Chuck Mead is a Country singer with a rock n roll heart. He’s also a renowned songwriter, producer, music director, musicologist and architect behind the rebirth of Lower Broadway and the Global Neo Traditional Country music movement.

 

This Kansas native, has been at the forefront of what has come to be known as Americana Music for the better part of 25 years. Perhaps best known for co-founding the famed ‘90s Alternative Country quintet, BR5-49, whos 7 albums garnered a CMA Award for Best International Touring Act and three Grammy nominations, helped build an indelible bridge between authentic American Roots music and millions of fans worldwide.

 

Since then he’s toured the globe, entertained thousands on the high seas, released 4 solo albums, made 137 appearances on the Grand Ole Opry, co-produced critically acclaimed tribute albums to Johnny Cash & Waylon Jennings, acted as Musical Director/Supervisor/Producer of the Broadway hit musical Million Dollar Quartet AND the companion CMT television show Sun Records.

 

With a deep connection to Memphis and a burning desire to keep building musical bridges, Chuck packed up the band and took time out of his crazy schedule last summer to record his fourth solo album with Matt Ross-Spang (Margo Price/John Prine/Jason Isbell/Al Green) at legendary Sam Phillips Recording Studios, the result of which, ‘Close To Home’, was released June 21, 2019 on Plowboy Records. 

Since 2019 Chuck has also hosted a radio show on 650AM WSM Radio in Nashville called “Face the Music with Chuck Mead.”

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Jason Ringenberg was born and raised on an Illinois hog farm that bordered the Rock Island Line Railroad. He left for Nashville on July 4, 1981, to pursue his dream of “making a band that could kick American roots music into the modern age!” Little did he know just how far the kick would travel. He immediately formed Jason and the Scorchers and never looked back. Throughout the 1980s and 90s they tore up venues across the planet and became known as one of the most exciting live bands in music. On classic LPs like Fervor and Lost and Found they “single-handedly rewrote the history of rock ‘n roll in the South” (Rolling Stone).   Their instinctive ability to combine traditional country music with high-energy punk rock has not been surpassed to this day. In 2008 they were awarded the Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance. The band has an exhibit in the Country Music Hall of Fame.  

But Ringenberg’s story does not stop there. In 1992 the “Godfather of Americana” (Mojo) decided to go solo. He has released seven records, with everyone from the BBC to USA TODAY lauding his songwriting. Touring the world relentlessly as a solo barnstormer, The Times (UK) called him “one of the most exciting performers of his generation.”  In 2002 he created a children’s music character called Farmer Jason, winning an Emmy Award for his PBS program.    

 

In 2017 the U.S. National Park Service invited him to be their Artist-in-Residence at Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park. He spent a month hiking the mountains and writing songs. That explosion of creativity yielded two career-defining records: Stand Tall in 2018 and now his newest release, Rhinestoned.   

 

So don’t go to his concerts expecting to see a sensitive singer-songwriter sitting on a stool. With his acoustic guitar and high-energy charisma, he WILL rock the house!