More Than Nine Lives!!!

By Rob Greenwell

When Tracy Lawrence is mentioned, most country fans will say he has an incredibly pure country voice and - in the same breath - bring up his troubles with the law. They are correct on both counts: Lawrence has had many squabbles with the law and with his significant other, but then there's that voice, able to make a woman's heart swoon and a man start reaching for the bottle. It must be that voice that saves him: time and again, he has run into public relations trouble, stuff that would kill any artist's career, and yet, each time he comes around and reinvents himself - again.

His latest "reinvention" involves signing a deal with Dreamworks, the same label with the hottest (with all due respects to Kenny Chesney) superstar in the country business right now, Toby Keith. The addition of Lawrence with his new single, "Paint Me a Birmingham," will solidify their position as a huge power label in Nashville.

Lawrence brought his amazing voice to Coyote's Music and Dance Hall on December 4 for a fair-sized crowd. His catalog is filled with hit after hit and he sang most of them during his hour plus set, including "I See It Now, I Threw The Rest Away" and "If the World Had A Front Porch." Along with Lawrence's voice, he adds an energetic performance style and it showed on this night. That voice just makes you want to drink - it's that country - and it really shone on his tribute to Merle Haggard, "Mama Tried."

Email your thoughts and comments to rgreenwell@louisvillemusic.net