By the time Eric was 7 years old he was playing piano, had already written his first song, and had begun performing in concerts and plays. But it wasnt until his college years at Ohio State that he truly began to hone his charismatic stage presence in his 6 years as the front man and guitarist for the immensely popular Columbus, Ohio rock band, Gingley Joh. With Eric as the primary writer for the dynamic group, they received many accolades for their two studio releases, Banter and 6 Musical Selections That Dont Suck. But of all those songs, it was the most country-tinged tunes written by Eric that received the most attention. He had long been influenced by the country music from his childhood. The Statler Brothers, Garth Brooks, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 38 Special, Travis Tritt...all had stuck in his musical makeup...plus newer influences such as Keith Urban and Lonestar were making their mark as well. Eric soon began to feel the pull of his true calling.
In 2003 Eric made the leap as a solo country performer/songwriter and that leap very quickly became quite a splash. Of all the words used to describe Eric, the most apt have to be range and versatility. With years of performing and writing the demanding vocal lines of rock music under his belt, he began writing and performing country songs with distinct hooks, incredibly relatable lyrics, commercial sensibilities, and melodies that were just a bit outside the box. Having developed substantial skill as a home recording engineer over the years, Eric produced, recorded and performed nearly every aspect of his December 2004 14-song album, Go Big Or Go Home, including guitar, bass, keys, drums and vocals. With his only product outlet being his live shows, he has still managed to sell nearly 1500 CDs at gigs alone. Quickly noticed by Greg Leffel, owner of Whiskey Dicks in Columbus, he has since opened for every national country act to come through their doors, winning over a new legion of loyal fans from the sold-out shows in the process. With these shows also came the status of local celebrity, with Eric signing dozens of autographs for newly converted fans after his performances and with frequent appearances at the Columbus powerhouse country station, 92.3 WCOL. He also garnered attention from Nashville publishing company, Writer Zone, who began pitching many of his songs into the Nashville music mill. In the summer of 2005, they landed him his first cut with Ted Hewitt-produced independent artist, J.C. Andersen. Additionally, in February 2006, Eric secured a coveted sponsorship through Budweiser to become a Bud TrueMusic artist.
In this same short time span Eric began raking in wins and appearances in every competition he entered. He was narrowly edged out of the final ten contestants on the 2006 season of USA Networks Nashville Star. After winning the Detroit local competition outright over 300 other contestants, he advanced to the Houston Regionals as one of only 40 artists out of over 25,000 auditions nationwide. Playing completely solo, he also beat out 5 full bands to win the Cincinnati Colgate Country Showdown in 2005 and advanced to the State Finals. In 2004 he was one of only 16 finalists to star on the FOX televised series, Gimme The Mike Columbus.
To lend more credibility to the term versatile, in 2002 Eric also landed the starring role as the tormented anti-hero, Franklin, in the Silverback Productions independent short film, Fast Moving Men. Then, in 2004, he was cast in the lead role of the nostalgic, love-weary Phil in the independent full-length feature film, Garage Sale. Eric was also responsible for the film score for the latter. The title track, My Lifes In Boxes, is track 14 on his solo release Go Big Or Go Home. Go to garagesalethemovie.com for scene clips and information.
Now, with his new band, GreenLightGo, and armed with well-rounded industry experience, undeniable stage presence, a unique sound, finely-sharpened writing skills, a new management team, and a newly produced 14-song LP recorded at the venerable County Q in Nashville, Eric is poised for the next level and a long career in country music.
Contact:
Management: Symons, Adams & Myers Promotion & Talent Co. LP
Manager: Jerry Adams
Phone: 419-619-0555 / 615-907-1518 TN Office
