a rock ‘n’ roll star. But that’s a pretty big quibble for a project that reminds us why we loved Johnny Cash in the first place. - Mike Parker
One of the most down to earth guys you will ever meet. Bill has a very unique style and appearance. Closest to Johnny I have ever seen.His show is very electric. Every Johnny fan should have his CD.
Skipper Gerstel, photographer of the stars. Memphis, TN.
- Bill Dewey.com
Artist: Bill Dewey
Title: My tribute To Johnny Cash
Label: Nammics Records Nashville
Review By: Marcus Thell (Radio Sweden)
Rating: 4 "hats", (5 "hats" is the best you can get!)
Bill Dewey´s tribute CD started in July 2003 and was almost finished
when "The Man in Black" died. The musicians that were used have
played with Cash - they are; Dave Roe on bass, drummer W.S. Holland, and
pianist Jack Hale. The electric guitar is played by Dewey himself, and he
does it very well. The songs aren´t just the most well known hits,
(although "Folsom Prison Blues", "Sunday Morning Coming Down" and "Big River"
are included), he also does a few little less known hits like "Mean
Eyed Cat", "One Piece At A Time" and "Let Me Down Easy". The CD has a
total of 10 songs and, sadly, just a total time of 26 minutes. I would
happily have seen 5-6 more songs. But the ones that are included here
are good. Dewey´s voice and style are very close to the Cash originals.
The best songs are "Luther Played The Boogie", "Mean Eyed Cat", "I´m Free
From The Chain Gang Now", "Let Me Down Easy", and "Long Black Veil".
Bill has done a very good tribute CD to the greatest country singer
of all time, Johnny Cash! You can buy this CD from Bill´s website at
www.billdewey.com
You can see the Swedish version of this review at our website:
www.smalandscountryclub.tk
(Marcus Thell)
- Marcus Thell
As a well known collector of the
recordings of the late Johnny Cash I was very much impressed by the sound, especially the guitar-work, but also by Bill having his own distinctive singing style without trying to copy Johnny Cash's voice. Comparing this album with a lot of others entitled e.g. "...Singing the Songs of Johnny Cash" this one stands out as really special. No one will regret the buy of this CD!
Peter Anderl
Austria's #1 Country-DJ
- Bill Dewey.com
"If you love the sound of Johnny Cash, then you're going to love this album."
---JOHNNY WESTERN
- Bill Dewey.com
"As an avid country listener I think this album really carries the torch. In an era when so many artists are playing pop songs under the country guise this is the real deal! Johnny's gone but his memory will live on forever with artists like Bill Dewey reminding us of this great man's contribution to the American culture. If you like Johnny Cash, or just good country music, you'll love this. Well done Bill." -John Steenblock
- Amazon.com
“If I closed my eyes while you were singing I would have sworn it was Johnny Cash.
What a great show!!”
----Tina Wheeler, Little Falls, MN
“Hi. Just heard you last night
on tv,thought you were wonderful.”
----Susan Clankie, Cookville, TN
“BILL, WHEN I HEARD YOU ON TV CHANNEL RFD-TV PAST SATURDAY. I
HAD MY BACK TO THE TV AND WHEN YOU STARTED SINGING A CHILL WENT UP MY
SPINE. I THOUGHT THEY WERE PLAYING A CD OF JOHNNY , THEN I REALIZED THAT
MIDWEST COUNTRY IS A LIVE SHOW AND I TURNED AROUND AND SAW YOU. GUY,
YOU HAVE THE GIFT. I AM GOING TO GET ALL YOUR CD'S JUST LIKE I HAVE ALL
OF JOHNNY'S SONGS. I CAN'T TELL YOU TWO APART WHEN YOU SING. GOD BLESS
YOU , LARRY”
----LARRY COURSON
“Love this guy's music. Could
he sound more like Cash? Unbelievable!”
----Winona Boyer, Napa, CA
“Heard the band for the first time at the American Legion in
Rosemount, Mn----fantastic. One of the hardest working bands I have
seen in a long time. Wish you guys all the success possible, you deserve
it.” ----Bill Harris
“Saw you in Missouri Valley
Thurs. evening. You were the BEST! Enjoying your CD, listened to it all
the way home! And the price was reasonable....Thanks!! I am wondering
where else you will be appearing.”
----Marianne Weiss, Barnum, IA
“Bill,
Man you ROCK!! Always have and always will.”
