Concerts/Shows/Sports     Calendar of Events	Call 1-800-268-7371 for ticket info

Xentel		.	BlackHawk
			To start at the beginning, members Henry Paul, Dave Robbins and Van Stephenson were brought together by Arista Records' creative force, Tim DuBoise. Robbins and Stephenson were frequent writing partners with a history of successful collaborations and, while both had known Paul, it was DuBois who envisioned them as a country Crosby, Stills and Nash. Once they came together, the chemistry was perfect and immediate. So began the seven year career of BlackHawk, highlighted by nine Top Ten singles, five albums and sales in excess of 4,000,000 records. Although there have been numerous career highlights over the past seven years, Henry Paul and Dave Robbins can easily pick out their favorites. "For me, getting signed to the Arista label, having our first release become such a big hit ("Goodbye Says it All") and then having our debut album sell 2,000,000 copies exceeded all my expectations," reminisces Paul. "As a new act, it couldn't have been much better than that!" Robbins agrees, "Debuting with a multi-platinum album when our wildest dream was to sell a gold album was incredible. As I review the songs that are included on this album, I'm really proud of each and every one of them. I still can't believe we've had enough hits to include on a 'greatest hits' package." And, for his personal career highlights, Robbins continues, "Ricky Skaggs inviting us to play on the Grand Ole Opry was a very special moment. And playing Farm Aid in 1995 at Cardinal Stadium in St. Louis with over 50,000 people in attendance--that rocked!" During the past year, BlackHawk has faced a number of changes. Flagship member Van Stephenson made the difficult decision to leave the group after waging a successful year-long battle with Melanoma. Stephenson's press release summed up his feelings: "An illness this serious puts your priorities in order very quickly. I realized that spending time with my family was the most important thing in the world to me and I made a decision to leave the road." Van Stephenson contributes both vocally and artistically to the new songs on the record, including his self-penned "Ships of Heaven." "Ships" is a moving and very honest composition inspired by Stephenson's illness at a time when it seemed the disease had the upper hand. It relates the story of a man who wants those he leaves behind to know they don't have to worry about him or the things that happened while he was on Earth--he is sailing on the ships of Heaven. With Stephenson's departure, he backing band [Dale Oliver (guitar), Randy Threet (bass), Bobby Huff (drums)] took on a more active role in the sound of the group. In particular, Huff began singing the third part of the three-part harmony. Henry Paul observes, "This has given the band a new dynamic--a rebirth in the creative realm with the somewhat more prominent nature of their voices in our mix. Our sound, though sonically the same, has a new identity." Adds Robbins, "That dynamic carries over into our stage show as well." In the studio, Oliver, Huff and Threet played on the new tunes with Huff taking on a producer's role along with Paul and Robbins. "In the past, we had Mark Bright and Tim DuBois to guide us in the recording process and that guidance was invaluable. They gave us great music, as evidenced by the songs on this album. But this time, Dave and I wanted to step out and try on the producer's hat. Maybe this was facilitated by Van's departure and the evolving re-creation of the band, but at some point, most artists want to be involved in the creative process of the studio," states Paul. So, from the song search to the choice of studios, the team of Henry Paul, Dave Robbins and Bobby Huff were totally in control. Robbins comments, "Arista literally had no idea what they were getting from us until the day we turned in the new material." What future goals does the group have? Henry Paul's answer to that question: "We plan to reassert this band creatively as well as commercially and to carve out a lasting career built on success at radio, working in harmony as a group to write and record our next record." Dave Robbins continues, "For BlackHawk to have the opportunity to continue making music with the added advantage of perspective--what we've learned from the past few years--to have a shot at the same type of success we've enjoyed so far. But my personal goal is to have a golf handicap in the single digits!" On BlackHawk's Greatest Hits, we hear the singular, defining vocal sound that is immediately recognizable as no one else but BlackHawk. It's unmistakable. The music, the harmonies, the songwriting, the production--all creating the unique blend that radio embraced and fans loved. The hits are obviously here, but what BlackHawk conveys with this album is not just a retrospective. With its three new songs completing the package, it's much more--a reaffirmation and a dedication to the next era of BlackHawk.

Concerts/Shows/Sport  -   Calendar of Events

Home  -   About Us  -   Services  -   Live Entertainment  -   Investor Info  -   Contact Us

© Xentel DM Incorporated