- Confederate Railroad
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Confederate Railroad 
Background information Origin Atlanta, Georgia, United States Genres Country, Southern rock Years active 1987–present Labels Atlantic, Audium, Shanachie, E1 Music Website http://www.confederaterailroad.net Members Danny Shirley
Rusty Hendrix
Wayne Secrest
Mark DuFresne
Bobby RandallPast members Jimmy Dormire
Chris McDaniel
Michael Lamb
Gates Nichols
Cody McCarverConfederate Railroad is an American country rock band founded in 1987 in Marietta, Georgia by Danny Shirley (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Michael Lamb (lead guitar), Mark Dufresne (drums), Chris McDaniel (keyboards), Warren "Gates" Nichols (steel guitar) and Wayne Secrest (bass guitar). After serving as a backing band for outlaw country act David Allan Coe, the band signed to a recording contract with Atlantic Records, releasing their self-titled debut album that year. Throughout the 1990s, they released four more albums for Atlantic.
Confederate Railroad has released six studio albums. In addition, more than twenty of their singles have entered the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. Only two changes in membership have occurred, both in the late 1990s-early 2000s: Michael Lamb was replaced by Jimmy Dormire on lead guitar, and Cody McCarver took over for Chris McDaniel, the band's original keyboardist. In addition to his work with Confederate Railroad, McCarver has released one solo album and two singles. Dormire was replaced in 2008 by Rusty Hendrix.
The band's most recent studio album, a compilation of cover songs entitled Cheap Thrills, was issued on the independent Shanachie label in 2007. The band released their first live album, Confederate Railroad Live: Back to the Barrooms, on the E1 Music label on June 15, 2010.
Contents
History
Confederate Railroad was founded in 1987 by Danny Shirley, Michael Lamb, Gates Nichols, Chris McDaniel, Wayne Secrest, and Mark Dufresne. The six members began playing at bars in and around Atlanta, Georgia.[1] Over time, they also worked as a road band for David Allan Coe and Johnny Paycheck. Shirley had previously been signed to the Amor record label as a solo singer, charting five times on the country charts between 1984 and 1988.[2]
After several years in the Atlanta area, the band signed with Atlantic Records in 1992 and released its self-titled debut album. The album produced six hit singles and was certified 2× Multi-Platinum in the U.S.[1] In 1993, Confederate Railroad was awarded Best New Group at the ACM awards.[3] In order of release, these singles were "She Took It Like a Man", "Jesus and Mama", "Queen of Memphis" (their highest chart peak, at #2), "When You Leave That Way You Can Never Go Back", "Trashy Women" and "She Never Cried".
Notorious was the title of the band's second album. Released in 1994, it was certified platinum as well. The album was led off by the #9 "Daddy Never Was the Cadillac Kind", followed by the #20 "Elvis and Andy" and finally "Summer in Dixie", which failed to make Top 40.
One year later, the band released its third album, 1995's When and Where. This album failed to sell as well as its predecessors, and was less successful on the charts as well. Lead-off single "When and Where" reached #24, while the other three singles — "Bill's Laundromat, Bar and Grill", "When He Was My Age" and "See Ya" — all failed to reach Top 40. A Greatest Hits package followed in 1996.
In 1998, the band released its fourth and final studio album for Atlantic, entitled Keep on Rockin'. Its only two singles were "The Big One" and "Cowboy Cadillac", which both failed to reach Top 60 on the country singles charts. After another compilation entitled Rockin' Country Party Pack (which produced another chart single in "Toss a Little Bone", previously from When and Where), the band exited Atlantic.
One year later, Confederate Railroad signed to Audium/Koch Records (now E1 Music) for its fifth studio album, Unleashed. It was led off by the #39 "What Brothers Do". Although this was the band's first Top 40 country hit since "When and Where" in 1995, the other singles — "She Treats Her Body Like a Temple" and "White Trash with Money" — both failed to reach Top 40 as well.
The band did not record again until 2007's Cheap Thrills, an album composed of cover songs. This album was led off by a cover of "Please Come to Boston", which failed to chart.
Confederate Railroad signed a Record Deal with E1 Music in 2010 and will release their first ever Live CD called "Confederate Railroad Live: Back to the Barrooms". Cody McCarver of Confederate Railroad also is signed to that label and has recently had success with Confederate Railroad's song "White Trash with Money" which was written by Confederate Railroad's Danny Shirley with songwriter Buck Moore. The Video by Cody also featured Jimmy Dormire who left Confederate Railroad in 2008. Cody McCarver is also set to release a new single and video called "I'm America".
Musical stylings
Described vocally as a "gruff, reliable twanger",[4] lead singer Danny Shirley cites outlaw country acts such as Waylon Jennings as his major influence.[5] According to him, the band's music is "straight-ahead outlaw country",[5] although their image has also drawn comparisons to Southern rock.[1]
Confederate Railroad's novelty numbers, such as "Trashy Women", show a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. A reviewer for New Country magazine wrote that they are "one of the few bands who can pull off a song about how they prefer trashy women and sound like they really mean it".[4][6] A more serious side of the band is shown in their ballads. Those on Notorious, for instance, were described by New Country magazine as "show[ing] men left stunned and confused by a world that changed faster than they could follow".[5]
Member changes
Lead guitarist Michael Lamb, one of the group's original members, left in the mid 1990s and was replaced with Jimmy Dormire. Chris McDaniel, the original keyboardist, left and was replaced with Cody McCarver.[1] McCarver has released a solo album, although he continued to tour as a member of Confederate Railroad up until his last show with them at the Putnam County Fair in Eleanor, WV on July 16, 2010. In June 2008, Jimmy Dormire announced that he was leaving Confederate Railroad to continue his solo career, he continues as a member of Cody McCarver's Band. He was subsequently replaced by Rusty Hendrix. Gates Nichols retired from Confederate Railroad in December 2008, and in July of the following year, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He succumbed to the disease on the morning of August 14, 2009, at the age of 65.[7] Nearly two years later, in January 2011, Bobby Randall became the newest member of Confederate Railroad, playing steel guitar and fiddle.[8] Randall was one of the founding members of fellow country group Sawyer Brown, having played lead guitar in that band from its formation in 1981 to his departure 10 years later.
