 The Kentucky Headhunters, the musical renegades
from Metcalfe County are in the spotlight with strong, tight and varied
selections of songs. The Headhunters turned the music world upside down with
their ground-breaking debut album "Pickin' On Nashville," a record so visionary
it became the model for the country boom of the 1990's. The album soared to gold
status almost instantly. Songs such as "Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine" and
"Dumas Walker" were big hits on country radio. In 1990, they picked up CMA
awards for Vocal Group of the Year and Album of the Year.
Country listeners and the Nashville music community see and hear in the Kentucky
Headhunters the diversity and uncompromising style that country music has longed
for. Their jagged mixture of Southern music represents a change that opens up
country music to a larger and more varied audience.
In 1986, Doug and Ricky Phelps joined up with the boys and the band finally
settled on the name of the Kentucky Headhunters. In 1989 and 1991, the band
released two landmark records "Pickin' On Nashville" and "Electric Barnyard."
These records helped change the face of country music forever.
In 1992, Doug and Ricky left the band to pursue a duo career. Greg Martin
stated, "It was a very emotional time for everyone involved." From 1992 through
1995, a friend of the band, Mark Orr stepped in as lead vocalist on the next two
Headhunter albums, "Rave On" and the critically acclaimed "That'll Work" with
legendary piano player, Johnnie Johnson.
Doug Phelps rejoined the Kentucky Headhunters at the beginning of 1996 and they
haven't looked back since. The chemistry was so good that the band had 21 new
songs written within the space of a month.
When it comes to influences, few bands have had as such a profound impact on the
music of the 1990's as the Kentucky Headhunters. They came out and helped start
a rockin' country thing and a lot of guys and gals took it somewhere else.
When reading about the Headhunters, one can't help but compare their life-long
happiness, strife and their perseverance-to-succeed to the likes of Benny
Goodman, Bob Wills, Elvis, the Grateful Dead and many, many more. The one thing
that always is read between the lines, back then and today, with these acts and
the Kentucky Headhunters – is good music!
1990 GRAMMY - Best Country Performance by Duo/Group with Vocals & 1989 Academy
of Country Music.
Hit songs include:
Oh, Lonesome Me
Dumas Walker
Rock & Roll Angel
Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine
The Ballad of Davy Crockett
Honky Tonk Walkin'
With Body and Soul
Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line
It's Chitlin' Time
Too Much to Lose
Dixie Fried
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