RBR Entertainment Rises Like A Phoenix
A new record label launched by longtime songwriting collaborators Billy Droze and Chris Myers is turning heads in the bluegrass music industry. RBR Entertainment is churning out hits on bluegrass radio these days by an ever-growing roster of talented newcomers and established veterans. Droze is the label’s creative director and founder who produces projects at his private recording studio in Santa Fe (pronounced Fee), Tennessee, about an hour southwest of Nashville.
Myers, 58, takes care of the business and marketing end of the label from his headquarters in Pensacola, Florida. Droze, 35, originally launched the label to showcase his own music and that of his wife, Marija. The label RBR, originally Red Bird Records, has expanded and now represents a talented collection of bluegrass artists. “It’s just a very artist-friendly label where it’s 100 percent based around artists,” Droze said. “I’m an artist. I always thought it would be awesome to have a label run by creatives. Chris is also a creative but has that business mind that I don’t, so it works out very well. We’re just doing our best to pay homage to bluegrass music and do it in a way that’s fresh and entertaining and we’re having fun doing it.”
Myers, who owns a music publishing business and recording studio, is a serial entrepreneur who started a computer business in the 1990s and also owned several chain restaurant franchises. With his business background, he focuses on accounting, marketing and day-to-day management of the label.
“We’ve been friends forever,” Myers said. “We’ve always talked around the idea of doing it. Finally, it was like, we can’t put it on the back burner anymore. Let’s do this. We both jumped in with both feet. There are some speed bumps out there that we’re having to jump over. Pretty soon this road’s going to be smooth sailing … I’m honored to be a part of it. I think that RBR Entertainment is going to make an impact in the bluegrass music industry and I think eventually we’re going to make an impact in other genres.”
Roster of Artists:
RBR’s roster continues to grow and evolve. In addition to Droze, the lineup includes:
Don Rigsby
Don Rigsby is a bluegrass veteran who played with the Bluegrass Cardinals, Lonesome River Band, J.D. Crowe and the New South, the Band of Ruhks, Flashback and now his own band. Rigsby has charted two hits with RBR—the autobiographical “These Days I Stand Alone” and a spirited remake of the Ray Stevens classic “Misty.”
Ralph Stanley II
Ralph Stanley II leads the Clinch Mountain Boys and grew up learning from his Hall of Fame and Grammy-winning father. He is the newest artist to sign with RBR, and Droze and songwriting friends Eddie Wilson and Jim Parker wrote a biographical song for Stanley that’s been well received by his legion of fans. “Back to Virginia” showcases his vocals in a new light.
Jimmy Yeary
Jimmy Yeary is and prolific songwriter who has written hits for country stars George Strait, Randy Travis, Tim McCgraw, Martina McBride and Blake Shelton. In bluegrass, he co-wrote the No. 1 hit “Richest Man” for Balsam Range, which was IBMA’s “Song of the Year” in 2021. Yeary signed with a major label but was deemed “too bluegrass” at the time, Myers said. His acoustic style fits well at RBR and single “Correct Me If I’m Right” did well on the bluegrass charts earlier this year. Yeary is married to Sonya Isaacs of the Isaacs, the gospel group that has recorded dozens of his songs.
Ben James
Ben James is a sky-high tenor who sang with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver until the bluegrass legend retired last year. He now plays with Grand Ole Opry and bluegrass stars Dailey & Vincent. At age 25, he is one of RBR’s youngest artists and his debut single “Teardrops in Tennessee” reached the top of the charts. James grew up singing in church and learning gospel harmonies.
Chris Davis
Chris Davis is an Ohio native who has performed with a slew of artists, including Larry Sparks, Alecia Nugent, Junior Sisk and Larry Cordle. He is currently one of the lead singers for the Grascals. Droze calls Davis a bluegrass thoroughbred who is overdue for his turn in the spotlight. Davis’ RBR single “Down South in New Orleans” is Cajun-flavored bluegrass that has raced up the bluegrass music charts.
