Kevin Welch

Event information

Kevin Welch's poetic songs paint pictures of real people--people you know, people you've seen--so clearly that you realize quickly he's a keen observer of the human experience. His songs have an almost film-like quality in their vision and beauty.

At the age of 7, Welch and his family moved to Midwest City, Oklahoma. After graduating high school, he began touring with bands like New Rodeo and Blue Rose Café and then moved to Nashville in 1978 to work as a songwriter. Singers like Ricky Skaggs, Waylon Jennings, Patty Loveless, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood and Don Williams were using his material. At the same time he was very active in local clubs, performing with John Scott Sherrill and the Wolves In Cheap Clothing, The Roosters, and finally his own band - The Overtones. His popularity grew and in 1988 he signed a record contract with Reprise Records.

In 1990 the album Kevin Welch was recorded and 2 years later Western Beat. The former produced four charting singles on Hot Country Songs. In 1994 he co-founded Dead Reckoning Records along with Kieran Kane, Tammy Rogers, Mike Henderson and Harry Stinson. The following year Life Down Here on Earth was published and in 1999 Beneath My Wheels. The majority of songs are Welch's originals. In 2002 the album Millionaire was recorded partially in Nashville and mostly in Denmark with a stellar line-up of Scandinavian players.

In 2004 Welch teamed up with fellow Dead Reckoning artists Kieran Kane and Fats Kaplin to produce You Can't Save Everybody. The trio followed this up with Lost John Dean in 2006, to general acclaim. Lost John Dean reached number one on the Americana charts, and resulted in nominations for several awards including Duo/Group of the year at the 2006 Americana Honors and Awards. The following eponymous Kane Welch Kaplin, with the addition of Lucas Kane, was also nominated for Duo/Group. The group traveled to Australia 10 times, as well as Europe and the UK, Canada, and all over the United States.

Welch moved to Wimberley, Texas, on 1 April 2008. In 2009, he recorded A Patch Of Blue Sky, his first solo project in 8 years. The recording features Texas musicians as well as his son Dustin, who played banjo and slide guitar, and his daughter Savannah, who appeared with her band the Trishas.

More from this event organiser

Holly Carter

Oxford

28 Nov

Adam Ross

Oxford

27 Sep

Holly Carter

Oxford

28 Nov

Adam Ross

Oxford

27 Sep