Danny was born in Aurora, Colorado. As a child, Danny knew what he wanted to become: US NAVY SEAL. He graduate in 1999 from Heritage High School and He enlisted in the Navy in 1999 when he was 19 years old. He graduating from Hell
Week Class 232 and earned his SEAL trident in 2001. He was then subsequently assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team Two in Virginia Beach, VA. There he did his first deployment in 2003 and In April 2005, Danny deployed again with his Special Reconnaissance element to Afghanistan to support Naval Special Warfare Squadron TEN and the prosecution of the Global War on Terrorism.
On June 28th, 2005 Danny and three others were assigned to do reconnaissance on a high ranking Taliban leader in the Hindu-Kush mountains.
There, Danny gave his last breath to fight evil and stand proud for his country and his Trident.
That day was the greatest lost for the SEAL community. “NEVER FORGET”

He earned many medals for his actions including the NAVY CROSS.

There is a memorial fund set up in Danny’s name to raise money for a scholarship fund for the children of Active duty SEALs who’s fathers are currently deployed fighting the war that Danny left behind. This will give an opportunity for these children to go to college and and follow their dreams like Danny followed his. If you would like to donate please go to:

http://www.nswfoundation.org/donate.htmgo

under “DONATE” and once you added the desire amount, choose
“Program Area” Danny Dietz Memorial Roping or you can leave a note to donate in Danny Dietz Memorial Roping.

Thank you and God Bless.

Patsy Dietz-Shipley

Cooper Wade has grown up with music since he was born. Both his parents sing and played instruments, so it was fitting Cooper took right to it also. He started playing the piano at age 7, drums/percussion at age 12 and self-taught guitar starting in high school. He received a percussion scholarship to college where he earned a BM in percussion performance with a minor in piano and voice. He has enjoyed being on stage since he was a kid and the stage jitters don’t bother him at all.

Cooper loves the outdoors and hunts whenever his schedule allows. He is a huge bird hunter and loves to go duck and goose hunting. Other times he grabs his compound bow and heads out for those elusive Texas Whitetail and other exotic deer. After the hunt there’s nothing like sitting around the campfire with a guitar singing songs and telling stories . . . not lies!!

Cooper’s a devoted father to his 2 awesome kids and when he’s not in the studio or on the road he’s doing free concerts in the living room of their home.

Cooper Wade can be booked as a solo act or with a full band. He specializes in performing at venues conducive to live music but understands limitations. He is available to head-line a show or open up for a larger, more well known act. He is also a perfect choice for those corporate events and, of course, the rodeos and festivals.

Like most die-hard Texans, Grady Skelton believes Texas Music is special. For him, it is a breed of its own with a raw and organic sound and lyrics meant to rouse a range of emotions. Skelton believes Texas music has the power to turn people on to “country music” even when they swear they don’t like country. Well, that’s because it’s not country music – it’s Texas Music.
“Texas music is from the heart, honest to a fault, and can make you wanna dance all night,” says Skelton. “You either get it or you don’t. It just makes beer taste better, nights not seem as lonely and long, and brings back old friends and grand memories. I guess that’s why I love listening to it as much as I love writing and playing it.”
Aside from the good loving of a good woman, cold beer, and life in a small town, Skelton lives for the day that his style of Texas Music stretches beyond the boundaries that divide the genres. A challenge many artists have taken on, Skelton feels that with one listen of his sophomore album LIVE SIMPLY, you’ll “get it” too.
Partnering with Clay Corn, a mainstay on the scene as Pat Green’s keyboard player, Skelton dove into the project knowing that he wanted a producer that would meld his original songs and unique style into an authentic product. To differentiate from the norm, Skelton and Corn incorporated the use of a baritone guitar for a deeper tone, piano arrangements and female harmony vocals on select songs.
“When I listen to music, I want it to take me through a whole list of emotions. The songs on this record are a collection of stories from a growing phase of my life; I take a journey through first love, recent love, break ups and finding love again,” he said. “I wanted to bring my best but I didn’t want a producer that just twisted knobs. Clay has a great mind and he ‘got’ what I was trying to communicate.”

NVNU was the 1st winner of the Thirsty Throwdown Battle of the Bands Competition held over 3 months in the historic Ft. Worth Stockyards during the summer of 2012.

They competed with 12 bands selected from the venue’s top draws over the previous 2 years for over $12,000 in cash and prizes including the recording, mixing, mastering and manufacturing of the first “Live at Thirsty Armadillo” record.

The album was engineered and produced by Lubbock music man, Jon Taylor, and the band’s frontman/singer/songwriter, Nick Verzosa at Mount Vernon Studios in Lubbock, TX.

Staunchly independent, Nick has proven to be that necessary mix of pure talent, hard work and personality required to dig deep roots into the always competitive Texas music market and shows the ability to spread his branches outside the state lines as well. Averaging 4 shows a week is nothing uncommon for he and his 4 piece band of talented musicians as they continue to impress and entertain a constantly growing fan-base. His strong belief in working hard for what you want is self-evident in his road-warrior mentality, still finding time to vigilantly hone his songwriting craft, what he would tell you is his true passion.

