Jerry Salley, Dave Adkins, and Ed Leonard at Billy Blue Records
Billy Blue Records has announced the signing of powerhouse Kentucky singer and songwriter Dave Adkins to the label. Adkins has also signed on with Billy Blue Publishing as a songwriter.
Dave has been pursuing a career as a bluegrass bandleader this past 13 years, after a diversion towards rock and country that came following a youth consumed with grass. He has seen chart success with a number of his songs, with two, Change Her Mind and Sold, spending time at #1 on our Bluegrass Today Weekly Airplay chart.
A cancer diagnosis and the resulting treatment had slowed him down of late, but having successfully beaten it back, Adkins is back at it with a passion, and touring hard and heavy this year.
He says this new record deal feels like a dream come true.
“Signing to Billy Blue Records and getting to work with these wonderful folks is a dream come true. No one can out work the individuals at Billy Blue. Jerry Salley can and will get any job done. I’m so excited! This has been a ‘pinch me’ kind of moment in my career.
I just want to make great music. One of these days when I leave this earth, I hope people look back and say I did pretty good when I was here. I look forward to working with Billy Blue to help me do that.
I cannot wait for others to hear what we have been working on. I’m like a little kid, giddy about what’s to come. The good Lord felt it fit to keep me here, and I take nothing for granted since my diagnosis. I’m determined to lay everything I have out there to be the best person, musician, singer, and songwriter I can be.”
With a huge voice and a personality to match, Adkins consistently wows crowds and wins fans wherever he goes. Here’s a recent video of the Dave Adkins Band doing a song that he has recorded, a grassy version of Alabama’s hit, Dixieland Delight.
With Dave are Bobby Davis on bass, Ari Silver on mandolin, Zach Vickers on banjo, and Layla Contafio on fiddle.
Jerry Salley, A&R Director for Billy Blue, says of their latest signee…
“I have been friends with Dave Adkins for many years now. I know his powerful voice, and have worked with him in the recording studio. I’ve experienced his live performances and witnessed the crowd reaction to his shows. He’s the real deal, and I’ve been hoping that when the time was right, we could work together on a full album project together for Billy Blue. Dave’s talent and personality fit our family of artists perfectly, and our entire team is excited about working with him and representing his dynamic brand of bluegrass music.”
Look for a first single from Dave’s upcoming Billy Blue debut project next week.
