SOUTHERN ILLINOIS BAND THE HOLLERBOYS ARE HEATING UP

Southern Illinois band The Hollerboys are heating up with win at Josie Awards

Realizing he probably wasn’t going to take home any trophies, Adam Michael Webb decided to just soak in the moment.

Webb was attending the Josie Music Awards earlier this month at the Dollywood Celebrity Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee with his band The Hollerboys and a large entourage.

Josie is an organization that recognizes top independent music talent across all genres and through a complex analytical process picks winners in various categories for its annual award show, which in the past has been held at prestigious Nashville venues like The Gaylord Opryland Resort and Nissan Stadium.

The Hollerboys were nominated in five categories, including Outlaw Country Song of the Year for “Field of Gold,” Video of the Year for “Field of Gold” and Webb had a nod for Vocalist of the Year.

For hours the band sat glued to their seats, watching winners walk to the podium after nominees were announced. They were being shut out. “We thought we might had a chance at some of the minor awards. There were not as many people nominated in those categories, so we were hoping to sneak one in,” Webb says. “As the night went on, we had abandoned hopes of winning anything and were just thankful for being there. We’re this small band from the Southern Illinois backwoods being mentioned in the same breath as bands from all around the world. It was pretty amazing.”

When the major awards started being announced, The Hollerboys were named 2018 Modern Country Group of the Year. “We didn’t think we had a chance,” Webb admits. “We were up against some bands that tour nationally and have been doing this a lot longer than us, but we’ve dedicated countless hours to practicing and logged a bunch of miles traveling to shows. We love what we’re doing and it’s a real honor to win.”

Over the weekend, The Hollerboys played at the 17th Street BBQ Cookoff in Murphysboro. They will appear at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Marquand Pioneer Days in Missouri and at 9 p.m. Oct. 13 will perform at Teddy’s Sports Bar and Grill in Herrin. Webb says the band mixes a dozen original tunes at live performances with covers, ranging from ZZ Top’s “Tush” to “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga.

The Hollerboys were formed in 2013.

Band members include: Larry Webb, bass guitar; Paul Mayberry Jr., lead guitar; Seth Hudson, drums; and Adam Webb, rhythm guitar and lead vocals. Larry is Adam’s father. Mayberry is Adam’s cousin and his family owns Mayberry Music in Jonesboro. The band's name is a result of all members growing up in the Euby Dam area of rural Union County.

Last October, the band released a self-titled album of original material that includes fan favorites “Moonshine Man,” “Mississippi Flyway,” “Stay for one More” and “Field of Gold.”

A GIFTED SONGWRITER, WEBB’S TUNE “SHE’S GONNA WIN” IS BEING USED BY LESLIE’S WEEK, A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT AWARDS VACATIONS TO WOMEN SUFFERING FROM STAGE 4 BREAST CANCER. THE BAND WILL PLAY A NOV. 11 BENEFIT FOR THE GROUP.

“We all grew up in the holler playing music together. It started at the Valley Mission church and just took off,” Webb says. “The church gave us a solid moral background. We know it’s a blessing to be able to play music and we like to use our music to help people anytime we can.”

Webb graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2011 with a degree in education. He is currently a science and special education teacher at Carbondale Middle School. In June, he will help host a Born to be Rock Stars event in which special education students are given the opportunity to experience fame for a day, including walking down the red carpet and posing for paparazzi.

“I’d like to play music for a living someday,” Webb says. “Right now, I’m using my degree to put food on the table and finance the music side of my career. It’s like having two full-time jobs at the same time.”

Feeling the pressure to keep the loyal fan base supplied with new material, Webb plans to take December and part of January off from gigging to concentrate on writing new songs. Influenced by the modern hard-rocking country sound of artists like Jason Aldean and Eric Church, Webb started writing songs in 2011.

“I try to write real life stuff, rocked up short stories with a great hook,” he says. “Sometimes the ideas just pop in my head or my wife will text me a good line.”

The Hollerboys are collaborating on new single “Silver Bullets” with country rapper Will The Truth, a Texas native living in Alto Pass. The double entendre mixes beer drinking and the Lone Ranger. The tune was recorded a Blue Creek Production in Patton, Missouri.