SPIRIT DANCER....Perry Joe Gabbard
Perry Joe Gabbard's acoustic-driven style mixes folk, rock and country and draws on influences such as Neil Young, the Beatles, Hank Williams, and Bill Miller. Perry not only sings, he also plays guitar, drawing from the early rock styling of Elvis Presley and Scotty Moore as well as the extra-expressive technique of Neil Young. "I like to play in that rockabilly style," Perry says, "I play it hard!"
While Perry loves to sing the songs of his heroes, he writes and performs his own original works. "I like to write about true life experiences," Perry says, "You know, there are a lot of cowboys out there who've never been on a horse. It makes a difference if you've lived what you're singing about. The audience feels it and so do you."
Perry's love for music came naturally. "My grandpa's favorite singer was Hank Williams," says Perry, "I got my love of country music from him. I was exposed to gospel and bluegrass through my uncles and rock from Mom's record collection."
Perry's family instilled in him a sense of pride in his Cherokee heritage and made sure that he knew as much as he could about his ancestors. The education of his heritage continues today. While in college, Perry learned the traditional buffalo dance style. He performs the dance across the country at Native American gatherings known as pow wows. His Cherokee name, Spirit Dancer, was given by a Cherokee spiritual man who saw one of his performances.
"He said that when I danced, he could see the elder spirits dancing with me in the circle. He knew that I was a part of the 'dance' and not just part of the show."
Perry Joe Gabgard is a man of many talents who loves to make music and is proud of his Native American heritage. His traditional values can be seen in his performances and felt in his music, which is honest and from the heart.
His new 10 song CD, Cherokee Hills, released on Singing Wolf Records, is a reflection of those values.
