Wayne Hancock | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Thomas Wayne Hancock III |
Also known as | Wayne "The Train" Hancock, "The King of Juke Joint Swing" |
Born | May 1, 1965 |
Origin | Dallas, Texas |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Singing guitar |
Years active | 1977–present |
Labels | Deja Disc, Ark 21, Bloodshot |
Website | waynehancock |
Thomas Wayne Hancock III (born May 1, 1965, in Dallas, Texas) better known as Wayne "The Train" Hancock, is an American singer-songwriter. Known as "The King of Juke Joint Swing,"[ citation needed ] his performances incorporate jazz, blues, western swing, country and rockabilly, styles of music that he began listening to as a kid. His influences include Jimmie Rodgers, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Hank Thompson, Hank Williams and Hank Snow because they were all in his parents' record collection. [2]
Throughout his childhood, Hancock moved around seven times because his father was a Design engineer who worked at various engineering firms around the United States. Shortly after discovering country music, Hancock began writing songs at the age of twelve. Hancock's vocal style was initially influenced by Hank Williams, and he has been compared to him throughout his career. [2]
At eighteen years old, Hancock won the Wrangler Country Showdown contest. The son of a WWII veteran, Hancock joined the United States Marine Corps immediately after winning the contest and was shipped to recruit training. Hancock served in the military for four years. During a six-month deployment at Camp Hansen in Okinawa, Japan, he wrote one of his most well known songs, "Cold Lonesome Wind" from Thunderstorms and Neon Signs . [2]
In 1990, Hancock moved to Austin, Texas. In 1994, he met Lubbock, Texas native Joe Ely, a member of the Flatlanders at the Continental Club in, Austin, Texas. Shortly thereafter, Hancock landed a role in Terry Allen and Jo Harvey Allen's play, Chippy. Jimmie Dale Gilmore of the Flatlanders originally played Hancock's character Mr. Jukebox. When Gilmore was unable to do the second run of the play, Ely brought Hancock in, saying "This guy sounds just like Hank Williams, he'd be perfect." From there, Hancock joined the cast and went into the studio to record "Thunderstorms and Neon Signs," for the soundtrack. It was his first recording of the song. [2]
Hancock met Grammy Award winning producer, pedal steel player, and Lubbock, Texas native, Lloyd Maines when Maines was running sound for Chippy. Maines has produced all of Hancock's albums, dating back to his 1995 debut, Thunderstorms and Neon Signs , released on Deja Disc Records. The album sold 22,000 copies in the first year. The follow-up was Hancock's sophomore 1997 album, That's What Daddy Wants released on Ark 21. Hancock gained the nickname The Train because of his marathon length shows, going on for 3, 4, even 5 hours long."
On his debut 1999 album, Risin' Outlaw , Hank Williams III, grandson of Hank Williams Sr., covered two songs from Thunderstorms and Neon Signs , the title track, and "Why Don't You Leave Me Alone." He also recorded "87 Southbound," from That's What Daddy Wants . [2]
In April 2014, Hancock was involved in a serious motorcycle accident, which left him with a fractured elbow and a collapsed lung. He was forced to cancel several months' worth of tour dates due to the wreck, but by the end of the year he was fully recovered and back on the road. In 2016, Hancock returned to the studio with producer Lloyd Maines to cut his eighth studio album Slingin' Rhythm. [3]
Title | Album details | Peak positions |
---|---|---|
US Country | ||
Thunderstorms and Neon Signs |
| — |
That's What Daddy Wants |
| — |
Thunderstorms and Neon Signs |
| — |
Wild, Free & Reckless |
| — |
The South Austin Sessions |
| — |
A-Town Blues |
| — |
Swing Time |
| — |
The Best of Wayne Hancock |
| — |
Tulsa |
| — |
Viper of Melody |
| — |
Ride |
| 68 |
Slingin' Rhythm |
| — |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
Jimmie Dale Gilmore is an American country singer-songwriter currently living in Austin, Texas.
Outlaw country is a subgenre of American country music created by a small group of iconoclastic artists active in the 1970s and early 1980s, known collectively as the outlaw movement, who fought for and won their creative freedom outside of the Nashville establishment that dictated the sound of most country music of the era. Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and David Allan Coe were among the movement's most commercially successful members.
Shelton Hank Williams, known as Hank Williams III, is an American musician, singer and multi-instrumentalist, known for his fusion of traditional and honky-tonk country music with rockabilly and punk rock. He was the drummer of hardcore punk band Arson Anthem, and bassist of Phil Anselmo's band Superjoint Ritual. He has released eleven studio albums, including five for Curb Records.
Lloyd Wayne Maines is an American country music record producer, musician and songwriter. He was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame as one of the first three members, the other two being Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He is the father of Natalie Maines who is best known as the lead singer of The Chicks.
Terry Allen is an American musician and artist from Lubbock, Texas. Allen's musical career as a singer-songwriter has spanned many Texas country and outlaw country albums, and his work as a visual artist has included painting, conceptual art, performance, and sculpture, with a number of notable bronze sculptures installed publicly in various cities throughout the United States. He currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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Joe Ely is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He was "one of the main movers" of Austin, Texas's progressive country scene in the 1970s and '80s.
Butch Hancock is an American country recording artist and songwriter. He is a member of The Flatlanders along with Joe Ely and Jimmie Dale Gilmore, but he has principally performed solo.
Thomas O. Hancock was an American musician widely regarded as the godfather of West Texas music.
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Chippy, also known as Songs from "Chippy", is an album by Terry Allen, Joe Ely, Butch Hancock, Robert Earl Keen, Wayne Hancock, Jo Harvey Allen, and Jo Carol Pierce. It contains original music from the musical, Chippy, which was written by Jo Harvey and Terry Allen and commissioned by the American Music Theater Festival, Philadelphia, where it received its world premiere in 1994. The setting of the musical is West Texas in the 1930s.
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Thunderstorms & Neon Signs is the debut album by American country musician Wayne Hancock, released in 1995 on Dejadisc. It was reissued by Ark21 in 1998. The album’s title track was covered by Hank Williams III on his debut album Risin' Outlaw.
That's What Daddy Wants is the second album by the American country musician Wayne Hancock, released in 1997. It was his first to be released on Ark21.
Joe Ely is an American singer-songwriter. His discography consists of 16 studio albums, 6 live albums, 20 singles, 13 compilations, 1 studio EP, and 6 music videos. In addition, he has been a performer on numerous albums by other artists.
Butch Hancock is a country and folk music recording artist and songwriter. His discography consists of 12 studio albums, 2 singles, and 2 compilations. In addition, his songs have been performed on numerous albums by other artists.
Jimmie Dale Gilmore is an American country singer, songwriter, actor, recording artist and producer. His discography consists of 9 studio albums, 1 live album, 2 compilations, 2 EPs, and 6 singles. In addition, his songs have been performed on numerous albums by other artists.
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