The 8th Wonder of the World®… THE BOWERY- a landmark located 50 yards from the Atlantic Ocean in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, U.S.A., has been entertaining millions from all over the globe since 1944, with its genuine southern hospitality.
Its place in music history is secure thanks to its being the original home of “Country Supergroup” ALABAMA. The Bowery prides itself on being pretty much the same, year to year, decade to decade… which helps to sustain its popularity.
The “World Famous” Bowery is open from March until the end of October and features cold drinks and live entertainment every Monday – Saturday night starting at 8:30 by “The Bounty Hunters” and special guest bands every Sunday night, with a friendly relaxed atmosphere and a “Ya’ Can’t Beat Fun®” attitude. Never A Dull Moment at THE BOWERY.
Its place in music history is secure thanks to its being the original home of “Country Supergroup” ALABAMA. The Bowery prides itself on being pretty much the same, year to year, decade to decade… which helps to sustain its popularity.
The “World Famous” Bowery is open from March until the end of October and features cold drinks and live entertainment every Monday – Saturday night starting at 8:30 by “The Bounty Hunters” and special guest bands every Sunday night, with a friendly relaxed atmosphere and a “Ya’ Can’t Beat Fun®” attitude. Never A Dull Moment at THE BOWERY.
The country music supergroup “Alabama” was the first celebrity act to hit the Myrtle Beach music scene -- as Wild Country, the house band at local hangout The Bowery, for seven summers before their debut on the country music charts in 1980. Their stay at The Bowery is immortalized in the song "Dancin', Shaggin' On The Boulevard."
"The Bowery gave us a great place, a great avenue to be a band and to be able to write and be able to create," says singer Randy Owen. "The thing with Myrtle Beach and Alabama, it's a unique thing because this is us.”
It all Started in 1969, Cousins Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry, and Jeff Cook decided to start a band using equipment Jeff had been collecting; the three cousins started a band called Young Country. By 1972 the band had added friend Bennett Vartanian as the drummer and was calling itself Wild Country, and even though they would ultimately achieve superstar status as Alabama, Wild Country remains the band's corporate identity.
In 1973 the band relocated from Fort Payne, Alabama to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to become the house band for a club called The Bowery. Working for tips, they played six nights a week honing the harmonies that would later become a trademark. They stayed seven summers at The Bowery, gaining a huge regional following, changing the band name to Alabama and utilizing one drummer after another before Mark Herndon came into the picture.
On April 21, 1980, Alabama signed with industry giant RCA, the label that turned the likes of Elvis Presley into a megastar and cultural icon. The label quickly pressed Alabama's autobiographical anthem "My Home's in Alabama" as a single. That May, RCA Records issued "Tennessee River" as the first No. 1 Alabama hit. Starting with "Tennessee River", they would rack up a string of 21 consecutive number-one hits. 21 more would follow, rewarding the band with 42 number one singles. Alabama became, seemingly overnight, a driving force in country music, essentially changing it forever.
November 15th, 2005 Alabama's induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame caps one of the most astounding success stories in American entertainment. With a career that to date has resulted in 21 gold, platinum and multi-platinum albums, 42 number one singles and over 73 million records sold, Alabama has received over 150 industry awards including 8 country music "Entertainer of the Year" honors, 2 Grammys, 2 People's Choice Awards and their very own star on the "Hollywood Walk of Fame." They were named the "Artist of the Decade" by the Academy of Country Music in 1989 and "Country Group of the Century" by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1999. Theirs is an amazing career, stretching across more than two decades and for three of the guys, it's been more than 30 years.
It all Started in 1969, Cousins Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry, and Jeff Cook decided to start a band using equipment Jeff had been collecting; the three cousins started a band called Young Country. By 1972 the band had added friend Bennett Vartanian as the drummer and was calling itself Wild Country, and even though they would ultimately achieve superstar status as Alabama, Wild Country remains the band's corporate identity.
In 1973 the band relocated from Fort Payne, Alabama to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to become the house band for a club called The Bowery. Working for tips, they played six nights a week honing the harmonies that would later become a trademark. They stayed seven summers at The Bowery, gaining a huge regional following, changing the band name to Alabama and utilizing one drummer after another before Mark Herndon came into the picture.
On April 21, 1980, Alabama signed with industry giant RCA, the label that turned the likes of Elvis Presley into a megastar and cultural icon. The label quickly pressed Alabama's autobiographical anthem "My Home's in Alabama" as a single. That May, RCA Records issued "Tennessee River" as the first No. 1 Alabama hit. Starting with "Tennessee River", they would rack up a string of 21 consecutive number-one hits. 21 more would follow, rewarding the band with 42 number one singles. Alabama became, seemingly overnight, a driving force in country music, essentially changing it forever.
November 15th, 2005 Alabama's induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame caps one of the most astounding success stories in American entertainment. With a career that to date has resulted in 21 gold, platinum and multi-platinum albums, 42 number one singles and over 73 million records sold, Alabama has received over 150 industry awards including 8 country music "Entertainer of the Year" honors, 2 Grammys, 2 People's Choice Awards and their very own star on the "Hollywood Walk of Fame." They were named the "Artist of the Decade" by the Academy of Country Music in 1989 and "Country Group of the Century" by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1999. Theirs is an amazing career, stretching across more than two decades and for three of the guys, it's been more than 30 years.
|
Since 1990, The Bounty Hunters have been creating their own unique brand of country music. It doesn’t matter what song they play or what artist may have done it first, The Bounty Hunters always manage to sound like themselves. The reason for this is simple; pure talent. Each member of the band is an individual, an artist in the truest sense of the word. They are not content to merely duplicate what has already been done, they do it better, and they do it bigger. There have been many occasions when a member of the audience comes up to them and says that they did this or that song better than the artist who made it famous. That is because they inject so much enthusiasm and style into what they do. This is what separates them from the rest of the pack. They are the genuine article. The Bounty Hunters have been very fortunate to have been the house band at the world famous Bowery in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This club is probably one of the most demanding venues in the country. Long hours and constant pressure to please an incredibly diverse audience have given them invaluable experience. They are not merely a juke box to provide background music for dancers; they are the focal point of the club. People come to The Bowery to hear the band and they keep returning year after year to be a part of The Bounty Hunter’s show. In a word that is what The Bounty Hunters do, they put on a show, and they do it with the style and confidence of true professionals. In the winter months when The Bowery closes down, The Bounty Hunters hit the road and take their unique magic to towns across the country. They have opened for Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, Johnny Paycheck, Gene Watson, Johnny Rivers, T. Graham Brown, Steve Wariner, The Pirates of the Mississippi, and George Strait. They are highly sought after as an opening act because they represent what these major artists are looking for: total professionals with their own sound and the ability to bring an audience to its feet. The future looks brighter than ever for this band from South Carolina. They have recorded several CDs consisting of original songs and are preparing to show the world what until now has been known only to those fortunate enough to have seen them at The Bowery, that The Bounty Hunters are a force to be reckoned with. They will surely leave their mark on country music when it is all said and done. |
