Kym released his debut solo album ‘Everything That Brought Me Here’ in 2015 and has been performing as a solo artist playing a variety of instruments (mandolin, bouzouki, ukulele, electric mandolin) playing both original and cover songs and telling the stories of the songs and his travels that have lead him to become an American Citizen and Texas resident. Top Albums (See all 20 albums) Live Dinner Reunion Robert Earl Keen. You can complete the lyric with the next five words — the ones routinely shouted back at Keen by thousands of fans a night ("and the party never ends!") He has been touring and recording with REK since the dawn of the new millennium. Singer-songwriter, part of the second generation of maverick country artists, mixes Texas twang, folk wit, and rock muscle. ", "Straight outta Bandera: For Robert Earl Keen, music and business coexist at home, deep in the heart of Texas", "Robert Earl Keen Jr. While teaching at the Arts Magnet High School in Dallas, one of his students was Norah Jones. Find news, tour dates, music, albums and more at his official website. I thought of it in terms of having a really, really good career and writing some good songs, and getting onstage and having a really good time.". Score: 79 with 104 ratings and reviews. I began playing the bass guitar a couple of years later and by the end of high school I was playing in bands around the gulf coast. His 1997 album, Picnic, marked the beginning of his on-again, off-again relationship with major labels (both that album and 1998's Walking Distance were issued on Arista Records, and 2001's Gravitational Forces, 2009's The Rose Hotel and 2011's Ready for Confetti were released on Lost Highway Records). I’ve gotten to write some songs with Robert and have recorded a few. Vinyl: $25.98 MP3: $14.49. I still live in San Marcos with my wife, Kim. His songs have had cover versions recorded by many musicians, including George Strait, Joe Ely, Lyle Lovett, The Highwaymen, Nanci Griffith, and The Dixie Chicks. Keen has continued to write, record, and tour in the United States. As a child, Tom tapped maple trees to make syrup in Vermont with his grandfather. A dozen years later, he was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame along with the late, great Van Zandt and his old college buddy, Lyle Lovett. Robert Earl Keen is a master storyteller who stands side-by-side with the great storytellers of his era, in any genre. The following year he released Gringo Honeymoon (whose title track and light-hearted “Merry Christmas from the Family” he frequently plays live), and in 1996 he released No. He later began playing guitar, bass, mandolin, and other instruments in local Houston/College Station bands. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. [4], Keen returned to Texas 22 months later after failing to find mainstream success, though in Nashville he had signed a publishing deal and a new independent label deal, and signed with a national booking agent (Keith Case). Submit Corrections. Robert Earl Keen is not due to play near your location currently - but they are scheduled to play 11 concerts across 1 … [2], Keen grew up in southwest Houston. My son, David Beck, is a great musician. The natural "banter" between these two long-time friends is authentic and makes for a unique experience. Keen has toured extensively both in the US and abroad throughout his career, and was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012 along with Lyle Lovett and the late Townes Van Zandt. Album & Song Chart History - Folk Albums", "Robert Earl Keen Jr. Some people take up a life of playing music with the goal of someday reaching a destination of fame and fortune; but from the get-go, Keen just wanted to write and sing his own songs, and to keep writing and singing them for as long as possible. I was born in Washington D.C. but grew up in La Porte, Texas. Want to see Robert Earl Keen in concert? Debuting with 1984's No Kinda Dancer, the Houston native has recorded 18 full-length albums for both independent and major record labels. Robert Earl Keen (born January 11, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter and entertainer. Robert Earl Keen is one of our generation's most prolific songwriters. Playing with Robert has been a great opportunity. [5] Keen's own version of “Whenever Kindness Fails” appeared on his fourth album, 1993's Garry Velletri–produced A Bigger Piece of Sky. He performed in Austin's nightclubs and live music venues like the Cactus Cafe and Gruene Hall in nearby New Braunfels. ringtone . Shop for Vinyl, CDs and more from Robert Earl Keen at the Discogs Marketplace. CD: $15.98 MP3: $9.49. Although both his albums and his live performances span many different styles, from folk, country, and bluegrass to rock, he is most commonly affiliated with the Americana genre. I