Tommy Buller
Tommy Buller has a distinctive sound. Droze calls him an incredible musician, singer and songwriter. “He’s old cool country. Tommy’s just an insanely talented guy and just a beautiful spirit. He has a huge heart for bluegrass music,” Droze said. Three singles from his first bluegrass album on RBR spent time on the charts, including “High Lonesome.”
Mike Sumner
Mike Sumner is the banjo player for Droze’s Kentucky Blue band. Sumner has played with many accomplished artists, including Randy Kohrs, Dale Ann Bradley, Jim Lauderdale and Rebecca Frazier. He is one of RBR’s newest artists who will be releasing an instrumental album soon. His first single is “Winds of Winfield” about the legendary Kansas bluegrass festival. Sumner has won banjo competitions at Merlefest, Rockygrass and at Winfield’s National Banjo Competition.
Marija Droze
Marija Droze is bluegrass music’s Lithuanian songbird. She is an accomplished artist in her own right and has studied music at some of Europe’s top music universities. At age 13, she started playing bluegrass and country music. She later met Droze when he was touring in Lithuania. Marija performs with Droze’s Kentucky Blue band during live shows. Her latest single “Cry Baby Cry” follows the successful release of “Listen to Your Heart.” The Drozes’ duet “Raging River” showcases her soulful singing.
Bluegrass Veterans
Don Rigsby laughs when he says he was signed by Droze as the label’s “old guy.” It’s not his first rodeo on an artist-run label. He recorded with the Lonesome River Band on Tim Austin’s Doobie Shea label in the 1990s, but he’s happy to be with RBR at this stage of his career. “Having an artist at the helm of the label is a good thing because they’re more attuned to what other artists are in need of to make their career happen,” Rigsby said in a phone interview from his home in eastern Kentucky. Droze knows firsthand the financial and other struggles of being a touring bluegrass artist, Rigsby said.
“Billy’s a generous person,” he said. “The wrong kind of people have a tendency to get you on their roster in order to minimize your success rather than to help you be successful. Billy’s not that way, he’s not like that. He figures that enough water in the lake makes all the boats lift. He’s right about that. I’m tickled to death to be a part of his label.”
Rigsby produced the award-winning Forty project by Larry Sparks, among other quality works. After some initial reticence, Droze allowed Rigsby to co-produce his own work and bring in musicians to blend with RBR’s studio crew. The two have a symbiotic relationship, with Rigsby’s ideas enhancing Droze’s more modern approach to the recording process.
“I’m glad for his input because he’s got really good ideas and he’s younger. Billy’s in his 30s and I’m not,” Rigsby said. “To have someone put fresh ideas on the table is a good thing. I think that some of my production ideas probably have made their way into his tool chest because I’ve seen some of the stuff that I’ve had us do make its way into some of his other recordings.”
Rigsby embraces RBR’s focus on producing singles for radio because it gives the artist more control over what is released and played on bluegrass radio. “The business has really changed tremendously just kind of at lightspeed, comparatively speaking. One of the things that’s happened is it’s gone back to being more like the 1960s record industry where singles were the bread and butter of everything that was going on,” Rigsby said. “That’s one of the things that I expected, and they’ve delivered on it too, by the way, is that they would push to get my records or recordings aired in various places.”
Rigsby insists on playing mandolin in his sessions partly because he wants to be able to re-create the music on stage. The vocals and instrumentation are intertwined in his mind. “When I go into the studio I want to take the time to get the vocals right and build around it,” he said. “I don’t like to go in and have all the music recorded and then go in and sing because music is affected extremely by the quality of the vocals and the emotion the singer puts forth, especially fiddles and Dobros. They are expressive instruments.”
Ralph Stanley II approached Droze last year at Poppy Mountain about recording a tribute album to his father. Droze was unable to take that project on but persuaded Stanley to record a few singles as a solo artist and then sign with the RBR. While he continues to be a standard bearer for his father’s Clinch Mountain music, Droze said he hopes to help Stanley make his own mark.
