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P.O.
Box 11592 Syracuse, NY 13218 |
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Possessing a
voice that can be honey-sweet in its mid-register and then soar to a belting
tenor, Conan uses it to convey the honest emotion of his heartfelt songs.
His early training on trumpet gave him a foundation in jazz. But as fate
would have it, he was dragged "kicking and screaming" to the premiere
of "The Buddy Holly Story" in 1978 and became an overnight, die-hard rock
fan. Conan played bass until 1990, when he got a wireless headset and
guitar and began fronting his own bands and writing his own songs, combining
the elements of early rock and roll with the country music that was beginning
to influence him. |
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A desire to understand
the music business from the inside out prompted Conan to work several
jobs over the next few years. He ran lights and sound for local bands,
hauled equipment, worked security for concerts at the New York State Fair,
anything to work in and around music. He would go on to spend the next
12 years as Production Manager for Polydor and Curb recording artist,
Benny Mardones ("Into the Night"), also serving as lead singer for Benny's
band, The Hurricanes, during rehearsals.
Conan began making
trips to Nashville to check out the music scene and keep in contact
with friends who had moved there to try their hand at making it in the
music business. It was those trips, in part, that inspired Conan's 1999
debut album, From NY to TN, issued on indie label, J-Bird Records. The
album garnered praise in the Central New York region for singing, songwriting,
arranging and guitar playing. Conan was nominated for a 2002 SAMMY Award,
"Best Country Vocalist." In 2004 Conan won "Honorable Mention" for his
song, "Worth A Dime," in the 4th Annual CMT/Nashville Songwriter's Association
Songwriting Contest. This song is the opener on "Tone Deaf and Color
Blind."
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Conan
continued to play live occasionally, focusing mostly on writing for his
next CD. Concerts at Bridge Street Music Hall in November 2003 and Bleachers
in January 2004, where Conan tested out new personnel and new material,
were well received by fans and critics earning Conan a Syracuse New Times
"Pick of the Week" spot. Conan played Memorial Day 2004 weekend at the
Sterling Stage Kampitheater in Sterling, New York, and was invited to
be one of a few local bands to perform at WSCP's CountryFest 2004. While
recording his second album, Conan has played several dates at Club Tundra
and was a guest on the local radio program, "The Backyard." The second
album from Conan and the Showdogs, "Tone Deaf and Color Blind," will be
released September 13, 2005. |
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Road Records P.O. Box 11592 Syracuse, NY 13218 © Copyright Locke-Down Music 2006 All Rights Reserved |