Trending
A prominent figure in the Texas music scene for over two decades, Randy Rogers will make his island debut with a free acoustic solo show June 20 at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua as part of the Maui Songwriters Festival Summer Series.
"Over my 25-year career I've done quite a few just acoustic shows," said Rogers. "I've got a catalog that is 10 studio albums deep and lots of songs that maybe weren't big huge songs for me that I like to bring out of the woodwork when we do the acoustic shows. It's definitely more intimate with a little bit of storytelling and a little more laid back."
A popular country artist, Rogers has released several top 10 albums including "Just a Matter of Time," "Nothing Shines Like Neon," and 2022's "Homecoming," which all showcase his earthy blend of traditional country, rock and Americana.
"Growing up in Texas, it was trying to be somewhere between Willie (Nelson) and George Strait," he said about his approach to country. "I was a kiddo during the '90s and kind of fell in love with country music that was on the radio back then. I've always thought that country music, no one needed to really reinvent it. Love and loss and drinking too much and getting back on your feet again and then having it all fall apart again -- it's the blues and it's stories. My songs, I've just tried to write life and write maybe stories that I've heard friends have been through or myself have lived, and try to keep it simple. I just try to write those common themes that have always existed in this genre that I've loved my whole life."
Born in Cleburne, Texas, he learned at 6 years old to play the piano from his grandmother, and later he started playing guitar.
"My dad was a preacher," he said. "I grew up Southern Baptist Church and playing music in church. I probably wanted to be a rock and roller, but I'd open my mouth and started singing and that wasn't going to happen."
Influenced by outlaw country artists, he later had the honor of playing shows with Nelson and they collaborated on the song, "Trouble Knows My Name," on the 2013 album, "Trouble." "I had the opportunity to spend some time with Willie," he said. "We've played, I don't know how many Fourth of July picnics. I was a huge Merle Haggard fan, and Willie and Merle were touring together. I got to open up for Willie and Merle. Talk about a little-boy dream come true and highlight of my life."
A gifted singer and songwriter with a knack for emotive, rootsy anthems, he formed his first band while attending Texas State University in San Marcos, and first came to the public's attention in the early 2000s with the album, "Rollercoaster," featuring hits like "Tonight's Not the Night" and "This Time Around."
Aside from his work in the Randy Rogers Band, Rogers collaborated with Wade Bowen for a series of "Hold My Beer" recordings. "Throughout all the volumes of this EP series, they have held songs that will make you want to toss your bottle to get up and dance or crack open another one as the lyrics mildly break your heart," praised Whisky Riff.
"We were the same age and met back when we were in our early 20s and kind of just had each other's back," he said. "We were going to go out and play acoustic shows together and we just started writing songs. Out of that blossomed a friendship, and out of that friendship blossomed these records and lots of shows together."
In an interview with Celeb Secrets Country, Rogers talked about how being happy makes it challenging to write sad country songs.
"It's funny seeing how happy my kids are and how lucky I am to have lived this life, and how happy I am just still be doing this for a living," he said. "I don't have those heart-wrenching, soul-searching, depressing ballads oozing out of me like I did in my 20s. So I look for the poor soul who's completely lost and make him write with me."
Rogers will present a free acoustic solo show June 20 at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, as part of the Maui Songwriters Festival Summer Series. Matt Del Olmo will open at 6 p.m. Admission is free.