“The legacy is beautiful that his father left for him and that doesn’t hurt anything,” Droze said. “I think it’s his time to stand on his own legs and that’s what we’ve talked about with him and branding … We decided we’d just see if we could give him his own wings in this season of his career. I think we’re off to a good start.” “Back to Virginia” grew out of Stanley’s initial visit to Droze’s compound and studio. By the time he got home, the song was mostly finished. Stanley said he enjoys working with Droze and the camaraderie in the studio put him at ease. “It seems more relaxed and easier than I’ve been involved in. I just really enjoy the atmosphere where we record our songs,” Stanley said. “I’m really happy so far.”
For Stanley, look for his love of classic country music from the early 1940s to the early 1990s to be featured more, but in a strictly acoustic way. His voice leans more toward Keith Whitley and George Jones, while remaining deeply rooted in Clinch Mountain music. “I promised my dad I would keep the Clinch Mountain Boys going and I’m going to do my best to do that but at the same time, I feel like I’ve got other things to offer that I would like to do as well,” he said. “Hopefully, down the road if you come to see one of my shows you might see a good variety of everything. I love the Clinch Mountain music too and I’ve got one of the best bands I’ve had so far. Country music’s also been a big part of my heart, traditional country.”
Many bluegrass music fans share a love for classic country, so Stanley and Droze seem destined to tap into that market. “I hope to be able to keep my promise to dad and keep my promise to myself and be successful at both. That’s the goal,” Stanley said.
Droze as an Artist
Droze grew up onstage singing tenor at age 6 with his dad Bob “Red” Droze. Billy Droze signed with a major label as a country artist at age 19. Music Row had already turned its back on his brand of classic country music. He turned to songwriting, and was paired with industry veterans. Along the way, he had hits recorded by country artists Shenandoah, Jamie O’Neal and Darryl Worley, among others.
In 2018, he released his first bluegrass recording with Rural Rhythm Records that launched a string of self-penned hits, including “Kentucky Blue” “Haunted By the Wind,” “Better With Time” and “Raging Rivers.” His success has continued on his own label, and earlier this year he showed his lighter side with a remake of “Chicken Truck,” featuring John Anderson. “That Sweet Gal of Mine,” penned about Marija, was a rare upbeat tune also embraced by his fans and bluegrass radio.
“Every now and then, you’ve got to give them something they don’t have to think about too much. Usually I try to change the world with every song,” he said. “With ‘That Sweet Gal of Mine,’ I guess I just wanted to show them more of a light-spirited version of my music. It was easy to write because I love my wife.”
With the focus on building the label and producing other artists’ work, Droze wanted to stress that he is not pausing his own career. This fall, he was featured in a six-show residency at the historic Station Inn, which allowed him to stay close to home where he and Marija are raising their four children, two boys and two girls. He was the featured songwriter at a Pensacola songwriting festival and plans to keep writing and recording.
It’s a lot of balls to juggle, but Droze is pouring his energies into the label but also growing as an artist. “I’m still trying to take a decent amount of time for my own career,” Droze said. “I never want anybody to think that because I’m doing this I’m pulling back on my own career. There’s a lot of stuff in the pipeline and we’re consistently putting out records and albums and singles.”
Focus on the Positive
Droze has seen his share of tragedy in his short life. His pregnant sister was tragically murdered by her husband 13 years ago. Droze witnessed the shooting and still gets pulled into court in Marshall County, Alabama, to testify during the seemingly endless death-penalty appeals. Through all the dark times, he has tried to remain positive and honor her memory.
On stage, he plays a guitar that bears a tribute to her: “In loving memory of Erica Carmen Droze 11/9/85-2/28/09.” Droze is deeply religious, and this year RBR will showcase its artists by releasing a Christmas album that he characterizes as “Less jingle bells and more Jesus.”
“God’s in control. I remind myself constantly and I keep trying to be the best person I can be and bring positivity and encouragement in my music and to the world. That’s all I can do.”
Vicki Dean is a freelance writer who lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia. She retired in 2016 as the digital editor of the Sarasota (Florida) Herald-Tribune.