Solo contributions
In addition to his work in the band, frontman Danny Shirley made a guest appearance alongside Mark Collie on the song "Redneck Heaven" from Billy Ray Cyrus' 1994 album Storm in the Heartland, a song which Collie and Shirley co-wrote. Cody McCarver released a self-titled solo album for the Aspirion label in 2006, which produced the non-charting singles "Red Flag" and "Through God's Eyes". He released another single, "Look What You've Done", in 2009. His 2010 single "White Trash With Money" was written by fellow band member Shirley along with songwriter Buck Moore. "White Trash With Money" was followed by "I'm America".
Discography
Studio albums
Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)US Country US US Heat CAN Country Confederate Railroad - Release date: April 28, 1992
- Label: Atlantic Nashville
7 53 3 19 - US: 2× Platinum
Notorious - Release date: March 22, 1994
- Label: Atlantic Nashville
6 52 — 13 - US: Platinum
When and Where - Release date: June 13, 1995
- Label: Atlantic Nashville
21 152 — — Keep on Rockin' - Release date: October 20, 1998
- Label: Atlantic Nashville
57 — — — Unleashed - Release date: August 28, 2001
- Label: Audium/Koch
63 — — — Cheap Thrills - Release date: April 24, 2007
- Label: Shanachie
— — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart Compilation and live albums
Title Album details Peak positions US Country Greatest Hits - Release date: June 18, 1996
- Label: Atlantic Nashville
60 Rockin' Country Party Pack - Release date: August 22, 2000
- Label: Atlantic Nashville
63 The Very Best of Confederate Railroad - Release date: May 6, 2008
- Label: Rhino
— Live: Back to the Barroom - Release date: June 15, 2010
- Label: E1 Music
— "—" denotes releases that did not chart Singles
Year Single Peak chart positions
[9]Album US Country US CAN Country 1992 "She Took It Like a Man" 37 — 41 Confederate Railroad "Jesus and Mama" 4 — 14 "Queen of Memphis" 2 — 3 1993 "When You Leave That Way You Can Never Go Back" 14 — 18 "Trashy Women" 10 113 12 "She Never Cried" 27 — 28 1994 "Daddy Never Was the Cadillac Kind" 9 — 7 Notorious "Elvis and Andy" 20 — 8 "Summer in Dixie" 55 — — 1995 "When and Where" 24 — 17 When and Where "Bill's Laundromat, Bar and Grill" 54 — 58 "When He Was My Age" 66 — 90 1996 "See Ya" 51 — — 1998 "The Big One" 66 — — Keep on Rockin' 1999 "Cowboy Cadillac" 70 — — 2000 "Toss a Little Bone" 71 — — Rockin' Country Party Pack 2001 "That's What Brothers Do" 39 — — Unleashed 2002 "She Treats Her Body Like a Temple" 59 — — "White Trash with Money" — — — 2007 "Please Come to Boston" — — — Cheap Thrills "—" denotes releases that did not chart Music videos
Year Video Director 1992 "She Took It Like a Man" "She Never Cried" 1993 "Queen of Memphis" John Ware "When You Leave That Way You Can Never Go Back" Martin Kahan "Trashy Women" 1994 "Daddy Never Was the Cadillac Kind" "Summer in Dixie" "Elvis & Andy" 1995 "When and Where" "Bill's Laundromat, Bar & Grill" 1998 "Keep on Rockin'" 2001 "That's What Brothers Do" References
- ^ a b c d Confederate Railroad at Allmusic
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc.. pp. 380. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
- ^ Confederate Railroad - Unleashed CD Review - By Jolene Downs
- ^ a b Dickinson, Chris (August 1995). "Confederate Railroad - When and Where review". New Country 2 (10): 62.
- ^ a b c Mansfield, Brian (April 1994). "When Good Things Happen to Rough People: Confederate Railroad Stays on the Country Side of the Tracks". New Country 1 (3): 36–39.
- ^ T&T Management and Booking Agency - Confederate Railroad
- ^ Confederate Railroad News
- ^ Confederate Railroad News
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 101. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
External links
- Confederate Railroad Official Website
- Cody McCarver Official Website
- Jimmy Dormire Official Website
- Chris McDaniel Official Website
Confederate Railroad Mark Dufresne · Rusty Hendrix · Cody McCarver · Gates Nichols · Wayne Secrest · Danny Shirley
Jimmy Dormire · Chris McDaniel · Michael LambStudio albums Compilation albums Greatest Hits · Rockin' Country Party Pack · The Very Best of Confederate RailroadTop 20 singles "Jesus and Mama" · "Queen of Memphis" · "When You Leave That Way You Can Never Go Back" · "Trashy Women" · "Daddy Never Was the Cadillac Kind" · "Elvis and Andy"Categories:- American country music groups
- American country rock groups
- Musical groups from Georgia (U.S. state)
- Musical groups established in 1987
- Music of Atlanta, Georgia
- Atlantic Records artists
- E1 Music artists
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