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Since 1998, the Stillwater-based five-piece has garnered fans from all walks of life playing with such acts as Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakum, Asleep at the Wheel, Charlie Robison, The Great Divide, Robert Earl Keen, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Pat Green, Rusty Weir and others. They currently play popular venues in Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, averaging 200 shows per year. "Pearl Snaps," the Stragglers' first album was produced by Texas music legend Lloyd Maines and debuted in 2000. A popular pick on both Texas Music Express and Lonestarmusic.com best-seller lists, the band followed up with "Truckstop Diaries" in July 2001. Four days after the release, a car accident kept the band from performing for over two months. But support from fans and other musicians kept band together and helped "Truckstop Diaries" become another top seller and win Gruene With Envy's Album of the Year Award, as voted by fans of the website. The Stragglers released their first live album, "Live and LIT at Billy Bob's Texas" on October 29th and began an almost non-stop two month run in support of it. The album and tour helped not only land the album on Billboard's Independent chart, but also the Gruene With Envy Live Album of the Year, which was the winner of over 10,000 online voters. Next up in 2003 in another studio album which will continue spreading the Stragglers' music farther and farther.
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