Chords for The Kentucky HeadHunters - Rockin' for over 40 Years

[A] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[E] _ [A] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [E] The Kentucky Headhunters were formed in 1968 on a family farm near Edmonton, Kentucky in
Medcalf County [Am] and were known for 20 years as Itchy Brother.
The band consisted of brothers Richard and Fred Young, along with their cousins Anthony
Kenny and [G] Greg Martin.
[Abm] In the 70s, they achieved regional [G] success in the [E] Midwest and Deep South with constant
touring and the release of the single Shotgun Effie, a song [Bb] about the Young's grandmother.
_ [A] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [E] _ _ _
After several near misses with major success, the band took a break in 1980.
During this time, Richard wrote songs for A.
Cuff Rose Music, Fred played drums for
pop star Sylvia, Greg Martin played guitar for country rockabilly singer Ronnie McDowall,
and Anthony continued to write songs with the Young [Am] brothers.
In 1986, the Young's and Martin decided to get Itchy Brother back in full swing.
Anthony could not continue at the time and Doug Phelps was asked to join in his place.
[E] The band name was changed to The Headhunters, a [Am] nickname given to Muddy Waters Band.
[D] Picked up from the slang head-chomping, a term [Am] associated with black musicians in the
Deep South barn dance days, they began writing, playing locally and created a live radio show
called The Chitlin Show on WLOC in Munfordville, Kentucky.
Around this time, Doug's brother Ricky joined the band.
In the late 80s, Jonathan D.W. Lyle, a fan of the band's blues [D] influence, gave them $4 [Am],500
to [Em] record a demo.
The [Am] band spent three days [D] producing eight songs at the Sound [E] Shop with engineer Mike Bradley.
[Am] In 1989, after hearing The Headhunters' demo and seeing them play live, Harold Shedd signed
them to [Em] Mercury Records.
[G] Their debut album, Pickin' on Nashville, was released October 18, _ 1989.
There were four singles from the album, a Bill Monroe, Jake Landers song, [Em] Walk Softly
on This Heart of Mine, a [C] rendition of Don Gibson's Oh Lonesome Me, Rock and Roll [G] Angel,
[E] a Richard Young [D] song, and the band-penned Dumas Walker. _ _
[G] _ _ The _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [C] album earned a Grammy Award for [G] Best Album and a nomination for Artist of the Year.
[D] Pickin' won Best CMA Album of the Year, and the band won CMA Best Group and Producer of the [E] Year.
They also won Best New Vocal [A] Group from the ACMs [B] and a Billboard Award for Oh Lonesome Me.
Pickin' on [E] Nashville has received double platinum certification from the RIAA.
_ In 1991, the band released their second album, Electric Barnyard.
The [D] album earned [A] a gold certification from the [E] RIAA, and [A] the band won a CMA [E] Award for
Vocal Group, as [A] well as a Grammy [E] nomination for the song [D] Only Daddy That'll Walk [Dbm] the Line
used in the [A] movie Dutch.
The single Davy Crockett was released on the anniversary of Davy Crockett's death.
The Headhunters were invited to sing [Ab] with legendary cowboy [C] Roy Rogers on the song [A] That's
How the West Was Swung for his final album.
[D] _ _ [B] They [Am] also recorded Wilbert Harrison's Let's Work [C] Together for the movie Harley [G] Davidson
[Am] and the [Em] Marlboro Man.
_ [A] _ Ricky [Fm] Lee and Doug Phelps [D] departed the band in June [Ab] 1992.
They [A] then founded Brother Phelps.
Anthony Kinney was asked to join in Doug's place, and old friend Mark Orr replaced Ricky.
[C] _ [A]
In [Db] [D] 1993, [F] the Headhunters released their third album, Brave [Em] On.
The [A] singles were original Honky Tonk Walkin' and Carl Perkins' Dixie Frod.
_ The _
_ _ _ _ [E] _ [A] _ _ _
[D] _ _ [A] _ _ _ _ _
album also produced two movie tracks, Redneck Girl for the movie Red Rock West and
Freedom Stomp for Cowboy Way.
_ [C]
In 1993, [E] the Headhunters started a long-term [D] relationship with [A] legendary rock and roll
piano blues man and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Johnny Johnson.
The collaboration [D] has produced the critically acclaimed album That'll Work, [Am] along with
the great blues rock catalog.
_ In 1994, [A] Mercury Records released The Greatest Hits Package, which [E] included a version of
The Beatles' You've Got to Hide Your Love [D] Away.
[G] In 1995, Mark Orr left the band, [Am] and Doug Phelps returned.
The [A] band recorded their [D] next release, [Bm] Stompin' Grounds, and was signed to RCA [G] Records'
sister label, [E] BNA.
[Bm] _ [E] _ [Bm] _ _ [E] _ _ [Bm] _ [E] _
_ [B] _ [E] The year 2000 saw [Eb] the [E] Headhunters return to their [D] heavy [E] southern rock and blues roots
with singles Too Much to Lose and Louisiana Coco from the album Songs from the Grass String [A] Ring.
_ _ [E] _
_ _ [A] _ _ _ [E] _ _ _
_ [A] _ _ _ [E] _ _ _ [B] _
_ _ [G] _ _ [E] _ _ _ [G] _
In 2003, the Headhunters [C] recorded Soul, an adventure through the band's [G] Stax and Muscle Shoals roots.
[Dm] Johnny [F] Johnson, as well as Reese Winans, appeared with the band on this [Am] album.
[D] In 2005, the band released Big [G] Boss Man, a compilation of Sony Music classics.
[A] Headhunter eyes for [B] movies.
[C] _ [D] _ _ Flying Under the [G] Radar was released in 2006.
In 2008, [A] Anthony left the band and [B] Doug went [C] back to his [D] original seat, playing bass [G] and singing.
To [Gm] celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Headhunters, [C] Universal Records' [G] bootleg series
released Live!
The Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, [Gm]
Ohio, May 13, 1990, engineered [F] by Dale Peters, [G] bass player
of the James Gang. _ _ _
October [Am] 2011 saw the release of Dixie [C] Lullabies, a mix of [G] rock, R&B, and blues originals, recorded
on the Young's Farm in [Am] the infamous [C] Practice House, the same farmhouse the [G] band has rehearsed
and written in for 45 years.
The [Am] Kentucky Headhunters continue [C] to write, record, [G] and tour with their unique brand of
blues, country, R [Am]&B, and rock fusion that has fueled [C] their career for over [G] 40 years
and brought a smile to many bases [D] worldwide. _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _