Jimmy Kaiser knows that life is about making choices. After all, the budding Texas country rocker has already made some big choices in his young life: leaving the security of a well-paying job to pursue his musical dreams, and then moving on from the comfort of the rising Texas country act he led with his brother to go it alone as an artist.Kaiser shares his aspirations, life questions and the lessons he's learned with his growing legion of devoted fans in songs like "Always Searching." Their appreciation for what he offers is witnessed by the way they pack themselves at the front of the stage and sing along with his words. And with his new album, I'm Gone, Kaiser's followers now have a dozen more numbers to add their voices to."How do you know when you're headed down the right road? How do you know which way to go? How do you know when to follow your dreams or how do you know when to let go?"They're notions that the Beaumont-reared Kaiser didn't initially expect to be pondering. He thought his life would be normal. He did what all good Texas boys do: he worked hard, got into a good school (Texas Tech), earned his degree, and then landed a solid, well-paying job selling pharmaceuticals. Though he had always dabbled in music and fronted several bands in his youth, he did what most people do with their dreams - put them up on a shelf where they collected a bit of dust while he lived the life he thought was expected of him.But when given the choice between having security and living out his passion, Kaiser chose the road that his heart suggested without reservation. The boyishly good-looking country rocker didn't plan on being a performer, but somewhere along the way it became glaringly clear that an ordinary life was not an option that would work for Jimmy Kaiser.Because back before he toted a briefcase of drugs - the medicinal and legal kind - Kaiser carried around his guitar, playing at family functions and local parties, often teaming up with his younger brother David Lee. A onetime choir boy, he always thought of himself more as a singer than a guitar player. He picked up bass when he was thirteen and then moved to acoustic guitar before being joined by David on the drums for late night jams in the barn out back behind their house on Spurlock Road - a now famed locale in the growing Kaiser legend.After high school, Kaiser attended a local college before heading west to Lubbock to study at Texas Tech. His songwriting skills took shape there as he found an interest in analyzing poetry and honed his songwriting craft in a creative writing course. "In the beginning I wrote traditional straight ahead country songs about loves lost, love gone wrong" he says with a laugh, "but no dogs ever got shot."At Tech I did the 'playing around the campfire' sort of thing, but I didn't think one iota about pursuing music as a career." After graduation, Kaiser returned to Beaumont, donned a three-piece suit, and entered the business world of pharmaceutical sales. So began long days on his feet knocking on doctor's doors and nights entertaining them with corporate credit cards.On evenings when he wasn't working, Kaiser began dabbling in music again. Eventually he and David Lee joined a local band called Honky Tonk Jones. After a short stint with the group, Jimmy and David ventured out on their own. He was making a nice paycheck selling allergy medicine, but when the suit came off at the end of the day, his music was also flourishing.In time, Kaiser realized that the safe and secure life wasn't meant for him, not even close. "Pharmaceutical sales can run you ragged," he explains. "You have quotas to meet, doctors to dine, and managers who are constantly telling you that they have a hundred resumes on their desk from people that want your job."Then one November day, the list of resumes on that manager's desk went to 99. He hung his suit in the closet, turned in his corporate credit card, abandoned the security of his day job, and told his manager, "I'm gone." He then dusted off his love for music, and hasn't looked back since.Kaiser walked away from it all to pursue a life far more fulfilling than the trying existence of a salesman. "I made a good honest living selling allergy drugs that helped people, but I was living the safe life," he says. "I don't regret the years I was a salesman; it has made the success that I've achieved by following my passion that much sweeter."People have called him crazy for walking away from the safety of a fat paycheck, but Kaiser disregards such comments. He has never been a man who lived to regret, and so far his choice to follow music has not done him wrong.Jimmy & David Lee Kaiser won critical acclaim with their 2003 debut album, appropriately titled Spurlock Road. The album - an Americana amalgamation with such influences as Jerry Jeff Walker and Robert Earl Keen - thrust them onto the open highways of Texas that led the brothers to honky-tonks all across the Lone Star State. Spurlock Road produced two Texas Music Chart hits and new Texas anthems like "Best Times," "Ringo," "Looking At Cows" and "Galveston Lights." By the fall of 2004, though, the brothers realized that in order for each to grow, they must go it alone."My brother is one of the most talented songwriters I know. Period," Kaiser explains. "The fact that we are related is a true blessing. Dave is going to be a real success. And I'll miss sharing a stage with him."But his first outing on his own, I'm Gone, proves that Kasier has once again made the choice that's right for him. "It's a much more mature album for me. It combines classic country, bluegrass and a '70s Waylon Jennings bass line and is infused with alternative rock and country influences," notes Kaiser. "Like the live shows, the new album has driving hard country songs with a few ballads for good measure." In addition to nine new songs written or co-written by Kaiser, I'm Gone also features songs penned by fellow Texans Hayes Carll, Billy O'Rourke and Troy Johnson."The new album is a true reflection of me and the life I've led," Kaiser notes. "'One Horse Town,' which I wrote with Jason Green, is one of my favorite songs. It paints a picture of small town life and how you never appreciate its nuances until you step away from its confines."And then there's his live show, best described by the Kaiser t-shirts worn by his fans that simply declare "Country That Rocks." Yeah, it's a bit loud, but that's to be expected from a band that is well versed enough to cover a Rage Against The Machine song, have a "Last Dance" with Tom Petty's "Mary Jane," and then throw in some classic Willie for good measure.And as Kaiser commands the stage in his faded blue jeans and pearl snap shirt, few in the crowd have any idea that he was once a suit. These days, as he travels from gig to gig selling his songs, instead of dress shoes polished to a gleaming shine on his feet, he enjoys the comfort of a pair of flip-flops that he wears no matter how cold the weather may get.He travels with a cast of colorful characters that help him deliver a memorable evening for those who come out to share a beer. Joining him on stage is longtime guitar player and resident funny guy Todd Howard. Rounding out the band is Ryan Carroll on drums, Kaiser's longtime friend Chris Sachitano on harmonica, and bass player Greg Valdez.Like all musicians, Kaiser has seen its ups and downs in his career. But he's never once looked back. "Regret is not a word I know," he says. And as he plays his song "Best Times," and his crowds break out into the chorus, it's easy to see why regret just isn't in his vocabulary."My best times are playing this old guitar. These are the best times these eyes have ever seen."And as he looks out at the sea of smiling faces mouthing back the words of his lyrics to him, Jimmy Kaiser knows that he'll never have to ask the question that so many others ponder: "What if?"
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