“I can sum all that up in oneword,” says Deryl, “faith. Whensomeone asks me about how towrite songs, how I got in themusic business or how I got toNashville, I honestly can’t give ascripted answer. I can’t say, ‘Well,I got this manager and got abusiness card and I got a headshot and resume.’ No, I just didit with blind faith.”

While that may not soundlike solid advice an up-and-com-ing music artist can take to heart,it worked for Double D, as fansand peers affectionately call himalike.

Raised in a family immersedin southern gospel, it only seemsfitting that Dodd would follow amusical path. He recalls listen-ing to his mom and dad playpiano and guitar and sing gospelsongs with their blended harmo-nies, along with uncles and oth-ers. They were his living roomheroes.

It all came natural.. Deryl said,“I came up playing, obviously,and loved it. Any instrument Ithought of, I could learn to play.At one point, besides guitars andpiano, we had a banjo, steel gui-tar and drums in our house. Iwas just ate up with music andlearning to play.”

After more than twenty yearsin the business, it is safe to saythat Dodd is still “ate up” withmusic. He continued, “I couldplay anything because I playedby ear. But, I loved twangy coun-try music. That was the key thatfit my lock. I’ve said before I wasborn with twang in my veins.”

Social mediaCHANGING DIRECTIONS, Iasked Deryl, “Social media. Doyou love it or hate it?”

To which he replied, “Here’swhat I think about that. It’s greatbecause I can use it to give a tonof people information about whatwe’re doing and where we’replaying with just one post. Thatis the beauty of social media.But, what I love most is playinglive shows. That’s where I con-nect on a real and honest levelwith people, not on social me-dia. So, it’s a tool. That’s all.”

That being said, I did dis-cover that Deryl has written someprofound and deeply personalblogs which you can read on hiswebsite at deryldodd.com.

The AlbumIN 2016, IT WAS BROUGHTto Double D’s attention that ithad been twenty years since hisfirst record release on Sony Co-lumbia. He was told, ‘You oughtado something to celebrate that.’

So, he did. And the way Derylchose to commemorate that an-niversary was to begin work onan album that defies all musicboundaries. A Long Hard Ridefeatures fourteen of Deryl’s TexasMusic friends on his chart top-per songs plus a cover of “TheRide” written by Gary Gentryand J.B. Detterline Jr. and madepopular by David Allan Coe in1983.

Where did the idea come?Deryl explained, “I’ve been

wanting to rerecord some of mysongs for a long time, so I wentover the nine albums I’ve re-leased and picked ones that Ithought were my best or mostpopular and that I had controlof. Then I asked other peoplewhat they thought. The songsthat kept coming up oneveryone’s lists are the ones Ichose.”

Then Deryl decided he didn’twant to sing these by himself.

“Over the years being inTexas, touring with different art-ists and getting to be very closefriends, often backstage, some-one would inevitably burst outsinging one of these songs ofmine. For instance, every time Isee Roger Creager, he starts sing-ing “She’ll Have You Back.” So, Idecided to ask some of thesefriends to sing with me on thisalbum.”

The collaboratorsFOURTEEN DIFFERENT ART-ists to coordinate with time andschedules. “To have them bewilling to sing with me on thisalbum is very rewarding and veryhumbling,” Deryl says. “When Icalled them up, I’d name a songthey seemed to favor and asked ifthey’d like to record it with me.It was pretty amazing, with thatmany people and different sched-ules, for it to actually all cometogether. I call it a God thing.”

It took eight months to com-plete Long Hard Ride, producedby Deryl. The recording involvedseveral studios, engineers andmusicians.

IT’S NOT EASY TO HAVE LONGEVITY,Imaintain relevance and independence in theImusic business these days. But, Deryl Dodd hasmanaged to do just that. When I asked how, hisanswer surprised me.

“That’s How I got to Mem-phis” is the eighth track on thisCD and the delivery by bothartists is simple purity.

