COUNTRY/BLUES

12 MP3 Songs
BLUES: Texas Style, COUNTRY: Country Blues



Details:
With a musical career spanning over 40 years, a favorite question that Texas Singer/Songwriter Joe Cruz is often asked: "What was your greatest moment in the music business?" Without hesitation Joe answers, "June 6, 1976 at the Baytown, Texas Fairgrounds, opening for Willie Nelson at one his famous outdoor concerts! It was the first time I had ever done an outdoor concert with an audience in excess of 10,000 screaming people! Standing on that huge stage and singing for that mass of people had to be my greatest moment."

Of course, some members of Joe's band, The Cruisers, might want to argue that because there were so many great moments in those 40 years. Moments like recording your first record and hearing it on the radio for the first time; or maybe appearing on TV for the first time; or the first big star you worked with. But things really started heating up in the late 70's for Joe Cruz and The Cruisers. Playing nightly shows in the Houston/Pasadena area biggest and most popular nightspots, Joe signed with Mickey Gilley's organization just as the Urban Cowboy craze was taking hold. That opportunity led to performing on shows with some of Country Music's biggest names like Mickey Gilley, Johnny Lee, David Alan Coe, David Houston, Billy Walker, Johnny Paycheck, Floyd Tillman, Michael Martin Murphy, Eddie Raven, Jerry Lee Lewis, and countless others.

After a 3-year stint working clubs all over Texas in the mid-eighties, Joe settled in Ft. Worth and decided to give real-life a try. He enrolled at Tarrant County Jr. College for an Associate Degree in Automotive Technology and began playing music on weekends with Keller, Texas based band, The Pony Express. Still missing the creative part of the music business, Joe became one of the founding members of the Ft. Worth Songwriters Association (another great moment) where he remains a lifetime member.

On June 1, 1997, Joe and his wife Judy, packed up and moved to Nashville to complete the final leg of his musical journey. "All my life, I wanted to live in Nashville just to be around some of the greatest songwriters and musicians in the world. And, to top it off, I got to record the best record of my life along with making new friends like Jimmy Payne, Don Wayne, Dick Feller, Danny Dill, Lynn Dukes and Denny Martin. I have furthered my career teaching Automotive Technology to many young auto technicians throughout Middle Tennessee and have continued playing music. Nashville has truly been a great opportunity for me."

Joe Cruz's latest CD is titled "GOOD LUCK MAN' and is available online at: cdbaby.com/joecruz. The CD contains 7 original songs and 5 of Joe's absolute favorites. Sure to be a favorite in your cd collection.

With Joe Cruz, it really is "ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC!"