Povertyneck Hillbillies
Encyclopedia
Povertyneck Hillbillies was an American country music
band founded in Dawson, Pennsylvania
in 2000 by Chris "Abby" Abbondanza (lead vocals), Chris Higbee (fiddle
), Dave Cramer (keyboards
), Ryan Lucotch (drums
), Jeff Volek (bass guitar
, accordion
), David "Junior" Guthrie (electric guitar
), and Bob "Crafty" Crafton (steel guitar
). After several years of playing in local bars, the band gained a following throughout their native Pennsylvania, and were adopted by the Pittsburgh Steelers
as that team's official band.
The Povertyneck Hillbillies released a total of three albums: the independently-released Hillbilly State of Mind and Don't Look Back in 2002 and 2004, followed by a self-titled effort in 2006 on Rust Records, the same year that Crafton left the band. Although these three albums produced no chart hits, they sold more than 10,000 copies nationwide. In 2008, Higbee issued a press release indicating that the band would be on hiatus indefinitely. Higbee then founded another band called the Chris Higbee Project, while Abbondanza began a solo career.
by fiddler Chris Higbee and lead vocalist Chris "Abby" Abbondanza, who met and befriended each other after discovering common musical interests. Through the help of other friends, the two musicians found five more members who would complete the band's lineup: guitarist David Guthrie, keyboardist Dave Cramer, bass guitarist Jeff Volek, steel guitarist Bob Crafton and drummer Ryan Lucotch. The seven-piece band then assumed the name Povertneck Hillbillies, a name derived from Poverty Neck Lane, a street near Higbee's grandfather's farm.
In the 2000s, the band began touring throughout Pennsylvania, playing at various bars and clubs to help develop a fanbase. Eventually, they were discovered by members of the Pittsburgh Steelers
, a franchise of the National Football League
, who chose the band to play "The Star-Spangled Banner
" at a halftime show for the team. Eventually, the Povertyneck Hillbillies were chosen as the Steelers' official band.
By 2002, the band had released its debut album, Hillbilly State of Mind; a second album, Don't Look Back, followed two years later on Cort Records. Although neither album produced any chart singles, the albums sold more than 10,000 copies nationwide; as a result, they were named by the Country Music Association
as one of the top-selling independent country acts of 2005. Crafton was forced out of the group in 2006, shortly before they signed to Rust Records and released their self-titled third album. This album produced non-charting singles in "Mr. Right Now" and "One Night in New Orleans", the latter of which was previously recorded by Blackhawk
. The Povertyneck Hillbillies left Rust in 2007.
On January 14, 2008, Higbee announced that the band had "decided to take a break of indefinite length." According to his press release, "Abby, Jeff, Junior and Dave have chosen to stop performing with the band. As with the impending end of any relationship, hurt feelings and frustration may prompt negative statements, rumors or speculation." Higbee has since founded another band entitled the Chris Higbee Project, while Abbondanza has begun a solo career.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
band founded in Dawson, Pennsylvania
Dawson, Pennsylvania
Dawson is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 451 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Dawson is located at ....
in 2000 by Chris "Abby" Abbondanza (lead vocals), Chris Higbee (fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
), Dave Cramer (keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
), Ryan Lucotch (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
), Jeff Volek (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
), David "Junior" Guthrie (electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
), and Bob "Crafty" Crafton (steel guitar
Steel guitar
Steel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
). After several years of playing in local bars, the band gained a following throughout their native Pennsylvania, and were adopted by the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
as that team's official band.
The Povertyneck Hillbillies released a total of three albums: the independently-released Hillbilly State of Mind and Don't Look Back in 2002 and 2004, followed by a self-titled effort in 2006 on Rust Records, the same year that Crafton left the band. Although these three albums produced no chart hits, they sold more than 10,000 copies nationwide. In 2008, Higbee issued a press release indicating that the band would be on hiatus indefinitely. Higbee then founded another band called the Chris Higbee Project, while Abbondanza began a solo career.
Biography
The Povertyneck Hillbillies was founded in 2000 in the borough of Dawson, PennsylvaniaDawson, Pennsylvania
Dawson is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 451 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Dawson is located at ....
by fiddler Chris Higbee and lead vocalist Chris "Abby" Abbondanza, who met and befriended each other after discovering common musical interests. Through the help of other friends, the two musicians found five more members who would complete the band's lineup: guitarist David Guthrie, keyboardist Dave Cramer, bass guitarist Jeff Volek, steel guitarist Bob Crafton and drummer Ryan Lucotch. The seven-piece band then assumed the name Povertneck Hillbillies, a name derived from Poverty Neck Lane, a street near Higbee's grandfather's farm.
In the 2000s, the band began touring throughout Pennsylvania, playing at various bars and clubs to help develop a fanbase. Eventually, they were discovered by members of the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, a franchise of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, who chose the band to play "The Star-Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
" at a halftime show for the team. Eventually, the Povertyneck Hillbillies were chosen as the Steelers' official band.
By 2002, the band had released its debut album, Hillbilly State of Mind; a second album, Don't Look Back, followed two years later on Cort Records. Although neither album produced any chart singles, the albums sold more than 10,000 copies nationwide; as a result, they were named by the Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
as one of the top-selling independent country acts of 2005. Crafton was forced out of the group in 2006, shortly before they signed to Rust Records and released their self-titled third album. This album produced non-charting singles in "Mr. Right Now" and "One Night in New Orleans", the latter of which was previously recorded by Blackhawk
Blackhawk (band)
Blackhawk is an American country music group founded in 1992 by Henry Paul , Van Stephenson , and Dave Robbins...
. The Povertyneck Hillbillies left Rust in 2007.
On January 14, 2008, Higbee announced that the band had "decided to take a break of indefinite length." According to his press release, "Abby, Jeff, Junior and Dave have chosen to stop performing with the band. As with the impending end of any relationship, hurt feelings and frustration may prompt negative statements, rumors or speculation." Higbee has since founded another band entitled the Chris Higbee Project, while Abbondanza has begun a solo career.
Albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Indie Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
||
| Hillbilly State of Mind |
|
— | — | — | — |
| Don't Look Back |
|
— | — | — | — |
| Povertyneck Hillbillies |
Rust Nashville Rust Nashville was a recording company founded by Ken Cooper in 1998, originally to promote his band Vertigogo. It was originally based out of Northeast Ohio, most notably Cleveland, before its move to Nashville, TN, in 2005... |
31 | 159 | 15 | 7 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "The Hillbilly Way" | Povertyneck Hillbillies |
| "Mr. Right Now" | ||
| "One Night in New Orleans" |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "Mr. Right Now" | Lark Watts |