Courtesy

At the turn of the century, Randy Rogers was just another young country singer-songwriter, playing dive bars and honkytonks in and around San Marcos. Seven years later, he and his bandmates are set to play one of the biggest shows of their career. Randy Rogers Band, which signed with a major record label (Mercury Nashville) only two years ago, will open the 2008 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo with a concert at the AT&T Center on Thursday, Jan. 31. Before he and his band opened one of the nation's biggest rodeos, Rogers talked to 210SA about hitting it big, covering Stone Temple Pilots and what he'd be doing if his musical career had never panned out.

Did you ever envision getting to such a point?
To play the San Antonio Rodeo is definitely something we never would have thought possible when we started seven years ago.

Did the band have concrete goals when you started out in 2000?
Year to year, we as a band sit down and talk about the wants, desires and goals. We talk about those constantly, and we update our list constantly about where we want to take this whole thing. Definitely on the list somewhere a few years ago was to play the bigger rodeos in Texas and headline them.

Do you feel a kinship with the San Antonio area, considering the band got started nearby in San Marcos?
Absolutely, we cut our teeth at (San Marcos') Cheatham Street (Warehouse), and then I lived in New Braunfels for about four years. I grew up in North Texas, but I left my hometown (of Cleburne) when I was 17 and moved to San Marcos to go to Southwest Texas State. I adopted Southern Central Texas as home sweet home.

So you're still calling it Southwest Texas State, not Texas State?
My degree says Southwest Texas State, so I'm going with that.

I read on your CMT bio that you once covered Stone Temple Pilots at a talent show. Considering your dad was a Baptist preacher, did covering grunge rock go over well on the homefront?
On the homefront, it was fine because my parents have always been supportive. The funny part was trying to sing like (STP frontman) Scott Weiland. That was not happening. My voice is very country, so you can imagine a 15-year-old kid singing STP all hicked out with a hick voice.

What are you listening to these days?
We listen to everything, the whole wide spectrum from classic rock to every bit of contemporary country music. I'm not completely fond of the direction some country has gone lately in the mainstream, but there are some wonderful artists out there.

What bothers you about some of the country music that's out there right now?
I just think it's gotten away from its roots. Hank Williams would not be played on the radio today ..... It's gotten completely far away from what country music was supposed to be about.

With a public relations degree from Texas State, what would you be doing right now had the music career not worked out?
I booked bands and had my own booking agency in college, and I interned for a publicist for 26/1/2years, doing publicity and writing bios. (Even without the band), I think I'd be involved with music in some capacity.

CLINT HALE | 210SA