Brian Wooten - guitar

Brian Wooten Lead guitar player for Trace Adkins beginning in 2006. Brian was born on July 26, 1954 in Waukegan, Illinois. His father was in the Navy which caused the family to move around a lot, landing him in Beeville, Texas, in the fifth grade. At age 12 Brian’s parents bought Brian and his brother a Silvertone guitar and amp and the rest is history.

Gary Berry writes: "The very first time I saw him play was in a band called The Afternoon Tea at a free little concert at the city park in Refugio, Texas around 1967. The band was from Beeville, Tx., just up the road from Refugio and nobody had really heard of them. Brian Wooten was on guitar, Juan Segovia on bass, Billy Blackman on drums. I can't recall who the lead singer was, unfortunately, but what blew everyone away was Brian's note for note covers of Jimi Hendrix and Cream. The guys were in their teens, but could play their ass off.

Later, Brian, Juan ,and Billy played around Beeville and in Refugio as Wootsie. Brian's older brother also was in this group and played guitar and harp on some really good Beatle covers. Brian played fantastic lead guitar and just kept getting better and better.Brian was lead guitar player for a seminal Austin based Rock & Roll Band, Too Smooth. {1973 to 1981). Brian Wooten replaced Stevie Ray Vaughn (SRV) in a band named "Stump". Stump later formed into Too Smooth." (Contributed by Billy Blackmon)

They were the PREMIERE Texas rock and roll band of the 1970s and early 80's. I've seen a lot of bands from Texas and none could touch Too Smooth’s overall musicianship (ALL of them were stellar).“I would see Brian in Too Smooth on occasion at The Sun Valley Club in Victoria. This club also hosted ZZ Top back when they toured with all their stuff in a U-Haul truck," said Roger Johnson

" I saw them in a little club off Data Point in 1977 or '78 and was blown away. Wooten was a great guitarist. I also saw them at Villa Fontana on a Sunday afternoon gig that place was sort of famous for. One of the best bands I ever saw, period.Brian was the guitarist of Christian rock band White Heart from 1990 to 1995. Also in the 90's, he played and co wrote songs on Petra albums including No Doubt, God Fixation, and Double Take. Known for his mastery of the guitar, featuring extremely melodic and inventive solos. In 2002 Brian also did Nashville studio work and touring with the country singer, Paul Brandt.

“Brian is unmatched as a guitarist, and that includes Stevie Ray Vaughn and Eric Johnson. He has been a prodigy since he was 14 (I was there). It's criminal he's never gotten the recognition he deserves. I've played with Brian Wooten many, many times and seen him in other bands many, many times and I must say I have NEVER heard him make a mistake.........his ability is almost scary. I'm glad others here are aware of him. If you get a chance to see him with Trace Adkins or a Too Smooth reunion, don't miss it." musician Mike Lowell

Wayne Addleman - steel guitar

Wayne has always used Peavey Steel Guitar amps whether it was on tour or in the studio. He says they always sound big and clean and deliver the tone that he has always looked for.

Wayne is currently on tour with Trace Adkins using a Derby Pedal Steel Guitar going to two Nashville 1000 Steel Guitar amps on stage for a live stereo rig. Some of the artists he has toured with include Trace Adkins, The Bellamy Brothers, Lisa Brokop, Jessica Andrews, Lila McCann, Mindy McCready and The Ellis Brothers.

Wayne also used his Peavey Steel Guitar amps on recordings with Lisa Brokop, The Bellamy Brothers, Dolly Parton, George Jones, John Anderson, Neil Diamond, The Oak Ridge Boys and Tanya Tucker to name a few.

Quotes from old friends............
An old school mate said…."There was a guy who I played with briefly in a high school rock group named Wayne Addleman. We all thought he was pretty good, not really special. Now he's playing steel guitar for a C & W hotshot named Trace Adkins. Two lessons come out of this: 1) We didn't know bugger-all; 2) If you're not doing what you truly love, your best is never going to come out of you."


Stu Schulman said...."I was playing guitar in a band with Wayne Addleman who now plays with Trace Adkins on steel..we were playing with this awful husband,and wife group. The husband was the drummer,the wife sang played piano and barked at everyone. She called us up and told us a few major labels were sending people to our gig to maybe sign her, and being that me and Wayne used to start way to much mischief she was gonna separate us on stage Wayne on one side me on the other. We[Me and Wayne] thought that it would add a lot to the show to work up some dance steps for the Dolly song "Nine To Five"sorta like the Supremes in "Stop In The Name Of Love" When it got to that point in the song we did our little dance...she totaly freaked screaming "I Hate You Both"and ran to the dressing room crying…Her husband slammed a stick into the snare drum and said you guys are fired, To which I replied as soon as I can stop laughing I'll get back to ya'I think he threatened me after that,which was even funnier, Me and Wayne were crying."

