Ten years ago, Woody Lee was in Nashville with major-label recording and publishing contracts.
JUAN GARCIA/DMN
Tracy Lawrence recorded a song he wrote, "I See It Now." The popular group Shenandoah recorded another, "Always Have Always Will."
"Woody Lee is undiscovered gold," said Milton Brown, who wrote "Every Which Way But Loose" and other hit songs. "He has studied his craft and paid his dues. He's got the looks, the ability and the work ethic. He's the complete package. Woody should be a star."
But the big breakthrough didn't come. After their second child was born, Mr. Lee and his wife, Elizabeth, came home, settled in Rowlett and went back into the less glamorous but more dependable landscaping business.
He has fond memories of growing up in Garland, where he credits school district music teachers and the All-City Boys' Choir for nourishing his love of music.
His high praise for the Garland school district includes Alton Hill and Bobby Ewell, his football coaches at Lakeview Centennial High School, where the highlight of his sports career was blocking a punt against South Garland his junior year.
Landscaping is his day job now, but he hasn't given up on his dream. When he takes the Main Stage at 8 p.m. Monday at the Star Spangled Fourth, he will be contributing to the grand finale of the city's annual four-day party. It won't be a comeback for Mr. Lee, just another leg of the journey.
"If I would have been playing music to make a living, I would have quit a long time ago," he said. "But there have been more ups than downs. Every obstacle is just one more step on the ladder to where I want to be."
In the post-Nashville phase of his career, Mr. Lee has made good use of what he calls his "time off" with Elizabeth and the kids – Chandler, 13; Wyatt, 8; and Kennedy, 4.
He is still writing songs and performing locally with the Out of Hand Band – guitarists Loren Johnson, Bryan Grenvall, Wendell Eads and Scott Jenkins, keyboardist Ron Mason, drummer David Floyd, and fiddler Al Moledous.
"I have matured as an artist, writer and vocalist," he said. "I'm a firm believer if it's meant to be, the good Lord will let it be. That's just how I look at things."
E-mail rabshire@dallasnews.com
or call 972-272-6591, ext. 244
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||
 |
|
||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||
 |
|
||||||||||||||