Greetings from Cow Creek,
The new year is well on its way and we hit the ground running as usual. The last few years have allowed no breaks following the Christmas-New Year’s season and this one is no exception. The winter here in the Hill Country, so far, has been relatively mild except for a couple of light freezes. Today is sunny mild and feels more like spring then winter. I really miss the musical ski trips we used to take to Taos, Santa Fe, and Red River, NM, and were trying to arrange things so we can work that into our annual schedule again. I’ll use this opportunity to say “ola” and “we miss ya’ll” to our friends up that way.
The new year has brought fresh changes and the “Bunkhouse” has a whole new set of occupants…. The former having departed for a variety of reasons, the primary one being to pursue personal goals, and I wish them well in their efforts. The new SONS OF THE BUNKHOUSE BAND sports a set of fresh faces. The new members include, BEAU JOHNSON, a great drummer and vocalist, who many of you know well from Pauline Reese’s band. MARK HILL, a former star baseball player from Tyler, TX, recently arriving in Austin from Lubbock, where he was a recording engineer and producer at the Don Caldwell Studios, has joined the band on bass. Mark is an all-round musical talent an excellent vocalist and virtuoso bluegrass guitar player. RONNIE ELLLIOTT, who hails from Cold Spring, TX rounds out the band and brings with him the skill to” bend a mean String” on the Telecaster guitar. Ronnie and Mark have a history together…both having studied music at South Plains College, played “bluegrass” and worked on a cattle ranch near Gunnison, CO. This new “outfit” has a real good look and feel to it. My “ right hand: Joseph Chagra is still with me and doing a fantastic job as “production manager” and “audio technician”.
The family is well, Ruthie continues to keep herself busy making improvements here at home, cooking great “ European cuisine”, nurturing her menagerie of animals, and making herself invaluable taking care of our music business. Due to her efforts our business is really picking up and the schedule for this year is already looking very good. I can’t help but recall when I first met her in Zurich, Switzerland back in “83”. One evening after a show there, I was bragging and lying about Texas, and invited the whole staff to come to Texas and I would take them riding on “cowboy” horses, and put them up in “Indian Teepees”. She gets right in my face and tells me “I need an American passport….why don’t you marry me and take me back to Texas”? that’s the way it started and the rest is ongoing history. I’ve been thanking my “ lucky stars” ever since.
Son Julian is all grown up…a graduate of Texas state University…and has landed a job in Austin that he really loves…. so he’s on his way with his life. Son Lukin has made a home in Nashville and is doing well with his career in the food business. He began on the ground floor with a start-up “ whole foods” like Company (Plum Good Food) that is growing and he apparently is making them a good hand, so he stands to grow with them Grandson Silas, is handsome, bright, reads voraciously, and has lots of musical talent. He has taken up the tenor saxophone. Gee-Paw sent him CD’s of the “Bill Doggett Combo”. “The Camps”, and “Junior Walker”, all classic sax music. I can’t wait to get with him and jam out tunes like “Honky Tonk”. “ Night train”, and “Harlem Nocturne”.
DVD RELEASED SOON….last summer I was approached before my show at Blanco’s in Houston, by the producers of the “TEXAS ROADHOUSE LIVE” series, to do a short interview. Since they had cameras, they offered to film the show that evening. Recently they contacted me and informed me that they had created a show from the footage… and that it had turned out pretty good!.... and would I be interested in having it made into a DVD? I recall that it was so hot that night that our sound equipment had overheated and shut itself down. Consequently, a good deal of the sound recording was damaged. However, there was about 75 minutes of material that turned out very good. The neat thing about it….it was a Vaquero meeting night and many of my Vaquero compadres were at the show and very conspicuous in the video as well as all of our Blanco regulars. Most everyone there that night appears in the video. So a “ LIVE AT BLANCO’S DVD will soon be available, and you may be in it!............
Go to “ www.texasroadhouselive.com ”…click on the Storefront…click on my picture…and voila!...YOU CAN ORDER THE DVD…and expect to receive it in two to three weeks. I didn’t plan this, we didn’t prepare for it, but it turned out pretty darned good!
There is virtually no video of us in existence, so this will be a rare document…the good part is that most of my best friends are in it as well…..”ain’t it good to be alive”!!!!
SPONSORSHIP OFFERS have been coming our way. We recently made a deal to lend my name to a BBQ Restaurant. Yes Sir, GARY P NUNN SMOKED MEATS will be opening soon! It is located one-half mile off Interstate 10 exit 533, (Welfare Road exit), a few miles west of Boerne, TX next to Nelson City Dance Hall, and PoPo’s. It’s an easy drive out from San Antonio, and all points in the Hill Country. Be sure and stop by when you’re in the area. It’s a TEXAS THANG YA’LL…..” Longnecks and western swing…it’s the River Walk and Leon springs,… it’s the Texas music scene… have some BBQ and Pinto Beans….hmmmm…..hmmmmm….
Allow me to regain control of myself and mention that we have entered into a promotional relationship with the TWISTED X BOOT COMPANY. I remind you to take a look at there website, and view their most excellent line of super high quality cowboy and work boots, as well as a fashionable line of boots for the ladies. You will find then in most western wear retail stores or wherever fine boots are sold. You also can check them out on there website “ www.twistedxboots.com” You will not be disappointed.
Our new single, “ ADIOS AMIGO”, is getting fantastic response. I have reports from my radio station friends that they get “ mucho” calls requesting the song….some reporting it as their “most requested song”! We didn’t put the big push on this song…we just sent it out. The response from the fans is what I monitor and it has been great. We’ve moved lots of the “autographed single – collector’s item” CD’s of the tune from store at “ www.garypnunn.com “ Also, we are getting lots of “downloads” of the tune which is available at the website as well. We thank ya’ll for that and hope you will turn your friends on to this innovative marketing tool that has only recently become technologically available.
NEW BOOKING AGENCY… My long time agent Chad Kudelka has started is own agency, so his contact number has changed. For bookings, the new numbers are CHAD 512-779-8518 RUTH 830-798-9535
Chad and Ruth are working closely together, so you can contact either of them for information regarding booking dates. Our calendars for 2008 is filling up quickly so don’t wait to call them to secure your date.
Well, I need to wrap this up and get to town for rehearsal with the new guy’s.
A great big old Texas, “Thank YA’LL “ goes out to all our fans and “ friends for life”. I marvel at the incredible loyalty and devotion we receive from so many of you. You know who you are and I love every one of you. We thank those of you who have become “friends” at the my space site “ garypnunnofficial “ I invite you to visit us there, and or the web site, and become not only a friend, but a friend for life. Visit the Bunkhouse Products Store at the web site….check out the road dates and make plans to take a “roadtrip” and be with us at the many excellent vacation destinations where we perform throughout the year. I’ll look forward to seeing you at the dance floor, were you meet “ the friendliest people and the prettiest women you’ve ever seen”!
Take care of yourself and each other. May God bless us all.
Your friend for life,
Gary P. Nunn