Butch Sunderland - keyboard and sax

John Spittle - drums

(from a story by By Terria Smith of the Ventura County Star)John Spittle's closest friends in Ventura County know him as "Animal," after the drummer from "The Muppets."
He has a clean but hard drumming style that moves the drums while he plays, and which earned him a place on stage with country music star Trace Adkins for six years.
Before he left the area for Nashville 13 years ago, the Simi Valley native, who was raised in Oxnard and Ventura, had dreams of playing the county fair's main stage.
"I remember saying, Someday I want to play on that stage.' It's kind of surreal that it's happening," Spittle, 42, said. As a teenager, Spittle took his girlfriend (now his wife) on dates to the fair and played as a drummer on the smaller stages, in hopes of one day playing in the Grandstand Arena.
It all began at a very young age. Bob Spittle, John's father, said his son started drumming when he was 4 1/2 years old.  "He started on his own. I didn't want to push him," said Bob Spittle, who is also a drummer.
When John was in high school, he played with the school marching and jazz bands. Gary Garvin, who was a tenor saxophone player in the bands, met John 26 years ago when they were both in high school and they remain friends today. John Spittle was the best man at Garvin's wedding.
He said John had a strong commitment to the high school bands.  "He would take new drummers in the band under his wing," Garvin said. "He always talked about making it big as a drummer."
After high school, Spittle was into the "big hair bands" of the 1980s, he said.  He played with many area bands, including a Ventura County band called Keeper, the Los Angeles band Sahara, and Christian rock band The Brave.
Spittle's brother, a bass guitarist, moved to Nashville around this time and asked John to join him.  At first, he said he wasn't interested in playing country music. But after a few years, he moved to Nashville with his wife and his children, who were "still in diapers."
His dad, who still lives in Ventura, said his son struggled during his first years in Nashville.  "He went without and went hungry while he made sure he could provide for his family," Bob Spittle said.  Eventually, the rocker found a place in the country music world. "Country music has evolved more on the rock side than it used to be," John Spittle said.
"One by one, he started pegging his way up the ladder," Bob Spittle said. "To come from small town U.S. and climb to that caliber is very difficult. He definitely deserves to be where he is."
John and his wife, Barb, remain in Nashville with their 15-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter. His son is following the path of his father and grandfather as a drummer, while his daughter plays the violin.

John Spittle's performance credits include:
Trace Adkins, Sara Evans, Chris Cagle, Aaron Tippin, Paul Brandt, Kelley Coffey, Tammy Cochran, Stephanie Bentley, Matt King, Kasey Lee Powers, Marty Brown and The Lynns.

T.V. Performances:
Conan O Brien Show, The Craig Furgeson Show, Emeril Live, CMA musicfest, CCMA awards Show, CD USA, Calgary Stampede Live, Grand Ol Opry Live, Jeff Foxworthy Show, Blue Collar Comedy Show, Fox Morning Show, Cold Pizza and Extreme Home Make Over

Paul Reissner - fiddle

Occupation:

Touring Fiddle, Mando, Guitar, Vocals

About Me:

I am a touring musician currently with Trace Adkins. Toured and recorded with Trace Adkins and Tammy Cochran.

Number of years working in Nashville area: 10

Number of years in the music business: 25

Paul's Album Credits
Various Artists How Great Thou Art: Gospel Favorites from the Grand Ole Opry 2008
Fiddle, Tammy Cochran Where I Am 2007
Graphic Design, Violin, Smith & Harley Ride to Live 2005
Concept,Tammy Vice, Miracles & Memories 2004

Greg Baker - bass

Mark Gillespie - guitar and mandolin

The Nashville-based mandolin/guitar picker joined Trace’s band in _____.


In the mid 1990’s Gillespie and longtime friend Lee Rolfes were both criss-crossing the country, performing music and were well known in the Cincinnati, Ohio, club scene with a band called Bucket. Bucket was formed in Cincinnati in 1997 and takes its name for drummer Rick"Bam" Powell's bucket-in-lieu-of a bass drum. Their music is a mixture of genres made up of catchy, spirited anthems of American life experiences that are mostly optimistic, occasionally cynical (but without the angst) and always witty.

Gillespie played on Rolfes album “Further Down the Line”. The 1998 release includes songs "The Harley Song", "Playing Dead" and "Deep Freeze"

Gillespie’s resume also includes playing for Nashville singer Claudia Church and Paul Brandt. Gillespie packed his mandolin and guitar in 1999 and left the Midwest to tour with the pair.

During that time Gillespie met up and coming Nashville star Challe Tennison at an IBM corporate event. He joined her 2000 tour and the courting began. At first she resisted.

“I was gun shy, to say the least,” she admits. “Plus, I’d vowed never to date a musician again. When Mark first started playing in my band, I thought, ‘What a sweet, gentle, kind man.’ But when he pursued me, it was, ‘You’re a musician – leave me alone.’ He was so charming, though, that eventually I said I’d go out with him. Even then, I said, ‘You can’t handle my life. You’ve never been married. You don’t have kids. This is too much for you.’ After two months, he met the kids. He fell in love with them, and they fell in love with him. Well, that was it. In December he asked me to marry him.”

Chalee and Mark toured together throughout the following year and on Nov. 10, 2001, they married, in Tennessee’s Great Smokey Mountains. Tyler walked her down the aisle, Tiffany and Haley were her bridesmaids, and her friend Paul Brandt sang his song “I Do.” Two weeks later, James Stroud signed her to DreamWorks Records.

Gillespie and fellow Band member Brian Wooten also played on Brandt’s album “Small Towns and Big Dreams’ released in 2001.

In 2003 Gillespie played Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin, Gut String Guitar on Rodney Atkins’ album called “Honesty”. He also played on Chalee Tennison’s album “Parading in the Rain”.