----Jamie Cummings, Mason City, IA
“We've been to 2 Bill Dewey
performances now and they were both amazing! Enjoyed them so much!”
----Larry & Linda Armstrong, Minneapolis, MN
“Hi, I'm a retired road musician
of about 25 yrs, caught your act on RFD TV, and really liked you,
checked out your website, loved it when you were singing your own
songs...Hang in there buddy, you've got it. Wish everyone’s future looked as bright
as yours,....An ol' Waylon and Johnny Fan, Marshall
Clayton..........P.S. I know it when I see it, and you have tons of it.....
----Marshall Clayton, Streator, Illinois
“You have a remarkable & gifted voice. Do you have a show at Branson, Mo.? If so, when
and what theater? If you don't, PLEASE consider starting one...PLEASE.
I will be buying your albums. GOD BLESS & have a GREAT DAY”
----Carolyn Barlow, Wetumka, Oklahoma
- Bill Dewey.com
Discography
CD RELEASED:
"BILL DEWEY- MY TRIBUTE TO JOHNNY CASH"
(Available samples in this press kit as well as for purchase at- www.billdewey.com. On radio in U.S.A. as well as 12 countries worldwide. Received 5 star reviews worldwide.)
ORIGINAL MATERIAL SLATED FOR RELEASE:
(Available samples in this press kit, as well as- www.billdewey.com/LISTEN.html, except for "Bourbon Renewal" and "My Right Hand Man").
"Hell Deep and Heaven High"
"Too Much Booze Blues"
"When You Started To Stop"
"Memories In The Wind"
"Bourbon Renewal"
"My Right Hand Man"
Photos
Bio
Bill Dewey is a singer/songwriter/musician born in the Midwest USA. He grew up working on the family farm raising corn, soybeans, hay, and Hereford cattle. However, music seemed to always be a constant in Bill's life.
As a child, Dewey wore out several toy guitars pretending to be a singer like Johnny Cash. At the age of nine, Bill became a member of Drum and Bugle Corps of America, playing bugle. Then he graduated to cornet/trumpet, and played in several forms of school band until graduating high school. Halfway through high school however, Bill embraced the instrument he always loved the most- the guitar.
Friends of Dewey who had a local band invited him to guest perform at a few of their gigs. At that point, his professional career in music had begun. A year or so later he formed his own band- "Bill Dewey and the Blazin' Broncos". They played nearly every weekend in the regional area performing at clubs, fairs, private functions, and parades. Dewey was also writing his own songs and recording demos of his material locally. He picked up more and more musical influences through out this time period. Singers and musicians like- Willie Nelson and Dwight Yoakam, to Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens. Other notables include- Carl Perkins, Don Rich, Pete Anderson, and Stevie Ray Vaughn, pretty much all of the honky-tonkers, rockabillies and rockers.
The opportunity came to make his first record. A 45rpm disc consisting of two original songs: "Well Enough Alone, and "Just Pleasin' You". The record was cut at the legendary Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. The same starting place as many of his heroes. The 45 was sold regionally, and got some airplay. By this time Bill had changed band members a couple of times, and changed the band's name to the "Dynamics". They continued a busy schedule of gigs on the local regional circuit. This eventually led to an invitation to perform at a tribute to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper, and pilot Roger Peterson. The three stars and their pilot perished in a plane crash after a concert in Feb. 1959, now regarded as "the day the music died". The tribute show gave Dewey national attention, and for a time he was slated to portray Ritchie Valens in a movie which was to be about the Big Bopper. In years to come Bill and his band became favorites at the official Buddy Holly Tribute, now known as the Winter Dance Party. The world famous tribute has been an annual event at the Surf Ballroom every year since it's inception in 1979.
Bill Dewey and the Dynamics then continued to perform on a regular basis to bigger and bigger crowds. Besides attracting people to the shows, Bill and his group received attention from some heavy hitters in the music business. Those relations still continue. According to them, the attention getter [besides his music], is Dewey's stage presence.
The move to Nashville came in 1990. Since then Dewey has worked with several top Nashville musicians and producers recording his own songs and others. He performed with many groups and his own through the years also. A few near misses occurred too, most notably with close talks with Mercury Records. Dewey has released material on independent Nammics Records Nashville, and has more slated for production and release. Bill Dewey and The Dynamics have performed in states across the USA including Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Iowa, and Colorado. That's the short story of part one............The rest of the story, (part two) is being written now.
Band Members
Links
