- Robert Earl Keen
Infobox musical artist
Name = Robert Earl Keen, Jr.
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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name =
Alias =
Born = birth date and age|1956|1|11
Died =
Origin =Houston, Texas , U.S.
Instrument = Acoustic Guitar
Genre = Country, Country rockAlternative country ,Folk ,Texas Country
Occupation =Singer ,Songwriter
Years_active = 1984 – Present
Label =Arista Records Sugar Hill RecordsKOCH Records
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.robertearlkeen.com RobertEarlKeen.com]
Notable_instruments =Robert Earl Keen, Junior (born
January 11 1956 inHouston, Texas ) [Henkle, Doug, [http://www.folklib.net/index/discog/birth2days.shtml "FolkLib Index"] ] is a Texansinger-songwriter . He is popular with traditional country music fans, folk music fans, the college radio crowd and alt-country fans. Keen currently resides inKerrville, Texas and maintains a ranch inMedina, Texas .Early life
Growing up, Keen was interested in music, sports, movies and writing. Keen graduated from
Sharpstown High School in 1974 [ [http://www.hisd.org/HISDConnectDS/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=c3783acb02efc010VgnVCM10000052147fa6RCRD HISD Connect - Alumni ] ] .College
Keen attended
Texas A&M University , where he majored in English. Disappointed in the College Station music scene, he began playing guitar and learned to read and write music, basing his style on folk, country, blues and rock roots. In 1974 he rented a house from landlord Jack Boyett, where his neighbor was a then-unknownLyle Lovett . The two became fast friends and performed together on the front porch many evenings. This eventually grew into inspiration for a song entitled "The Front Porch Song", which both would add to their repertoire.Career
In 1980, Keen graduated from Texas A&M and moved to
Austin, Texas , where he began writing for a newspaper. Soon he was performing in Austin's nightclubs and live music venues, building a solid following. In 1984 he financed the recording of his own EP and distributed it regionally. In 1986, He moved toNashville, Tennessee . Discouraged by the polish of the new country sound and unable to land a recording contract, Keen moved back to Austin. In 1989 he released his nationaldebut album , "West Textures ". His 1993 release, "A Bigger Piece Of Sky ", gained wider acclaim, both amongst fans and critics. Over the next ten years, Keen would continue to write, record, perform and tour. In 1994 he performed in the musical "Chippy". Keen's 1997 album "Picnic" features a picture of Keen's own car in flames atWillie Nelson 's 1974 Fourth of July picnic/concert. He tells the story on the "No. 2 Live Dinner " album in the introduction to the song "The Road Goes on Forever."Band
Rich Brotherton - guitar
Bill Whitbeck - bass
Tom Van Schaik - drums
Marty Muse - steel guitar
Discography
References
External links
* [http://www.robertearlkeen.com/ http://www.robertearlkeen.com] - Official Site
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