started playing the trombone in the school band in sixth grade. Robert Earl Keen (born January 11, 1956)[1] is an American singer-songwriter and entertainer. My wife, Pam, and I live about 20 miles outside of Austin on Onion Creek with Chester the bulldog, two more dogs and three cats; we were married out there on the land in 1990; moved out there and later built a house with our own hands; our only son, Jesse, moved back in to Austin where he is a junior at the University of Texas. The producers with whom he's worked on those albums have included John Keane, Gurf Morlix, Gary Velletri, and Lloyd Maines. And as for accruing recognition, well, he's done alright on that front, too; from his humble beginnings on the Texas folk scene, he's blazed a peer, critic, and fan-lauded trail that's earned him living-legend (not to mention pioneer) status in the Americana music world. I got the gig. No...not a Star Trek character ... think vegetarian + fish. Official Robert Earl Keen Store. Tom enjoys woodworking and has made the entertainment center, fireplace mantle, closet organizer, etc. My cousin told me this was one of his favorite REK offerings, and I have to admit it is now one of mine. Robert Earl Keen, Soundtrack: All the Boys Love Mandy Lane. FREE Shipping on orders over $25.00. Born in Adelaide, South Australia, Four-Time Australian Mandolin Champion and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Kym Warner moved to the U.S in 2001. Live Dinner Reunion by Robert Earl Keen Audio CD $16.59. Address. I've worked with many a great Texas musician, but when I went to work full time with Robert Earl Keen in August of 1999, it felt like home. Robert Earl Keen, Jr. [3], West Textures featured the first recording of what would soon become Keen's signature song, “The Road Goes on Forever”. After the release of his second and third albums, 1988's The Live Album and 1989's West Textures (both produced by Jim Rooney and released on Sugar Hill Records), he began to have commercial success both in Texas and in the rest of the country. Robert Earl Keen Biography by James Manheim + Follow Artist. He was still a relative unknown in 1989 when his second studio album, West Textures, was released — especially on the triple bill he shared at the time touring with legends Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark — but once fellow Texas icon Joe Ely recorded both "The Road Goes on Forever" and "Whenever Kindness Fails" on his 1993 album, Love and Danger, the secret was out on Keen's credentials as a songwriter's songwriter. After following his muse to California and back to the midwest, made his way to Austin, TX in 1985. The music is wonderful, the band is the best, the camaraderie fun and it's a great place for me to be. Submit Corrections. Best of Robert Earl Keen - Digital Album. About Robert Earl Keen Among the large contingent of talented songwriters who emerged in Texas in the 1980s and '90s, Robert Earl Keen struck an unusual balance between sensitive story-portraits ("Corpus Christi Bay") and raucous barroom fun ("That Buckin' Song"). Being a lifelong fan himself, it is a real treat to get to play songs he grew up singing along with. Robert Earl Keen Artist Overview Albums. Growing up, Keen was interested in music, sports, movies and writing. I moved to San Marcos after school and kept on playing at clubs and dancehalls all over Texas. A founding member of the progressive acoustic band The Greencards, Kym toured the US, Europe and Australia extensively for thirteen years, recorded six studio albums and received accolades such as Three GRAMMY nominations, a #1 Billboard Bluegrass Album, an Americana Award for 'Best New Artist' and a national tour with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. https://www.ticketmaster.com/robert-earl-keen-tickets/artist/769840 Album & Song Chart History - Country Albums", "Robert Earl Keen Jr. His songs have had cover versions recorded by many musicians, including George Strait, Joe Ely, Lyle Lovett, The Highwaymen, Nanci Griffith, and The Dixie Chicks. Keen's tour dates around that time included a triple-bill run with Texas songwriters Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt. He attended Texas A&M University, enrolling in the school of journalism. Fellow Texan Joe Ely recorded the song on his 1993 album Love and Danger, along with another Keen song, “Whenever Kindness Fails”. In 2015, Brian started playing fiddle with REK and has loved it ever since. What other job could you have where a crowd of people is cheering and going nuts just because you are going to work?". Album & Song Chart History - Independent Albums", "Robert Earl Keen Jr. Vinyl: $22.98 MP3: $9.49. Tom makes a living doing what most parents tell their kids to stop doing... hitting things. 2 Live Dinner.