Taylor Atkinson

Taylor Atkinson blessed by success

August 06, 2009 01:15 am

— By Andrew W. Griffin
pop writer

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Dressed in a flannel shirt, jeans and backwards Florida Marlins baseball cap, singer-songwriter Taylor Atkinson appears a little uncertain onstage, under the lights, at the Wormy Dog Saloon.
That may simply be because he wasn't sure if his vocals and guitar were being amplified into the far reaches of the well-known Bricktown country bar.
Setting down his Takamine acoustic guitar and joining Pop at a nearby table for a beer and some conversation, Atkinson, a Midwest City native, appears more relaxed and ready to talk about his burgeoning career on the Texas/Red Dirt music scene.
"My Dad is a very talented musician," Atkinson said after taking a swig of a Coors Light and lighting up a cigarette. "He's not famous but he has written a lot of songs."
And living in a strictly Southern Baptist home with his parents and three sisters, music played a big role in the Atkinson household. Of particular note was the music of the 1960s and 70s, ranging from Bob Dylan to James Taylor to Simon and Garfunkel.
"I was pretty anti-country growing up," Atkinson said, noting that The Beatles' "A Day In The Life" was the first song he ever learned to play on guitar.
Over time, Atkinson became a decent rhythm guitar player and had a desire to write songs. This was during his transition into country music.
And while he tended to lean toward more traditional rock music into his college years, that changed after he had heard Eli Young Band's "When It Rains" on the radio. It was that time spent hearing artists like Randy Rogers Band and learning more about the Red Dirt music scene that changed his outlook.
"I heard (Red Dirt) and I fell in love with it," Atkinson said. "And I remember telling a friend that I would play the Wormy Dog someday."
When asked how it feels to be in the Wormy Dog performing for the first time, Atkinson says its "Sobering. It's very humbling. I look at all the places I've played in... open mic nights ... it's very sobering and I'm very blessed."
Thanks to connections at KKNG radio in Oklahoma City Atkinson has been able to pass out CDs of his new independently-released 10-song album "Beautiful Disaster," which also is the title of the first song he wrote. The album was recorded this past March and just released.
The album "Beautiful Disaster" is a pretty low-key, stripped-down affair. Produced by Atkinson and Daniel Walcher, Atkinson sings and plays guitar while Walcher takes up guitar, bass, keyboard and percussion duties. On fiddle is Travis Wackerly.
Asked if he has a band, Atkinson said he does, including Wackerly, drummer Derek Botts, bassist John Bowen and guitarist Heath Sitton. Atkinson said that they "are still working out the kinks" and hoping to perform more as the full-fledged Taylor Atkinson Band.
As one of his sisters and mother set up his T-shirt and CD table, father David Atkinson joins his son at the table. Taylor Atkinson said he planned to perform his father's 30-year-old song "One More Time" this evening.
The proud father said he is happy for his son taking this "big step" and using his creativity as a singer and musician.
"God gives us talent and (Taylor) is using it," David Atkinson said.
Friend Daniel Woodall of Edmond sits down, smiling. Patting Atkinson on the shoulder, Woodall said Atkinson's music is "real," like the sort of back-porch pickin' and grinnin' you'd engage in in decades past.
"I think it's great," Woodall said of his friend's success.
And watching him perform this evening, along with talented fiddle player Wackerly, Atkinson is a natural. He does interact with the crowd and along with a few originals, does fun numbers like "Margaritaville," "Mary Jane's Last Dance," "Friends In Low Places," Eli Young Band's "Oklahoma Girl" and Cross Canadian Ragweed's "Boys From Oklahoma."
For more information on Taylor Atkinson and his music and performance dates, go to www.myspace.com/tayloratkinsonmusic.com.

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