Cross Canadian Ragweed

Cross Canadian Ragweed
Origin	Yukon, Oklahoma, USA
Genres	Americana Southern rock Country rock Alternative country Roots rock Red Dirt Texas Country
Years active	1994–2010
Labels	Smith Music Group Universal South
Associated acts	Jason Boland & the Stragglers Wade Bowen Stoney LaRue Mike McClure Band No Justice Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights
Members
Randy Ragsdale Cody Canada Grady Cross Jeremy Plato

Cross Canadian Ragweed was an American Red Dirt/Texas Country/Country rock band. The name of the band came from the combination of three band members' names, Grady Cross (guitar), Cody Canada (guitar, vocals), and Randy Ragsdale (drums). Jeremy Plato's (bass) name was not involved in the band naming. In response to rumors of preceding bassist, Matt Wiedemann, contributing to the band name, Cory Johnson only stated that they weren't a band before Jeremy Plato, their current bassist.^[1] The band name alludes to Cody Canada's surname and to Canadian County, Oklahoma (where the town of Yukon is located): none of the members are, in fact, of literal Canadian origin.

History

Cody Canada performing in April 2009

After forming in Yukon, Oklahoma, they moved to the college town of Stillwater, Oklahoma, where acts like Mike McClure's The Great Divide and singer-songwriter Jimmy LaFave had established enough of a local scene to earn Stillwater the nickname North Austin.^[2]

The group had already received significant college radio airplay before it released its first album, Carney in 1998. They soon released Live and Loud at the Wormy Dog Saloon in 1999 and Highway 377 in 2001, all on their own independent label Underground Sound.

In 2002 they released a self-titled album also known as "the purple album" due to its cover color, which is a tribute to the band's "little sister" "Mandy Ragsdale". http://media.www.thebatt.com/media/storage/paper657/news/2003/06/19/AggieLife/Ccr-Remembers.Local.Hospitality.After.Wreck-513925.shtml.  who had recently died in an auto accident.

Their 2004 offering Soul Gravy debuted at #4 on the Billboard Country charts. In October 2005, the band released their album Garage featuring the single "Fightin' For," which became their first top 40 hit on the country charts, debuting at an impressive #45 and reaching #39, as well as "Dimebag," a tribute to Darrell Abbott. The band released a double live CD and DVD on October 31, 2006, Back to Tulsa - Live and Loud at Cain's Ballroom. Cross Canadian Ragweed recorded Mission California, their sixth studio album, at the end of March 2007. They spent 25 days in the studio; the first 5 cutting 15 tracks, the next 20 polishing each. It was recorded in San Diego, California. Lee Ann Womack laid down background vocals on 4 of the tracks to include the Chris Knight cover "Cry Lonely." Mission California was released on October 2, 2007. Ragweed's tenth album, Happiness and All the Other Things was released on August 31, 2009, commemorating the band's 15th Anniversary. It includes 12 new studio tracks and 3 live tracks. Recorded in California, this album includes a track entitled "Blue Bonnets" which is dedicated to Cody's oldest son Dierks. Happiness and All the Other Things was officially dedicated to the late Randall "Poodie" Locke (Willie Nelson's long-time stage manager) who died on May 6, 2009.

In May 2010, Cross Canadian Ragweed announced a hiatus from touring. In a band press release, drummer Randy Ragsdale's explained, "Right now, I need to be at home for my family, particularly my son JC, who has autism. He's 10 years old now and still struggling in his development. I feel the only way I can help him is to be more hands on and close to home." Despite Ragsdale's insistence to supporting the band wanting to “get another drummer and press on," singer Cody Canada stated "We’ve always said from the start, we’re Ragweed as the four of us, or not Ragweed at all." ^[3]

In September 2010, singer Cody Canada officially announced the band was calling it quits by announcing their "Last Call Show" in October, 2010 at Joe's Bar in Chicago, IL, stating "as far as that’s concerned, Oct 24 is the last one, the last gig.”^[4]

Since Cross Canadian Ragweed, singer Cody Canada and bassist Jeremy Plato formed Cody Canada & The Departed with fellow Yukon-native Dave Bowen (drums), Seth James (guitar), and Steve Littleton (keyboards), releasing their debut album in June, 2011.^[5] Randy Ragsdale and Grady Cross both returned to Yukon, OK, where Ragsdale has since opened up a landscaping business and Cross purchased and operates the bar that was the very first venue Cross Canadian Ragweed performed in 1991.^[6][7]

Notable appearances

The band frequently plays with country music star Dierks Bentley and other stars of the Red Dirt scene including Stoney Larue, Micky & The Motorcars, Reckless Kelly, (Canada's brother-in-law) Wade Bowen, No Justice, Johnny Cooper, Seth James, and Brandon Rhyder. Bentley referenced the band in his song "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)", singing that "Ragweed's rockin' on the radio".

