Bronco Jr.-Bio
Bronco Jr. was born on August 14th, 1983 in Charlotte, NC. Raised mostly in the Low Country of South Carolina around Charleston, he developed a taste for travel and music . His mother and stepfather moved around a lot for work, so he became used to the road at a young age. Moving from town to town became second nature and still is to this day. In his entire life he has claimed residency in 8 different states and three different countries around the world. You could definitely say he is what Dierks Bentley might call, a modern day drifter.
First picking up a guitar at age fifteen while attending his sophomore year at Camden Military Academy in South Carolina, he learned to play very quickly. There was a uniqueness in his playing, a sort of ‘out of the norm’ for a kid his age. He learned how to play Bluegrass, Country and Southern Rock as well as keeping up with the current Alternative Rock that was on the radio at the time. When you listen to Bronco’s “I Miss You Baby”, you wouldn’t think that it was the first song he ever wrote. But, then again, it makes sense when you hear the Rockabilly and Bluegrass influence of the guitar licks and progression. Shortly after moving to Florida in 2002, Bronco found himself joining the Marine Corps in 2003 and would soon after see 7 months of combat action in 2006-2007 as a Machine Gunner in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq.
Once out of the Marines in 2007, Bronco moved to Nashville briefly and then to Texas to work up some experience playing in nightclubs and bars. Bronco met his current bass player, Keenan Whiddon, while hanging out with Stoney LaRue one night after a show and formed the band Bronco Jr. & Old Trick. After recording his debut Album, Bronco has steadily been receiving more and more recognition and radio play across the states of Texas and Louisiana. The album sets itself apart from other country albums because it is an all original work, it was done independent and the song choices were chosen carefully. No 2 songs on the record sound the same. The songs are very dynamic and almost every one is written from life experiences, with the exception of “There Lies a Better Man” which is a ‘Wild West’ take on the Biblical tale of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. Every instrument on the album is real, there were no samples used in the recording process and everyone that worked on it was very careful to keep that ‘raw’ sound that has been lacking in today’s country music. From upbeatCountry/Rock tunes like “Rockin the Country” and “Another Friday in the Country” to the Texas Two-Stepper “Doghouse Door”, Bronco’s album is a delight and is quite different from most of the stuff on the radio.
His live shows are just as raw and energetic as you might picture them when you listen to the album. Most of the musicians Bronco uses on a regular basis are the same ones you will hear on his record. Including members like Mike Burch, a drummer who has played with the likes of artists such as Wayne Toups, Jimmy Buffett and Eric Clapton. And Justin Lewis who has played guitar with Wayne Toups, Jo-El Sonnier, Jamie Bergeron and Charley Rivers, just to name a few. You also may recognize the fiddle player, David Varnado, from acts such as Garth Brooks, Sammy Kershaw and George Jones. Rest assured when Bronco’s show comes to town, there will be very high caliber musicians on stage.
Bronco’s album’s introduction to the Country Music scene is definitely fresh and has been gaining more and more recognition. It has been landing him gigs with national acts such as Eli Young Band, Little Texas and Casey Donahew, just to name a few. Below is a list of all the artists that Bronco has shared the stage with.
Eli Young Band, Little Texas, Tracy Byrd, Cody Canada, Josh Thompson,Wayne Toups, Randy Rogers Band, Doug Stone, Midnight River Choir, Aaron Watson, Cody Johnson, Jason Boland & The Stragglers, Ace in the Hole Band, Ray Wylie Hubbard, John Conlee, Chris Knight, The Trishas, Earl Thomas Conley, Andy Griggs, The Rankin Twins, Georgette Jones, John Evans and Casey Donahew Band.
