After three years traveling with Dale Ann Bradley, reso-guitarist Phil Leadbetter has announced that he will be leaving her band to start on a new project.
He says departing is especially tough for him, as Bradley was such an encouragement to him when she hired Phil late in 2012 while he was recovering from his second bout with cancer.
“It has been a pleasure the last 3 years being a part of the Dale Ann Bradley Band. I met Dale Ann years ago while I was playing with J.D Crowe, and she was a Coon Creek girl. I was blown away the first time I heard her sing Me And Bobby McGee. We had talked about playing together back prior to the start of Grasstowne.
Dale Ann offered me a full time gig just 3 months after I had my stem cell transplant. I hadn’t played in 2 years at that time, but knowing that I had the gig gave me ambition and determination to get well enough to play again.
This past 3 years has been one of the best times of my life musically. Dale Ann has became more like a sister to me. It makes the decision to move on much tougher when you have this kind of relationship. I love Dale Ann (or ‘Dalebert’ as I call her) just like family.
I am gonna miss her and all the great folks in that band. It has been a great run, and a fun one as well.”
Phil says that he has some exciting plans for 2016 and beyond, which he hopes to announce by the end of February.