Deryl’s ability to cover a popu-lar mainstream song and make ithis own has been proven before,and the first track on the album,“The Ride,” is a perfect exampleas it shot up the Texas musiccharts shortly after its release.

“Love Letters and Cigarettes,”written by Nate Kipp, is a poi-gnant and mournful tale of un-ending devotion and yearning.Cody Jinks joins Deryl on this,taking into an entirely new di-mension of greatness.

Wade Bowen lends his vocalprowess to “Sundown,” a classicwritten by Gordon Lightfoot.

William Clark Green singswith Dodd on “Let Me Be,” a

honky-tonkballad writtenby DerylDodd andl o n g t i m efriend, BrettBeavers.

In May2016, TheDallas Ob-server listedthe top tensongs every-one from Dal-las needs toknow.

M a k i n gthat list wasDeryl’s “A Bit-ter End.”Randy Rogersgives a heart-felt renderingwith Dodd onthis tale ofhea r tb reakand loneli-ness when itall comesdown to thebitter end.

One ofDodd’s mostloved and re-quested songsis “PearlSnaps.” Andhe couldn’thave chosen amore fittingartist to ac-company himon its recre-ation thanS t o n e yLaRue.

“Drinkin’’Bout You” isreminiscentof the famed

Bakersfield sound, and MattHillyer sings along with Doddon this two-stepping countrytune.

Roger Creager is the perfectaccompaniment to Dodd on

One of the artists joiningDeryl on Long Hard Ride is thelegendary Radney Foster.

Deryl shared how that cameabout. “I met Radney Foster whenI was in Nashville and over theyears, we became good friends.So, I was at Larry Joe Taylor’sfestival last year and Radney andI were standing back stage talk-ing about what each of us wasdoing. I mentioned this albumand before I could say anythingelse, he blurted out, ‘I want tosing on “That’s How I got toMemphis.” I told him he couldsing on anything he wanted andhe went on to tell me how muchhe loved that song.

I guess that was when I knewbeyond a doubt, this project wasreally going to be something spe-cial.

“She’ll Have You Back.”Steve Rhian’s guitar rift kick-

ing off “Honky Tonk Cham-pagne” sets the mood for a bootscootin’ time with Kevin Fowlerand Dodd.

Deryl’s upbringing reallyshines on “Who Am I Not To Be”and Bonnie Bishop’s unique soul-ful voice blends with Dodd’ssmooth baritone to make it animmediate album favorite for me.

“I’ll Fly Away” is timeless andhis pals, Larry Joe Taylor andDave Perez, shine with Dodd onthis Albert E. Brumley standard.

No one could have been moresuited to lend his amazing vocalswith Dodd on his mega-hit, “OneRide in Vegas,” than CodyJohnson.

And to end this assemblageof who’s who in Texas countrymusic, Deryl and Pat Green cometogether on “Things are Fixin’ ToGet Real Good.”

The passionONE THING DERYL DODDhas, above and beyond all else, isa deep-rooted love for countrymusic. To him, it moves beyondthe performance and deliveryinto a spiritual experience andthat is what comes across any-time you see him and his band,The Homesick Cowboys, at alive show.

This album A Long Hard Ride isavailable everywhere music canbe purchased and if you shareDeryl’s passion for real countrysongs, and real country artists, itis a must-have for your collection.

“This record is about inspira-tion, unity and keeping the mu-sic real. ‘Cuz that’s what we dohere in Texas.” Deryl Dodd.

Deryl Dodd’s CD release partyis set for May 6 at Love and Warin Plano and you can certainlypick up a CD there.

Heck, he’ll even sign it foryou.

Don’t miss this monumentalcollaboration of Texas music art-ists on one album. ■

This CD release party is secheduled for May 6 at Love and War in Plano : Derry Dodd

“I could play anything because Iplayed by ear. But, I lovedtwangy country music. Thatwas the key that fit my lock.I’ve said before I was born withtwang in my veins.”

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

–DERYL DODD

Born with twang in his veinsDeryl Dodd releases A Long Hard Ride

by Jan Sikes

A M E R I C A N A