“I feel very blessed to have been prepared for the opportunities that have unexplainably come my way. Everyone I’ve met along this journey, from band members to collaborators to business associates to loved ones have positively affected me somehow and even though we’ve worked very hard, the pieces have seemed to just fall together. I can’t wait to see whats around the next corner.”

Out of the quiet prairie lands of Texas’ Gulf Coast, there is a murmur that is gradually getting louder. Amidst the stirring is the recognizable tone of crunchy single-coil pickups and a Gibson J-45 against the backdrop of a walking bassline and the crashing of cymbals. If one listens close enough, they will find the epicenter of the ruckus in East Bernard, Texas– a small town more known for kolaches and polka than loud and rowdy Americana music.

A band known as The Washers are the makers of the noise, which some consider a new breed of Americana. Though not reinventing the wheel, it’s the slight variations from the others in the Texas Music scene that make this small-town band notable. With all of the standard elements typically seen on the stages across Texas, including Justin Wade Wilcox picking rhythm guitar and banjo, Rio Tripiano on lead guitar and harmonica, Matt Kopycinski thumping away on bass, Mikey Faltysek keeping time on the drums, and Todd Janik strumming the acoustic parts, one of the unique elements of their dynamic live show is the fact that the four in front share the vocal spotlight. In addition to a different lead singer on seemingly every song, the four singers constantly shift their roles to create beautiful, complex harmonies.

With a little bit of folk, a dash of good old rock ‘n roll, and a whole lot of country, The Washers are hitting the pavement with both feet running, trying to spark a fire in the Texas Music scene

A lifetime of work has gone into getting Micky and The Motorcars to the forefront of Americana Music, which is where they currently stand. Micky and Gary Braun have been playing music their entire lives and come from a family of people that have always done the same thing. The boys’ paternal grandparents were both full-time musicians, and their earliest memories are of watching their father play with his brothers in The Braun Brother’s Band. Later, with four boys of his own, their father Muzzie Braun, formed a family Western Swing Band. The family toured the United States, making two appearances on The Tonight Show as well as taking the stage at The Grand Ol’ Opry. This laid the ground work for what was to come. After nine years, Micky and Gary went on to form Micky and The Motorcars while their brothers founded Reckless Kelly. Since music and family go hand in hand, it is with this family spirit in mind that the boys continue on their path.

Born identical twins in the southern roots of Texas, Amy and April Rankin’s voices intertwine in a natural harmony as strong as the weaves of Grandma’s old blanket. But this heirloom has been remade, rejuvenated, and if they have anything to do with it, dipped in glitter.Full of life and promise, their songs resonate an optimistic approach to the world that brings with it a sense of security like the timeless memories of swaying on a porch swing on a Sunday afternoon.

The Rankin Twins, whose popularity in Texas Country continues to grow, have once again surpassed the strength of their last EP “Silver Lining”. With a new sound in their first full length album, Moonshine and Maybes, they break the barriers and carry you right into the arms of pure country.

Biography

When the Randy Rogers Band’s last project debuted as the most-downloaded country album on iTunes, plenty of the industry “insiders” on Music Row were left scratching their heads: Who are these guys?

The Nashville elite may not have known about the five-piece band, but much of America already did. Rolling Stone magazine ranked them alongside such artists as U2 and the Stones in its list of Top 10 Must-See Artists in the summer of 2007. They earned $2.5 million—a staggering total for a still-developing act—on the tour circuit in a single year. Willie Nelson, the Eagles, Gary Allan and Dierks Bentley all picked them as opening acts for their concerts. And more than 2,200 people showed up and bought the bands album at an appearance at Wherehouse Music.

The fans’ exuberance was shared by USA Today, which praised the band for having “loads of grit, swagger and heart.”

The Randy Rogers Band built its audience by combining forces: It’s a dynamic live act centered around songs that fit the rowdy, party vibe of the concert circuit, but their songs also say something.

Established in 2008, the organization was renamed Nick Finnegan Counseling Center in 2011 as a way for Bill and Susan Finnegan to honor their late son, Nick, who passed away several years earlier in an automobile accident. Support from family, friends and counselors helped the Finnegans grieve their loss. Because of this support, they found faith to move forward as a family, and in turn, wanted to give similar support to others. Along with the Finnegan family, NFCC raises awareness about and provides cost-effective mental health resources to Houstonians.

Jason Boland & The Stragglers formed in Stillwater, OK in 1998, where they began to make a name for themselves. The group became part of the Texas/Red Dirt scene, where their live shows had been selling out as their following grew larger and larger. They released five studio and two live albums and the momentum continued to build, selling over 500,000 albums total, independently. Their 2008 release, Comal County Blue was one of 2008’s most successful independent country releases, debuting at #2 on the Billboard National Heatseekers chart, #30 Billboard Country Albums, #1 iTunes country albums, as well as their first debut on the Billboard Top 200.

Unfortunately, the last decade of Boland’s life plays like a tragic country song. Between a near-fatal car accident, a polyp on his vocal chords, a divorce and a bout with alcoholism, the group’s momentum had consistently been detoured. However, destiny works in strange ways. Boland looks at everything before 2011 as the first half of his career. If he had not gone to hell and back, he would not have had the perspective to make his finest album yet, Rancho Alto.