George Scherer-Acoustic guitar, vocals, harmonica, slide guitar, kazoo, foot, & Marcus Buckner(on occasion), guitar, dobro, banjo & harmony vocals.
Influences
Hank Williams, Furry Lewis, Bob Dylan, Dave Van Ronk, Joni Mitchell, Gus Cannon & the Memphis Jug Band, Leroy Carr, Sam McGee, Old Crow Medicine Show, Ry Cooder, John Prine, Michelle Shocked, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, the Holy Modal Rounders, Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter, Woody Guthrie, Gillian Welch, "Ramblin Jack Elliott had a lot to do with it", and a host of others
George Scherer began his career as a performing musician at the tender age of three, when he climbed on a piano bench at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church in Hueytown, AL, and sang all the verses to "The Old Rugged Cross" for the Sunday morning congregation. Later that year, while in Children's Hospital, he amazed and entertained the nurses with renditions of "Your Cheatin' Heart" and "Kawliga" by Hank Williams. Although, he only began making his living as a musician in 1992, he has been singing all his life, and playing guitar and writing songs since his first year in college.
Over the years, hes spent time driving a truck, working in a factory, bumming around Nashville and up the eastern seaboard to New York, hitching-hiking around Canada, working for the phone company, raising a family, studying history and writing sports, but the one constant was his music. With time, he became an accomplished guitar and harmonica player to back up his strong, soulful voice, and gradually added a wide list of songs both, original and covers.
Since 1992, George has performed his eclectic mix of "folk-rock & country-blues" at clubs and other venues throughout Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and Mississippi. He has performed at the Johnny Shines Memorial Concert in Tuscaloosa, Do-Dah-Day in Birmingham, the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Eddies Attic in Decatur, GA, the Celebrate Marietta Festival in Marietta, GA, during the Olympics, the Carrboro Music Festival & the Open Eye Café in Carrboro, NC, BayFest in Mobile, and at the Briarfield Music Festival just south of Birmingham.
With the release of his new album, The Election Year Waltz (2004), George has placed himself solidly in the tradition of American folk artists like Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, John Prine and Michelle Shocked, who know that music can be both entertaining and edifying. Music that seems to be leaning back in its chair, while causing the listener to sit up on the edge of theirs. The album begins with Two Bush Blues, a country-blues romp, that takes both good-hearted and caustic aim at the two Bush administrations, and ends with the campy, sing-a-long, The Election Year Waltz, in which he seems to indict the entire political system. In between, there is plenty of whimsical fun and social commentary, in just the right mix, so that it doesnt come off heavy-handed.
"Two Bush Blues", first caught the ear of John Wiengart, host of the long running radio show, "Music You Can't Hear on the Radio" on WPRB in Princeton, NJ. It, and all the other tracks from the CD, have since been played on radio stations from Maine to California, including the nationally syndicated, "The Midnight Special" and "The Folk Sampler", and has been reviewed in several national publications. Wiengart called it "a terrific song for 2004 that is politically smart and sophisticated, and musically wonderful," and one radio listener said, "I literally spit coffee out my nose when the song came on".
His previous CD's, "Scherersongs"(1996), and Amillennium blues@ (1999), have been featured and reviewed in The Birmingham News, The Birmingham Weekly, IndieSheet (Dallas, TX), South by Southeast (Auburn, AL), The Free Press, King Kudzu (Montgomery, AL) The Mobile Press-Register, Playground (Columbus, GA), and The Birmingham Post-Herald. His songwriting has been recognized in several contests, including the 2003 Hank Williams Songwriting Contest ("Radio Rodeo") and the 2003 Oklahoma Songwriters' Assn, One-to-One competition ("Land of the Bottom Line" and "Street Singer's Blues"). One reviewer described his songs as "truly delicious country blues that find their way straight to the soul . . .low-key and sad, as good blues should be, with that crescent glimmer of hope for better times ahead. (Don Pflaster, ImpactPress.com)"
George's CD's may be purchased from CDBaby.com (www.cdbaby.com/cd/georgescherer3), from his web site (www.georgescherer.com)and at his live performances. They are also available to be downloaded, song by song, on his website, as well as from, Apple iTunes, MusicMatch, eMusic, Rhapsody, and other digital download sites.
Just dropping by to say hey, George! We think about you ALL THE TIME and how great your shows would go down here. It's been a year and a half since I've been back to the States...I need dinner at Cracker Barrel and a George Scherer show LIKE YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE. xo Kerstin
Hey George, Thanks for the add request. When are you going to come down to the Gulf... Let me know when your coming this way and we'll have to do a show together.... Love ya Bro.
I wanted to drop you a note to thank you for taking the time to listen to our music. We appreciate the gesture and are grateful that you enjoyed the material enough to add us to your community of friends. After all, having people connect with our music is why we do this. I hope you'll come by often to say hello and let us know what's happening with you, and when you have a spare moment, please visit our CD baby page http:/cdbaby. com/cd/crosstimbers there you can listen to more of our music and find out more about us. All my best and thank you again, Matt (the bass player) Cross Timbers
George, I hope you and your gorgeous family had a wonderful Christmas and we wish you all the best for 2008! We sure do miss your music and your company!
Hi George, really enjoyed the pictures. Took me back to some great night in warm AL. when are you coming to bring some joy to this grey island called England? we could get you 3 or 4 gigs easy if you could cope with long flights and lousy food. all the best.
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