http://ourtribune.com/article.php?id=4004
Musical journey
Monday, July 14, 2008
Clint Reynolds
Father, son share same passion for music
Performers Roy and Sundance Head have each been on rides that have taken them to countless places around the world; however, for the past 30 years, they continue to come home to the friendly confines of their Porter estate. Situated on more than six acres, the home is a throwback to a simpler time.
“I moved out here in 1971 or 1972. At the time, FM 1960 was a two-lane highway. You could take it from 59 to I-10 and you would hit maybe two red lights,” Roy reminisced.
Roy Head has been playing music since 1956. Things took quite a turn in the early 1960s when he and his buddies were driving a Cadillac to a gig called Prairie Hill near Brenham. The next moment he recalls as if it occurred yesterday. “The DJ on the radio said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I believe this is the next No. 1 rhythm and blues song in the world,” he said.
That song was Roy Head’s “Treat Her Right.” The song defined his career and went all the way to No. 2 on the pop charts. Only “Yesterday” by The Beatles topped it.
Today, Roy travels the world still playing his music. He will perform at the Meridian Hotel in downtown Houston on July 18 and next month he’ll be singing and dancing on Beale Street in Memphis, Tenn.
A more recent trip sticks out in his mind today. Roy was in England when his son, Sundance, decided to make the trek with his wife, Misty, to Memphis to audition for “American Idol.” It was Misty who had talked Sundance into trying out for the most prolific singing competitions in the country. Roy was quite surprised to hear Sundance had made the second round. Sundance had tried out twice before with no luck and he did not feel overly confident going in this time.
The hours spent waiting at the initial auditions for “Idol” are strenuous and require extreme patience. Sundance found himself in a line of approximately 20 in front of Idol support staff who have the authority to send you home or call you back in a month.
“The whole day we were there I wanted to leave because it was like a cattle call. It was a mad-house. They ran out of food, drinks and everything. But Misty insisted we stay so it wouldn’t be something you look back on and wish you would have done,” Sundance said.
Sundance made it through the support staff judges. Only one in every 300 contestants makes it to this point, so he said he felt pretty good. Once a month had gone by, Sundance auditioned for the show’s lead producers, Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick. The third audition found Sundance in front of TV’s most famous judges: Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.
“By this time they have all your information. It’s not the first time they have ever seen or heard of you. They do their homework beforehand,” Sundance recalled.
He blew the judges away with a soulful rendition of “Stormy Monday,” and received his golden ticket to Hollywood.
In Hollywood, the contestants are put under a microscope and expected to perform under high levels of stress. Sundance performed “No Sunshine” for the judges and survived the first cut of 200 contestants. He even passed through after singing background with two females during the ‘group week’ portion of the Hollywood round. Despite forgetting his lyrics during group week, the judges invited him back one month later when they would make the final cuts to determine the show’s exclusive Top 24.
Sundance went on to crack the Top 24, and said he enjoyed the celebrity life the whole way through.
“We stayed at the Meridian-Beverly Hills and ate Yellow Fin tuna the whole time,” he remarked with a smile.
Sundance fell short of the Top 12 by only one. He performed “Nights In White Satin,” brought the crowd to their feet singing “Mustang Sally,” and rocked out on “Jeremy” before finishing as the show’s 13th top contestant for season six.
“I cursed, I drank, I fraternized, but that boy Sundance…I know God gave him the talent. I’m a lot of things, but Sundance has the talent,” said Roy. Since “American Idol,” Sundance has signed with Universal/Motown and has recorded a single with Sabrina Sloan, another Idol alum. He has begun work on an album he hopes to have released by the end of 2009. His music can be found on
www.texasmusicforums.com, as well as updates on his work and concert locations.
Roy and Sundance welcome e-mail and are available for private events. They can be reached at
mmhead@earthlink.net.
© 2008 Ourtribune.com
Small article on Sundance & Roy Head from ourtribune.com
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