What's New: Derek Sholl "Derek Sholl"
From the press release:
Sometimes it takes the rough hand of fate to send a man chasing his true calling in life. As a kid, Derek Sholl dreamed of making it to the big leagues, to feel the incredible power of a ball park cheering for his team, and to knock one into the cheap seats with the game on the line. A common dream, but uncommonly, it came true. Out of high school, this charismatic Southern Californian signed with the Kansas City Royals.
On his fist day as a pro, a wild pitch broke one of his knuckles. While on the injured list, he entertained his teammates by singing the country songs they loved to hear. He soon adopted the passion of the music he imitated, and could be found strumming a guitar in the dugout, doing his best impressions of Alan Jackson and Randy Travis.
“I would just mess around and sing to them at practice…They laughed, but would say, ‘Man, you’re really good! Either get off the disabled list or get yourself to Nashville!” Sholl recalls.
Every time Derek came off the injured list, his pro baseball career would suffer another freakish blow. A fast ball broke his arm just after his first return to the outfield. Finally, a torn Achilles tendon ended his dreams of MLB greatness for good. Little did Derek Sholl know that when he parted ways with the Royals, his true opportunity in the big leagues would come from the talents he had honed off the baseball diamond.
The poignant lyrics and great life stories that form the lifeblood of country music spoke to Derek in a way unlike any music he’d experienced growing up. He hung up his cleats, picked up his guitar and made his mind up to conquer a new mountain: the country music scene.
He formed a band, and his smooth baritone voice captivated packed venues all over the South until a handshake deal turned into a three year run opening for Jay Leno’s live show at the Mirage in Las Vegas. Jay Leno said: “He plays every gig like it’s the Grand Ole Opry and I think that is the key.”
Derek recalls, “Playing for Jay at The Mirage in Las Vegas was a privilege for all of us! People would visit his show from all over the world and even though we had built a fan base at the casinos, we had a different kind of crowd every night with Jay. It taught me how to work a big stage.”
Track listing:
- Just Because You Can
- Now and Her Driveway
- When They Come Back
- Even If It Kills Me
- But It Was
- One More Round
- Poor Man's Miracle
- That Was Something
- Here
- Need More Proof
- She's Bad
- Grain of Salt
- The Dash