[5]. In 1983, Keen won the New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, Texas. I started writing songs and performing them with bands and solo. — just to punctuate the point with a flourish, but it's the part about the journey that gets right to the heart of what makes Keen tick. “The Sound Guy” for REK since August 1999; Sound business in Austin, Texas since 1975; mostly worked with Joe Ely, Jerry Jeff Walker, Delbert McClinton, Texas Tornadoes; 23 years with Crosswind Sound in Austin as Chief Engineer; engineered records, too (several Ely, Delbert, Jerry Jeff, Austin Lounge Lizards, Uranium Savages,Shakin' Apostles). Robert Earl Keen, Jr. falls into the latter category. Born in the Houston area, Brian began playing violin at age 8 then soon after switched to fiddle. Digital Music. Freelancing around Dallas/Ft Worth since he was 17, he eventually joined a little band from Texas - the Dixie Chicks. Find information on all of Robert Earl Keen’s upcoming concerts, tour dates and ticket information for 2021-2022. MP3 His tenure with the girls stretched from 1991-96 including "3 records, many TV shows and countless shows in the US, Japan and Europe". Now three-decades on from the release of his debut album — with well over a dozen other records to his name, thousands of shows under his belt and still no end in sight to the road ahead — Keen remains as committed to and inspired by his muse as ever. It's highly unusual for artists in this day & age to simply play songs requested by … My favorite band was playing an Otis Redding song. After high school, Brian moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas but was quickly sidetracked and joined the South Austin Jug Band and toured the U.S. and Europe for 5 years. He's the most generous, kind boss I've had (not to mention the best songwriter I've known). My fellow band mates are great musicians and it’s a challenge to perform at such a high level. Keen Productions P.O. for his home renovation... not to mention the official smushball court for the REK tour bus. "I am so fortunate to be able to tour around the country all these years with my best friends (all incredible musicians) and play such great songs every night. During his college years Keen met future musician Lyle Lovett. As a teenager, Keen was an avid reader who excelled in writing and literature classes, and both a fan of the English rock band Cream and influenced by country music by artists like Willie Nelson.[3]. His band, Sons of Fathers, is doing well. In 1978, Keen graduated from Texas A&M and moved to Austin, Texas. For a more in depth bio and information - please go to tomvanschaik.com. Album & Song Chart History - Billboard 200", "Robert Earl Keen Jr. In ’95 I had the opportunity to audition for a job with Robert Earl Keen. Tom lives in Austin, TX with his wife and their dogs. Regular price $9.50 Sale price $9.50 Regular price $9.50 Unit price / per . Acoustic show with Robert Earl Keen & Lyle Lovett was aweseme - as expected. After graduation, he attended University of North Texas to study music, earning a Bachelors Degree in Jazz Studies and minoring in Music Theory. [4], That same year, he began making his self-produced first album, No Kinda Dancer, with the help of his bandmates and the young musicians Lovett and Nanci Griffith. Live concerts are one big reason Texas troubadour Robert Earl Keen earned a large following outside of his home state. Only 6 left in stock - order soon. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. My daughter Katy is studying voice at Texas State, where I went. Tom is related (distantly, if you've ever seen him dance) to Gene Kelly. Robert Earl Keen Honey Pils is a Pilsner - German style beer brewed by Pedernales Brewing Company in Fredericksburg, TX. Box 290448 Kerrville, TX 78029-0048. BEST Robert Earl Keen. (He studied journalism, after all.) Arguably his finest record, Robert Earl Keen's A Bigger Piece of Sky is a transitional album for him -- he begins to evolve out of the terrain of his organic small-town Texas songwriting comfort zone and to walk the knife's edge between a more expansive meld of roots rock, honky tonk country, and Western back-porch folk. Farm Fresh Onions - Digital Album. Keith Levy [email protected] Personal Manager By the end of the decade, Keen was a veritable household name in Texas, headlining a millennial New Year's Eve celebration in Austin that drew an estimated 200,000 people. He leased the album to Rounder Records, which released it on its Philo Records imprint in 1984. Releasing 3 studio albums and a live record, Milkdrive also toured Europe and the U.S. extensively and still play occasionally when the stars align! "I always thought that I wanted to play music, and I always knew that you had to get some recognition in order to continue to play music," Keen says. 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