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| Adam Lamar was born in Nacogdoches, TX in 1975. From an early age his family ingrained in him the ideas that they held dear: the doctrines of the Southern Baptist Convention and a deep love for music. At the age of eight, Adam made a deal with his mother. She would buy him a guitar if he would agree to take piano lessons. The lessons lasted a few years, but frowns were shown as Adam's family discovered that he could learn songs by simply listening to them on the radio. This should have been a good thing, but the family didn't think that it was too cute for their little ten year old to be singing "Whiskey River" at family gatherings. When asked what homelife was like Adam had this to say, "Growing up in our house was a little bit cool and a little bit weird. My parents were always getting my cousins and me to learn all these hymns and sing them for people. I think that my first 'paying gig' was actually singing 'Amazing Grace' for my grandfather's Sunday school class. I made five bucks. (laughs) My parents listened to a lot of country. Stuff like Bob Wills, Willie Nelson, and Alabama. I think those early Alabama records are where I first started to learn about harmony. There was a good bit of R&B too. I remember hearing the Temptations and Smokey Robinson. I got into rock and roll just like every teenage boy does, but it wasn't a welcome sound at our house. I actually got grounded for buying the single of Poison's 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn.' MTV was the Devil's channel so my dad had it blocked at our house. It kind of backfired on him though. He left BET so since I was already familiar with R&B, it was just kind of natural that I'd like rap. I mean, come on. I'm a white male who grew up in the suburbs during the 80s. They might as well have handed out 'Straight Outta Compton' to us all on the first day of 8th grade. I still listen to all types of music, but right now I'm really into Gram Parsons, Nickle Creek, & John Mayer." Adam continued playing and writing as he sludged his way through several garage bands. Some of them were ok, and then some were just blinded by visions of taking over the world. There was Sister Suicide, Love Hole, The Big Richards, Finn & The Band, 8, Beggars Canyon, Nathan's Tribe, The Jiffy Deli Band, Jonas Wheatfield, The Movement, and Doubting Autumn. Adam played in church when he was younger and continued to do so in college. His acoustic, as he calls it, 'Hootie & the Blowfish' ripoff band was asked to play a two week coffee house tour in Florida for the Southern Baptist's Beach Reach '98. In the fall of 2000 Adam attended the Recording Workshop in Chillicothe, OH. There he honed his skills on "the other side of the glass". After graduation he did an internship at the school as an assistant engineer / teaching aid. Shortly after that he put in his time in Nashville, TN as the front of house engineer for By The Tree, a christian rock band who won two Dove Awards in 2002 for "Best Alternative Rock Song" and "Best Alternative Rock Album." After a while, as it would to any Texas boy, Nashville began to lose its glitter. Adam then cut his Nashville strings and headed home to Texas. When asked about his Nashville experience, Adam had this to say, "I've been there man, and like Cory says, 'Nashville Sucks!' The people up there all want to tell you what they're fixin' to do, what they're fixin' to get, and who they're fixin' to work with. The industry just wants the next Justin Timberlake who's willing to sing whatever slick songs they have in their catalog. I'm a big guy, so I don't really fit their mold. Do you remember the old keys that the teacher used to use to grade multiple choice tests? It was a piece of paper with holes punched in it where the right answers should be bubbled in. When the teacher laid it on your paper, if she didn't see pencil marks in one of the holes, you got that question wrong. In Nashville they have a big one of those. I guess I could have stuck around and been another Cleatus T. Judd, but I don't know if that would have worked out. I'm a funny guy, but I'd rather be looked at as a serious songwriter. I don't know how cool it'd be if my page in Texas Music History only said, 'He wrote The Gonorrhea Song.' Actually I'm more of a whatever's cool kind of guy. As long as people have a good time at the show, then I don't really care which one of my songs they like best. All that getting caught up in the seriousness of it all crap is what I consider secondary. Don't get me wrong. I'd love to write the most incredible songs that help change the course of all mankind, but if it's either that or have a few beers with my friends..., well, the world's gotten on pretty well without me contributing too much so far." An East Texas native who now resides in Austin, TX, Adam has gotten back to his roots. After 26 years (most of which were spent with guitar in hand) he's figured out that you can't ever escape where you come from. You may get away geographically, but somehow the things you grow up with just kind of stick around with you. Adam has been writing songs since he was in the third grade, and he'll be the first one to tell you that he, in his words, "writes a lot of crap." He just files it all away and then picks out the few gems that come along. With his new album scheduled to drop in the fall of 2002, Adam has penned his hopes and dreams into songs that conjure images of the Texas of old, as well as tunes that grab the heartstrings of a new generation. Adam has played with artists such as Roger Creager, Rodger Wilko, Bill Pekar, Kevin Smith, Rusty Shcramm, Ricky Calmbach, Shawn Allen & 'Bout Time, and Clint Taft & Southbound. The venues he's played include Love & War in Texas (Plano), Sports Shack (Nacogdoches), The Golden Light (Amarillo), Blain's Pub (San Angelo), The Wormy Dog Salloon (Stillwater, OK), Riley's Tavern (Hunter), Tavern in the Gruene (New Braunfels), and the River Road Icehouse (New Braunfels). With a new booking agency behind him, not to mention a slew of original songwriting, Adam Lamar will be one to watch. He's still saving souls, but now it's the ones of would be Texans who've lost their sense of pride. |
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