Opry show will be tribute to the late great Johnny Bush
LA GRANGE - Justin Trevino will headline this month's Fayette County Country Music Club Opry special tribute to the late and great Johnny Bush on Monday, Oct. 16 at the La Grange KC Hall in La Grange. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:00 p.m. Trevino grew up while artists like Curtis Potter, Darrell McCall and Justin Tubb were still commonly heard on the air, and he shared their appreciation for the country shuffle. By the time he was 13, he had formed his own band, Sunset Country. The group played honky tonks in and around Austin. Four years later, he landed the gig he wanted most: leading the Sunday afternoon jam session at Harry Weiss' Red Eye Saloon. He knew that his idol, Johnny Bush, sometimes came to sit in. One day after Harry Weiss heard Trevino singing "Whiskey River", Bush's signature song, he remarked how much he sounded like Bush. He promised to introduce the two of them and made good on that promise a couple of weeks later. Trevino explained that he was singing that afternoon and Johnny got up on the stage and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen I'm a little under the weather and I am hoarse and can't sing. I have been told that this young man knows all my songs. What I am gonna do is sit here and play lead guitar and he is going to sing my songs. So you can look at me and listen to him. Trevino started with "Undo the Right" and by the time he finished 45 minutes later, he and Bush were fast friends. Bush always considered Trevino to be like a son to him, and he quickly told people "Justin was my biggest fan until I heard him sing. Then I became his." In the early 90's while continuing to perform with his own band Trevino played for Cornell Hurd and later also with Darrel McCall. In 1994, while still continuing to do shows on his own and with other bands, he began a nine-year run as a "Bandolero" in Johnny Bush's band. He played bass and sang harmony throughout the nine years. He also opened the shows with 45 minutes as lead vocalist before Bush came on stage. In Texas country music circles, it is a huge source of pride for musicians to be able to say they have been a Bandolero. For Trevino, though, it was not just about the thrill of playing with a Texas legend who was also his idol, mentor and good friend.
10/11/2023 23:00
