If you ask Bodie Powell where he was born he'll tell you Nashville, but says that he "got to Texas as fast as I could". He grew up in Music City but as soon as he started touring Texas, he knew this was where he was meant to be.
Bodie has been around country music all of his life. In the early years, Opry stars Ernie Ashworth and Red Sovine were his neighbors, and their children were his playmates. Many times he accompanied his friends to the concerts where the country music greats performed. It wasn't long before Bodie knew that this was what he wanted to learn how to do, so his parents bought him a guitar and he and his friends formed a band.
Straight out of high school, he started touring all over the US and Canada playing bass and fronting for different stars of the day, includeing Dave Dudley, Razzy Bailey, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Wanda Jackson, and Susan Raye. On one of these tours through Texas he met Donna, who would become his wife, best friend and favorite songwriting partner. There was no doubt in Bodie's mind that Texas was more accepting of the style of music he wanted to play. So he and Donna decided to settle in Texas.
Work was abundant in house jobs and short tours that were less demanding and hectic. They say home is where the heart is, so Texas is definately HOME! Calls from Nashville artists didn't stop coming. One day Billy Walker called and wanted Bodie to front his band and perform on the Grand Ol' Opry. So back to Nashville it was. From Billy he went on to join Little Jimmy Dickens and eventually wound up with country legend Johnny Cash. After Johnny decided to go into semi-retirement it was time to head back home to Texas. Fort Worth would become home and still is to this day.
After he moved back to Texas, Bodie and his band became the house band at The World's Largest Honky Tonk, Billy Bob's Texas. During those years, he released his first CD, filled with original songs. Some of these songs like "Texas Has It All" and "Two Steppin' Out" are still being played on Texas radio stations today. Bodie's second CD came out 3 years later and recieved a great amount of radio airplay, especially the title cut "Turn Up The JukeBox", as well as "Beer Bottle Mountain" and "Two Rockin Chairs".
In 2003 , BODIE POWELL and BORDERLINE release "4104" 4104 is the title cut; the song about the life and times of the 'ol road bus. There are the love ballads like "More than Texas" and "Blue Moon". There are the festival songs like "Texas Music Nation" and "Texas Tea", and the honky tonk songs like "If Her Lips Are Moving" and "Next Exit Sign" There is the touchingly beautiful "Third Street Prophet" and the blues with "She Stomped On My Heart Again" If you need a really good laugh check out "Love Whipped" and "Pissin On My Leg".
In 2001, Bodie and Donna came up with a song called "TEXAS MUSIC NATION". While sitting around with friend Reed Smith at a campfire, the three began to discuss the possiblities in taking the name of this song and turning it into a festival that was about Texas Musicians and Texas Music Fans. They wanted to make it available to those Texas Artists that have written wonderful songs so that they could have a venue to showcase their music. They also founded the M.E.R.F. organization (Musician's Emergency Relief Fund), so that all monies raised from this festival would go to those in need.
At the start of 2006, over 170 have been helped by T.M.N. and the Musician's Emergency Relief Fund. Texas Music Nation is a non-profit organization; they were honored to receive "The Humanitarian Award" at the Ft. Worth Terry Award's Show in 2005.
For any further details please go to texasmusicnation.org
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"LAST STOP CAFE", our fourth CD, is finally done! What a wonderful time we had recording it. Thanks to Wavelight Studio in Handley, TX for a great job; Larry Dillon, Robin Crow and myself produced it, along with a whole passle of friends and fellow musicians who contributed time and talent.
It contains nine new originals and a couple of songs I've always wanted to cover. Back in the days when I worked for Johnny Cash, part of my job was playing and singing on demos for his publishing companies. We did songs that John, June or other writers had written so they could be pitched to other artists for recording. "Fairweather Friends" is one of those songs I have never forgotten.
I'm really proud of this CD, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did getting it to you.
------Bodie
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