About Me
European Country Band Of The Year 2007
European CMA Entertainer Of 2007
PETER DULA - BIO:
Peter Dula is a country singer/songwriter from Slovakia (Europe), but music hasn’t been his love and passion from the very beginning. He used to be a hockey player and in 1999 went to Boston, MA to play hockey for a junior league (on a path to try out for the NHL). His plans suddenly changed when he was diagnosed with cancer. He was treated in Boston for 6 months. Peter got well and went back home to Slovakia, but in a few months the disease returned. He had to undergo a bone marrow transplant. "It was the toughest battle of my life, but I got through it" says Peter.
In between his treatments he picked up his father's old guitar and his dad showed him a few chords. That's how it all started. Peter never sang or played any instrument before in his life. His dad had some old records by Johnny Cash and Peter started playing and singing his songs. "His voice and his music touched my heart and Johnny Cash became my biggest influence," Peter comments. Later on Peter disovered some other great country singers that also had a huge influence on him and their music was helping him recover from his illness and get through the hard times during his treatment (Alan Jackson, Don Williams, Joe Diffie, Buddy Jewell, Randy Travis, Mark Chesnutt...)
"I fell in love with this music right away and it became a part of my life". He learned a lot by listening to these great artists. If you ever heard Peter sing, you know he sings with his heart and soul and delivers his music with such honesty and feelings. His music will reach out and touch you.
Peter is now fronting Europe's top country band The Rowers and is having the greatest time of his life! They released a CD which won them a Slovak Grammy and other numerous prestigious awards including the best European country band of 2007. They broke the European airplay record when the single "I’m Leavin’" spent consecutive 14 weeks at the top of the ECMA chart. Peter & The Rowers swept the board at the 2007 European CMA awards taking home 6 awards along with the most prestigious “Artist of the Year†award. Peter’s songs are dominating the major European country charts and he and his band are extensively touring Europe. It's like a dream come true.
Since the beginning of 2008 Peter has been battling cancer again but that did not stop him. He is still trying to perform , record and write songs. In spring 2008 Peter recorded a duet with honky tonk legend and Grammy winner Joe Diffie and their song "Long Gone Loner" made it to no.1 on the major European Country Music Chart and went to no.3 on the prestigious HotDisc International Chart. The song was a huge success.
In June 2008 Peter was invited to perform at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville and on June 8th he made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium. With the performance on the Grand Ole Opry he made his biggest dream come true. Country music is helping Peter keep going through the hardest time of his life!!!
Peter has worked and shared the stage with Joe Diffie, Marty Stuart, George Jones, Mark Chesnutt, Buddy Jewell, Sammy Kershaw, Michael Peterson, Andy Griggs, Chris Young, Billy Yates, Kevin Denney, Kerry Kurt Phillips, Roger Springer, Lorrie Morgan, Neal McCoy, Tammy Cochran, Leslie Satcher, Brice Long, T. Graham Brown, Billy Ryan and many more.
THE ROWERS - BIO :
The Kosice-based band THE ROWERS (Veslari), was formed in 1971 and is the oldest country band in Slovakia. During this time more than 60 musicians have played with the group, contributing to the bands long development process. Over those years, the band's music genre has also evolved: from folk music to bluegrass, until todays modern country style.
In between of the 70’s and 80‘s, the band VESLARI recorded roughly 100 songs for Czechoslovakian radio and TV, and its music aired regularly through that time period. The band participated in the production of the first two country music compilation LP's in Slovakia, "Ked svitne rano" and "Country trh No.1", where a number of its songs were recorded." They have been selected "Best Country Band" by the SCMA (Slovak Country music Association) and won numerous awards.
In the beginning of 2004, PETER DULA , a very talented young singer and songwriter joined the band as the lead vocalist. The band began performing as "PETER & THE ROWERS"
Subsequently, the band gained even greater notoriety, performed at many festivals, fairs, rodeos, concerts and top venues throughout Europe, amazing it's audiences and organizers alike. In the summer of 2005 Peter & The Rowers won a prize for the best band at the biggest country festival in central Europe "STODOLA MICHALA TUCNEHO" in the Czech Republic and a week later they competed at the biggest Country and Folk festival in Slovakia "COUNTRY LODENICA" and came in the first place.
PETER & THE ROWERS (VESLARI) are the top band playing modern country music in Europe and they proved it with another smash hit "Ja Pojdem Sam". They received the prestigious "AUREL ACADEMY AWARD" (the Slovak version of Grammy) for the best country album in Slovakia for 2006. Aurel is the most prestigious award for music and it is the highest honor bestowed on an artist in Slovakia. The song "Blind Horses" from this CD went to no.3 on "Worldwide Country Chart" in July 2006 and in January 2007 it went all the way to no.1 on prestigious "ECMA TOP 100 CHART" (European CMA Country Radio Airplay chart). The next single, "I'm Leavin'" made history when the song went straight to no.1 and stayed at the top for consecutive 14 weeks.
"I'm Leavin'" was also featured on a Universal Music compilation CD, which was released in Europe to promote new music by Peter & The Rowers and fellow stars Vince Gill, Mark Chesnutt, Dolly Parton and others .
In late 2007 the band performed in Nashville, TN, where they started co-operating with top songwriters and artists on their new album, which is being finished in a Leon Art studio in Bardejov, Slovakia.
The upcoming Peter & The Rowers album will feature the total of three duets with special star guests. One of them is the honky tonk legend Joe Diffie , who is going to help out Peter Dula with the original "Long Gone Loner". Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Billy Yates, will also lend his vocals to the project. The list of star guests concludes with the best Czech country artist Petr Kocman, who will collaborate with Peter on "Lonesome Ride". The long-anticipated album "Honky Tonk Dream" is coming out this year.
To celebrate all the success, Europan Country Music Association recognized Peter & The Rowers with nominations for their annual awards show. The Slovak band made the awards their own, turning 8 nominations into 6 wins. Since they were nominated twice in two categories, they won all they possibly could. Not only did they win the European Artist of the Year award, but also the prestigious international Artist of the Year award. Peter & The Rowers also scored in the major categories Song of the Year ("I'm Leavin'"), Group/Band of the Year, ECMA Future Star Award and ECMA European Song of the Year ("I'm Leavin'"). This is an incredible success for this Slovak band, whose members found themselves beating superstars such as Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban and Mark Chesnutt, who were among other nominees. The list of winners also includes Brooks & Dunn, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Sheryl Crow, Billy Yates and Vince Gill.
Check out the band's website for more info and calendar at www.therowers.eu