Minor League baseball player Adam Boeve uses "Anywhere But Here" as his intro music. Pittsburgh Pirates catcher, Ryan Doumit, comes to bat to their song "Alabama".

"Cry Lonely" is a playable track in Rock Band Country Track Pack.

Discography

Studio albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		US Country [8]	US [9]
Carney	Release date: July 17, 1998 Label: Smith Music Group Formats: CD, cassette	—	—
Highway 377	Release date: January 2, 2001 Label: Smith Music Group Formats: CD	—	—
Cross Canadian Ragweed	Release date: September 10, 2002 Label: Universal South Records Formats: CD	70	—
Soul Gravy	Release date: March 9, 2004 Label: Universal South Records Formats: CD, music download	5	51
Garage	Release date: October 4, 2005 Label: Universal South Records Formats: CD, music download	6	37
Mission California	Release date: October 2, 2007 Label: Universal South Records Formats: CD, music download	6	30
Happiness and All the Other Things	Release date: August 31, 2009 Label: Universal South Records Formats: CD, music download	10	33
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Live albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		US Country [8]	US [9]	US Indie [10]
Live and Loud at the Wormy Dog Saloon	Release date: October 29, 1999 Label: Broken Records Formats: CD, cassette	—	—	—
Live and Loud at Billy Bob's Texas	Release date: July 9, 2002 Label: Smith Music Group Formats: CD	—	—	43
Back to Tulsa - Live and Loud at Cain's Ballroom	Release date: October 31, 2006 Label: Universal South Records Formats: CD, music download	27	120	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles

Year	Single	Peak positions	Album
		US Country [11]
2002	"17"	57	Cross Canadian Ragweed
2003	"Constantly"	57
2004	"Sick and Tired"	46	Soul Gravy
	"Alabama"	46
2005	"Fightin' For"	39	Garage
2006	"This Time Around"	43
	"Late Last Night"	—
2007	"I Believe You"	—	Mission California
2008	"Cry Lonely"	59
2009	"Kick in the Head"	—	Happiness and All the Other Things
	"To Find My Love"	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos

Year	Video	Director
2001	"Look at Me"	Darren Cameron
2002	"Don't Need You"	Roger Pistole
	"17"
2003	"Constantly"
2004	"Sick and Tired" (with Lee Ann Womack)	Eric Welch
	"Alabama"	Stephen Shepherd
2005	"Fightin' For"	Trey Fanjoy
2006	"Late Last Night"	Rob Dennis
2008	"I Believe You"

References

1. ^ "Galleywinter.com Interview with Cory Johnson". http://www.galleywinter.com/main/Forums/viewtopic/t=30787.html. 
2. ^ "North Austin". http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/north_austin_stillwater_ok_nickname/. 
3. ^ "Cross Canadian Ragweed cancels Oklahoma City Family Jam". http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/2010/05/28/cross-canadian-ragweed-cancels-oklahoma-city-family-jam-still-playing-sundays-music-and-mayhem-in-eufaula/. 
4. ^ "Cross Canadian Ragweed frontman's career evolves". http://www.caller.com/news/2010/sep/16/cross-canadian-ragweed-frontmans-career-evolves/. 
5. ^ "Cody Canada & The Departed digging into red dirt roots with debut album, “This Is Indian Land”". http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/2011/06/17/cody-canada-the-departed-digging-into-red-dirt-roots-with-debut-album-this-is-indian-land/. 
6. ^ "Local musician puts family first with new business". http://www.mustangpaper.com/v2/content.aspx?module=ContentItem&ID=186897&MemberID=1586. 
7. ^ "Former Cross Canadian Ragweed rocker returns to his roots with opening of Yukon pub". http://newsok.com/fomer-cross-canadian-ragweed-rocker-returns-to-his-roots-with-opening-of-yukon-pub/article/3583300. 
8. ^ ^{a b} "Cross Canadian Ragweed Album & Song Chart History - Country Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/cross-canadian-ragweed/chart-history/436730?f=320&g=Albums. Retrieved July 18, 2011. 
9. ^ ^{a b} "Cross Canadian Ragweed Album & Song Chart History - Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/cross-canadian-ragweed/chart-history/436730. Retrieved July 18, 2011. 
10. ^ "Cross Canadian Ragweed : Allmusic : Billboard Albums". AllMusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/cross-canadian-ragweed-p472520/charts-awards. Retrieved July 18, 2011. 
11. ^ "Cross Canadian Ragweed Album & Song Chart History - Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/cross-canadian-ragweed/chart-history/436730?f=357&g=Singles. Retrieved July 18, 2011. 

External links

• Cross Canadian Ragweed's Official Web Site