OUR BANDS
BRAZILBILLY
Brazilbilly was established in 1995. They have been the house band at Robert’s Western World for the last 18 years and have been the longest established band in the history of lower Broadway. They are distinguished by their attire, their character as a group and by their desire to keep traditional country music alive and well.
Brazilbilly consists of highly-respected Nashville musicians and singers, including JesseLee Jones (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), David Tanner (lead guitar, vocals), Maxwell Schauf (drums, percussion), Paul Kramer (fiddle, vocals) and Jay Weaver (upright bass).
Brazilbilly has a single called “Everyone Wants To Dance With My Girl” that made a great run on the charts in the UK. Watch the song’s fun video right here!
SARAH GAYLE MEECH
Nashville based country artist, Sarah Gayle Meech is blazing a trail of her own, one that the founding fathers of country music would have been proud of. Having lived in Tennessee for only five years she successfully blends the city’s nature, spirit and seasons into a beautifully unforgiving soundscape. Drawing inspiration and hailing from Longview, Washington, she was surrounded by evergreens, small towns and people with grit, themes that surface often in her songwriting. After moving to Los Angeles for ten years she honed her writing skills and decided to put down roots in Nashville.
DON KELLEY BAND
One of the longest running bands Music City, the Don Kelley band has been going strong since 1981. Don began playing at Robert’s in the mid-1990s. Along with BR-549, Don Kelley’s band helped turn Lower Broadway around from its rundown days of peep shows and dilapidated clubs to a desirable tourist and local destination for music.
Don Kelley is known for his ability to discover great new talent. Some of the best players who’ve been part of this band include Brent Mason, David Byrd, Paul Cook, Sid Hudson, Johnny Hiland, J.D. Simo and Dave Roe. The current lineup includes Joe Fick (Bass), Luke McQueary (guitar), Mott Bohli (drums) and of course, Don himself (rhythm and lead guitar).
EILEEN ROSE & THE SILVER THREADS
Singer/songwriter Eileen Rose and her band The Silver Threads play classic honky tonk sets each week at Robert’s. Eileen sings the classic hits of some of country music’s great female stars including Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee, Connie Smith, Lynn Anderson, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. They play a true cross-section of honky tonk classics, mostly from the 50s and 60s. The Silver Threads band includes The Legendary Rich Gilbert (guitar), Nate Stalfa (drums), Aaron Oliva (upright bass) and often Joshua Hedley joins in on fiddle.
With a steady sequence of highly acclaimed albums and an ever expanding fan base, Eileen Rose has established herself as a brave, eclectic artist who defies easy categorisation. Her richly melodic but starkly emotive songs, offbeat arrangements, rye, canny humour and electrifying live shows have gained her fans from Boston to London, Rome to Nashville.
RACHAEL HESTER & THE TENNESSEE WALKERS
Rachael Hester and the Tennessee Walkers are Rachael Hester, Hoot Hester, Ben Hall, Brad Albin, and John McTigue III. They keep traditional country music alive by performing the classics, along with the occasional original song. Native Nashvillian Rachael Hester sings with a uniquely pure country voice while performing from the greatest of country and western swing. Her father, Hoot Hester, who plays fiddle with her, raised her in the tradition of country music.
As a Grand Ole Opry staff band member and former member of the staff band for the TV show Nashville Now, Hoot has played with almost every artist to come through Nashville and has recorded with countless more. Ben Hall may be young, but he plays the thumb style guitar like a seasoned veteran. Ben has performed and recorded with country music legend Charlie Louvin, and has played the Grand Ole Opry with Louvin, Jan Howard and Jeannie Seely. Brad Albin, who plays both electric and upright bass, has been seen playing with country artists Mandy Barnett, Joe Nichols, and Sons of The Pioneers. Brad is also very active in Nashville’s Musical Theatre community, including productions for the TN Representatives, Nashville Children’s Theatre and Ryman Auditorium. Drummer John McTigue III was a founding member of the well-known Nashville band Brazilbilly and was instrumental in putting a “Latin beat” behind the band’s traditional country and rockabilly sound. He has played with numerous artists, including Raul Malo, Charlie Louvin, Connie Smith, Dale Watson, and Wanda Jackson.
PORK McELHINNY
Pork was born George McElhinny but it didn’t take long before the lad was called “Georgie Porgie”. His older sister had trouble pronouncing Porgie and dubbed him Georgie Porky. By the age of three, ‘Porky’ turned to Pork…and that has stuck ever since. Around this same time, Pork picked up a guitar and began to play…. turning a toddler into a budding ‘guitar man’.
George ‘Pork’ McElhinny is not just a great singer…he is also a great songwriter and an amazing world class guitarist. When Pork takes the stage he puts his heart and soul into every song he sings. He has the magical ability to draw the audience into the show and make every song come to life. When he leaves the stage Pork takes the love and adoration of his audience with him. Most of Pork’s shows are simply the man and his guitar. But when the voice and the music burst forth, the audience is astounded and amazed by the sheer magnitude of the one man experience.
JOHN ENGLAND & THE WESTERN SWINGERS
Made up of musicians who’ve worked with stars like Loretta Lynn, Bill Monroe, Ricky Van Shelton, Patsy Cline, and Vince Gill, John England & the Western Swingers put on a fun stage show while playing the happy dance music known as Western Swing. Like their predecessors Bob Wills, Hank Thompson, and Asleep at the Wheel, the Swingers’ music combines the lively spirit of hot jazz and the
down-home integrity of country music.
John England & the Western Swingers have played at Robert’s Western World every Monday since July of 2001. The Swingers can also boast of appearances at Lincoln Center, the Grand Ole Opry, the “Midnight Jamboree,” the Legends of Western Swing festival, and many concerts and private events. The band has been profiled by the Nashville Tennessean, Downbeat Magazine, the New Yorker, and other print media.
DAVE COX
Since moving to Nashville in 2004, Dave Cox has worked hard to establish himself by penning and performing some of the most original music in a town where originality is becoming more and more rare. A true Americana artist, Dave performs regular weekly sets at Robert’s and fans from all over enjoy his unique brand of traditional country and roots music.
JOHN & LOIS SHEPHERD
John Shepherd has been playing music on Lower Broadway for nearly 40 years. He honed his talent playing the honky tonk circuit in the Rocky Mountain West, then came to Nashville in 1972. After spending time in the Navy, he met his wife Lois (a Nashville native), when she was booking bands at Naval bases around Pensacola. (Lois often joins John on stage recreating the soulful sounds of her honky tonk favorites, including Jan Howard and Dottie West.)
In the late 70s and 80s, John and Lois were involved in the Broadway Revitalization Commission, a group of concerned citizens who worked hard to preserve Lower Broadway’s heritage and restore it from the decline it experienced in those decades. John performs a wide range of honky tonk favorites, including the music of Hank Williams, Marty Robbins and Jim Reeves. He is also known for being the voice of the famous Miller High Life Beer commercial, “If you’ve got the time, we’ve got the beer.”
