THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 18, 1996 TAG: 9601180029
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
WHO ARE these mysterious people?
Danny Shirley's inquiring mind wants to know.
``I looked at the list of top-20 country records in Billboard a few weeks ago,'' said Confederate Railroad's lead singer. ``There were eight artists I never heard of. We got ourselves established because we went in there before all this mess.''
The ``mess'' is the constant influx of fresh faces.
``There's always a lot of new people,'' Shirley said, speaking from Gadsden, Ala., on a tour stop - ``so much competition.''
There is a lot of competition in the ``group'' category, but Confederate Railroad stays on the right track. Audiences can hear their many hits Friday at Hampton Coliseum.
A further sign of the Railroad's continuing success is that they are joining the elite country acts by offering a ``greatest hits'' album.
``We'll go to the studio in March or April,'' said Shirley, a big, affable type. ``We'll have eight of the old hits plus a couple of new ones.''
After that, look for a complete set of new offerings.
``Next fall, we'll start on our fifth album,'' said Shirley, a Chattanooga native.
Who knows what the songs will be? You never know what to expect from a crew that offers, on the same release, ``Jesus and Mama'' and ``Trashy Women.''
One of last year's releases did not reach the level of success as did those songs. Blame it on bad timing.
``Bill's Laundromat, Bar and Grill'' was a fun song, but at the same time that came out ``there were new releases by Garth, Reba, Alabama, Vince Gill, Brooks and Dunn,'' Shirley said.
``That's six superstars in a three-week period, so we had to pull our record,'' he said. ``We'll come back next month, though, with a song called, ``See Ya'.''
In April, they'll tour Europe with a ``pack-'em-in'' lineup, to include Travis Tritt and Charlie Daniels.
Early in his career, Shirley toured and worked with David Allen Coe and Johnny PayCheck, a couple of wild guys who make Willie, Waylon and other ``outlaws'' look like kitty cats.
Speaking of felines, the Railroad recently bought Miss Kitty's, a famed Atlanta nightspot where Shirley, early in his career, performed as a solo artist.
He had good company. Travis Tritt, Billy Ray Cyrus, Diamond Rio, and Little Texas also sharpened their stage skills there.
Confederate Railroad has made the rounds since then. They've played Vegas several times, performed at rodeos, in clubs and casinos.
Casinos have become a big market for them. ``That's a good venue for us,'' Shirley said. ``We'll probably do 30 shows in casinos on Indian reservations.''
Their Friday gig is general admission - otherwise known as a fight-for-your-seats concert. Once you get settled, it will be worth it. A Confederate Railroad outing is a fascinating mix of high energy and humor, balanced by a few teary tunes. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Jarrett Gaza
by CNB