Broadcast: 25 June 2017
Guest: Kenny Maines, Singer/Songwriter, former Lubbock County Commissioner and member of The Maines Brothers Band
Biographical information taken from “Kenny Maines, From Here to There”:
Kenny was born in Lubbock, Texas, July 26, 1954 to James and Edith Maines. He was the third of a total of five siblings in the Maines’ household. Music was a major part of most family gatherings and that tradition continues today.
Family Patriarch James Maines, along with his older brother Raymond (or “Sonny”), and younger brother Wayne, formed the original Maines Brothers Band in the late 1950s. Almost any weekend, you could find the brothers playing rodeo dances, VFW halls, community theaters, or the dance halls in Post, Texas (Lubbock was “dry” at the time so people had to drive southeast to Post or northwest to Nazareth to buy their “wet” beverage). James would sometimes take his sons to perform with the band. The boys had started singing together when Kenny was 7 years old and the “Little Maines Boys” loved entertaining the crowd. In those days, Kenny would have to stand on a wooden “soda pop” crate, just to reach the microphone.
After voters approved a portion of Lubbock County for package beer and liquor sales, several BYOB dance halls began to spring up outside the city. One of those dance halls was the Cotton Club, located on the highway between Lubbock and Slaton. The Cotton Club is where Kenny and his brothers honed their musical talents. The “Little Maines Boys” would play a Sunday Matinee and the older “Maines Brothers” would perform for the evening dance. Eventually, the “Little Maines Boys” became the new generation “Maines Brothers Band” and forged their own style of West Texas Music.
During the mid-1970s, the brothers disbanded for a few years. Kenny’s oldest brother, Lloyd began working as a studio musician and producer. Lloyd also joined forces with another group of musicians from Lubbock, including singer/songwriter Joe Ely. The Joe Ely Band became one the most exciting bands in America during the 1970s and reinforced Lubbock’s claim as a gold mine of musical talent. Kenny headed to Las Vegas, Nevada and for the next three years worked as the bass player for a Las Vegas show band. From that experience, Kenny developed not only as a musician, but also as an entertainer. When the time was right, Kenny left the lights of Vegas and Lloyd left the Joe Ely Band and the Maines Brothers reunited. The Maines Brothers Band soon developed a high energy country rock sound which would be labeled “aggressive country”. The band recorded a total of eight albums, two of those for Mercury Records in Nashville, Tennessee. The band shared the stage with Alabama, Reba McIntire, Barbara Mandrell, Ronnie Milsap, Dr. Hook, The Judds and many other artists of the era. After years of playing music on the road, the band decided to settle down to raise families and pursue other careers.
Kenny was elected Lubbock County Commissioner in 1992 and held that position for 12 years. During that time, Kenny maintained his love of music. He continued to write songs and perform in and around the Lubbock area. In 2004, he decided to leave the political arena and return to the music he loved. Since that time, Kenny has recorded four CDs. The debut release, “Kenny Maines”, is a collection of songs written by Kenny and other great West Texas songwriters. Also included are a couple of music classics, Jimmy Driftwood’s “Tennessee Stud” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Ain’t Got You”. Kenny has also recorded an acoustic Christian CD entitled, “Out of Control”. The CD is an assortment of original praise songs and what might be characterized as “Christian Commentary”. The third CD is a collection of Hank Williams music recorded in conjunction with the play, “Lost Highway:The Life and Music of Hank Williams”, in which Kenny played the lead role of Hank Williams. Kenny’s latest CD, released in 2013 is a production of 10 original tunes called “The Magic Train”.
Kenny now performs as an acoustic solo act and has the talent and versatility to entertain a wide range of audiences. He is very excited about getting back on the road and performing for anyone who enjoys great West Texas music!
More information is available at www.kennymaines.com
Song List:
1. Leader of The Band – Dan Fogelberg
2. Today I started Loving You Again – Merle Haggard/Bonnie Owens, Live @ Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, NV 1999
3. I’m So Lonesome I could Cry – Hank Williams
4. My Amigo – Terry Allen
5. Texas In My Rearview Mirror – Mac Davis
6. Act Naturally – Johnny Russell/Voni Morrison, sung by Buck Owens, 1963
7. Blackbird – Paul McCartney
8. Nightlife – Willie nelson
9. Sugarfoot Rag – Hank Garland/Vaughn Horton
10. Footloose – Kenny Loggins
Photo Gallery:
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