t.Roy & The Smoking Section

(link hidden)y travels mostly as a solo artist. Formerly on a Sony/BMG label, (link hidden)y's writing skills eclipse even his singing ability with over 150 recorded songs released.

Authenticity in being from a Texas town on the Louisianna border manifests as a cosmic blend of blues-rock that can't escape a country twang every so often. Where appropriate, he mixes this with comedic tales of a Texas who has been living on the road for decades.

As a solo singer/songwriter, (link hidden)y is able to travel extensively and his music runs the gamut from acoustic folk to alternative rock. Capable of reading an audience and responding with 100% entertainment, (link hidden)y's live performance "may" include a projector with all lyrics and visual images where appropriate.

(link hidden)y & The Smoking Section is a full band that travels for larger shows and conferences. The band differs from the solo act in being a harder edge sound of blues rock. Many songs on (link hidden)y's albums can not be played live without a band, but surviving in today's music market means being flexible so (link hidden)y can adapt to any/all situations.

SOUTHEAST TEXAS BLUES/ROCK SINGER/SONGWRITER (link hidden)y RETURNS TO HIS ROOTS

As (link hidden)y releases ‘The Texas Grit EP’ – the perfectly titled, power packed teaser for a 16 track album - under the moniker (link hidden)y & The Smoking Section, the veteran singer/songwriter declares that he’s just “another Texas blues singer from Southeast Texas,” following in the long tradition of regional legends like Johnny & Edgar Winter, Janis Joplin, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and George Jones.

(link hidden)y’s connection to those roots drives the main narrative, yet it leaves out a fascinating aspect of his multi-faceted career. (link hidden)y’s musical origins are key to vibing with the raw, no holds barred authenticity of the dynamic five track EP recently released. On both sides of his family, every gathering was a hoe-down jam session, and when he was only four years old his grandfather brought him on a “tour” of the neighborhood, knocking on doors to sing Hank Williams classics.

(link hidden)y began playing six nights a week at the Foxy Lady Bar in Beaumont TX with a parental release before he was legally old enough to enter. He later moved to northward and became a staple of the Dallas rock scene for many years, producing a cable access TV program for 9 years called “Dallas Music Magazine” as his band was nominated as “Best Rock Band” by the Dallas Observer, and he wrote the theme song for the 1988 Texas Rangers.

In 2002, he signed to Sony/BMG/Provident label, Galilee of the Nations, and began touring the world non-stop for nearly two decades performing original songs in an obscure middle eastern sub-genre of sacred music.

Wanting a change of scenery for inspiration in 2017, (link hidden)y moved to Asheville, NC and began going out to jam sessions for the pure fun of it in this dynamic music city. It was there he discovered his love of audio production and started recording with his new Asheville NC friends and “The Smoking Section” was born. In the small dining area of his west Asheville apartment this band recorded 32 songs to be released in stages during 2023.

The songs on The Texas Grit EP serve as something of an introductory autobiography to (link hidden)y. The raucous opener “Southeast Texas Son,” featuring Beaumont area legendary guitarist Scott McGill, and takes a whimsical, nostalgic look at his youth “having fun just playing out in the hot Texas sun.” The hard-driving jam “Color Me Blu” tells the spirited story of a metalhead friend who made guitars and always wore the color blue. The poignant ballad “Chaison Park” recalls a painful childhood memory of abandonment. Though brassy and up-tempo, “Give Me Your Heart” tackles the heartbreak of unreciprocated love. The powerhouse final track “Some Kind of Secret” is a classic tale, told in vulnerable detail, of suspecting that a spouse is having an affair.

“Songwriting has always been a healing mentally therapy for me,” (link hidden)y says. “Most of these songs are very personal stories about relationships, and unfortunately for me they are true. Some were written long ago but never previously recorded, while others are about more recent situations. I taught myself audio engineering these past few years, and got these great musicians to help me put the songs into fixed form – and now I’m excited about the next steps.”

(link hidden)y can perform on a supplied PA system with one guitar plug and one microphone on a boom stand, with a monitor wedge. He can also hook up projection for using visual images and text during his performance by running a cable to your projector, or using his own.

When necessary, (link hidden)y carries two Bose L-1 towers which work in most small-to-medium indoor situations up to 300 seaters.

When traveling with a band the specs would be different of course, but the basic set up is 3 mics front of stage with wedge monitors. Need Direct box for keys, bass, acoustic guitar. Use a trap set of drums, 2 keyboards, electric guitar amp & bass guitar amps with 3 vocal mics.