Brent Woodall - Song writer, Lead Vocals, percussion, bats clean-up
Brent Woodall Bio
In 1963 Brent Woodall began performing with a band in Junior high school (Middle school to those of you in Rio Linda) called Sir Brent and The Mystics.. Catchy huh? It's been a great adventure ever since. In fact, there are 7 pages covering Brent's career in the book "Baltimore Sounds" by Joe Vaccarino and published by MJAM Press. That evolved into CHERRY SMASH which he started with Ken Johnson, Dave Reed, Bob Flurie (Country Joe and The Fish, Quicksilver Messenger Service.)
During the 70’s and 80’s when Brent wasn’t touring the country he made his home base Washington D.C. where he performed at the legendary “BAYOU” nightclub in Georgetown with the legendary CHERRY SMASH! which featured Tim Tanner, Ron Fetner, (occasionally Mike Tramonte,) who are still working with Brent). Bob Read (who has been with Bruce Hornsby for 15 years) Barry Holober (Fabulous Hubcaps) and other great musicians rounded out the band.
When they weren't headlining they had the privilege of working with such groups as Hall and Oates, Aerosmith, Talking Heads, Dire Straits, BB King, Muddy Waters, Allman Brothers, Foreigner and The Beach Boys. It was a great spot for a young artist to hone his craft. Brent has a long history in the country music industry dating back to 1970 when Charlie Daniels produced for him at RCA studio B In Nashville, Tennessee. In that session, Brent also cut one of Charlie’s songs, “Great Big Bunches of Love” where Charlie not only produced but also was gracious enough to sit in on guitar.
In the mid 1990’s Brent was a co-founder of Rivers Edge with Ken Johnson, Ray Jones and Mike Unger, an acoustic alternative country band out of Winchester, Virginia - heart of the Shenandoah Valley. Their first self-produced CD “Cabin Fever” featured eleven original songs and because of national airplay, caught the ear of two-time Grammy Award- winning producer Larry Butler. Larry produced their next project “On the Edge." Original music combined with that of Dean Dillon and Larry Butler gave the CD a unique, compelling sound that would later become the hallmark of Brent’s singular style. The air play from the project helped the group go from garage band to Farm Aid 2000, The Rocky Gap Festival, and The Belle Chere Festival in five short years! During this time Brent met Jackie Miller Combs, mother of Mark Miller lead singer from Sawyer Brown. Mrs. Combs took a liking to Brent’s vocals and gave a copy of his CD to her son. Brent and the rest of the band continued touring, working with the likesof Sawyer Brown,Toby Keith, Lonestar,Trace Adkins, Gary Allen,PhilVassar, Jessica Andrews, Neal McCoy, and Joe Dee Messina and Blake Shelton, Trisha Yearwood, to name a bunch. Brent was now ready for a new project -- his first solo project.
Thinking ahead and using his usual dogged determination he arranged for Nashville producer and publisher Joe Bob Barnhill to take the helm. Choosing material from varied sources and writers the sessions evolved into a rhythm and blues country CD called “Out With The Old”, the title cut courtesy of Mark Miller. (Thanks Mamma Miller) From the same CD, in May of 2002, the haunting ballad “Who Cares” was released to CDX Number 292. Airplay on independent radio stations put the song into rotation and Brent was invited to perform at the IFCO Show at FANFAIR 2002 at the “Ryman”. In November 2001 after six months on the charts, “Who Cares” hit Number 1 on Indieworld Country Radio Charts. The next release from the CD, an original cut “Louisiana Give Back My Heart” hit Number 1 in May 2003 on Inside and Burning Country Charts. On May 1, 2006 Brent was awarded the prestigious ASCAP Writers Award and invited to showcase his song “Cabin Fever” at “The Kennedy Center” in Washington D.C. Fall 2007: Brent Woodall’s new realease “Bright Side Of The Road” written by Van Morrison was released to national radio via CDX Volume 422 and stayed on the Indie charts for 26 weeks!. The song actually crossed over into Christian Radio.
*Brent co produced SHENANDOAH RISING; a television variety show, with Rick Ours and Shenandoah University Television featuring artists from the Shenandoah Conserveratory of music and Grammy Award Winning Nashville songwriters.
BRENT WOODALL / DISCOGRAPHY 1968 She Loves You Cherry Smash/ Fayette 1970 Great Big Bunches of Love/ Fayette
1996 “Cabin Fever” -- Rivers Edge – Ssastar 1999 “On The Edge” -- Rivers Edge Ssastar -- Larry Butler, Producer
2001 “Out With The Old” -- Brent Woodall & Natchez Trace / Barracuda -- Joe Bob Barnhill,
Producer 2004 “True Vertigo” -- Brent Woodall & Natchez Trace -- Joe Bob Barnhill, Producer
2007 “On Top Of The Covers” – Brent Woodall – Joe Bob Barnhill, Producer 2007 "Bright Side Of The Road" – Brent Woodall - Joe Bob Barnhill, Producer
2009 Got 'Em Live Then & Now Anthology from 1978 (Cherry Smash) to 2009 Natchez Trace Band.