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2008 Best Country Music Performer 31.11% Amarillo *
Others with Votes (more than one):
* On the ballot |
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What a difference one vote makes. For the first time, country quintet Amarillo took Best Country Music Performer honors at the Whammys, beating out perennial favorite Renegade and third-place finisher Huckleberry Blue in a contest for the record books. Lead singer Doug Holt said he and the other members of Amarillo - Scott Gunter, Gary McMeekin, Jeff Ude, Scott Byler and John Mazza - are grateful to be part of Fort Wayne's country scene, which he said is basically a bunch of friends who support each other every chance they get. "We're really glad to be grouped in with Renegade and Huckleberry Blue. They're great bands and we're all rooting for each other," he said. Amarillo are on its third version in two years time. Holt is sole surviving original member. Former Amarillo-ites can be seen in local country acts Midnight Special, Outlaw Cowboys, BackWater, Shakin' Bake and Stone Cold Cowboys. Holt said his band is finally as solid as the songs Amarillo plays each weekend at venues like the Rock-n-Horse, the Neon Armadillo and the Dupont Bar & Grill. "These guys aren't going anywhere. We've all pitched in and spent a lot of money on equipment to make the band as good as it can be, and that shows a serious commitment to sticking with it and going forward," he said. Amarillo play an eclectic mix of country, hard rock and even alternative and metal. It's not unusual for these guys to alternate a George Strait tune with something by Nickelback. Their set at the Whammys surprised a lot of people who were expecting more country and Western and got quite a dose of hard rock. "We're pretty hard rock for a country band, and we like shocking people with how diverse we are," Holt said. The band plans to start throwing some originals into their sets as well and hopes to have their first CD out by September. In the meantime, they'll keep on keepin' on. "Everything is going really well for us right now. We're playing to standing-room-only crowds all the time and that's really something. We're so grateful to our fans who come out and pack the house and are willing to stand through our sets, just for a chance to hear us play," said Holt. (Deborah Kennedy) |
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