Chris Heers – New Freedom Grin 6-1-24
CAREER BIO / PREVIOUS PRESS / DISCOGRAPHY
Chris was born and raised on the outskirts of Las Vegas.
“Most people think of Vegas as one big casino, but my childhood was spent on either a horse or a dirt bike out on the desert or on some jet boat at Lake Mead with my cousins. Vegas is where I discovered rodeos and country music. There is a lot of country music history here believe it or not. Wynn Stewart and the Nashville Nevada club out on Boulder Highway was legendary. Merle Haggard played bass for Wynn and claimed that the Bakersfield sound was actually started there on Boulder Highway.
When I was a kid. I was listening to artists like Don Williams, Kenny Rogers and George Strait on KFM 102. I started looking into the songwriters like Harlan Howard, Bob McDill, Don Schlitz and Dean Dillon. It just blew my mind that these huge songs started out with at pen and a guitar at some dive bar or coffee table.
I saw Don Williams sitting on a chair with a guitar at the Las Vegas Hilton where Elvis played. I was in my early teens. Don wasn’t jumping around like Elvis. He was just sitting there mesmerizing us. I was hooked.
When I moved to Nashville in the 90’s I had a lot of evolution left in my writing and performing but I shut up and
kept my ears open. I discovered Rodney Crowell, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Townes, Shuyler, Matreca, and others at the Bluebird Cafe. Don Schlitz was over there doing Don for a dollar shows. I learned a lot from him.
Back then you could go to Tootsies and there would be a few jean jacketed chain-smoking session players at the bar instead of spring break meets Mardi Gras. I got to hang out backstage at the Opry. It was the right place at the right time for sure.
I spent a few years there in Nashville. I was a grip for Scene Three Music Video Productions. Holy smokes that was hard work. I met my first wife on one of my trips back to Vegas. We were shooting a video for Mark Collie and the crew knew that I was from Vegas, so I got to set it up. I fell in love with this beautiful horse vet, moved back, started a family and did the grown-up thing for a long while. Best move I ever made. I have two spectacular daughters.
I went back and forth to Nashville after that. Did all of the NSAI Song Camps. Kept learning. The 2008 crash started and finished with my world imploding. Lost my wife, houses, and corporate day job. Can’t be worried about that. Life goes on man! I’ve been doing music full time ever since.”
Chris’ first album “Western Stars” was recorded in Nashville in 2009 with bandleader and co-producer Pat McGrath who recruited a band of Nashville wreckers to bring his songs to life. Western Stars garnered Chris two top 100 singles on the US Country Breakout Chart and several top tens in Europe including a number one** with “Cow or Cowboy”. His song “Dirt Rich” hit the US country breakout chart at the highest position in 2010 winning the Music Row Power Chart Debut spot and going on to win the prestigious Robert K Oermann DISCovery Award.
Later in 2012 “Dirt Rich” was featured on the bestselling Wii and Xbox Kinect “Country Dance II” and “Country Dance All-Star” games.
Just about the same time as his first album release Chris put together his Las Vegas based honky tonk live band, “The Dirt Rich Band”, to promote his songs with dates throughout the Southwest.
“That was my band for ten years. We played the casino circuit mostly between here and Laughlin” The Dirt Rich Band has since morphed into a big harmony super band no known as High Blue Cactus featuring co front men Seth Turner and Danny Sanderson who both fronted popular local country bands for years as well.
We leave the egos at the door (or we try anyway) and do our originals combined with the type of cosmic americana nudie suit country rock that does it for us and our crowds.”
Chris’ second album, “The Road Ahead Shines” 2015 was nominated for best indie country at the Independent Music awards that year along with best Americana song “Leaning into Barstow”.
“I didn’t release any singles to radio or even try for reviews on that album due to stupidity and financial restraints, but I think it is my Van Gogh. Merle Haggard listened to it on his bus and said, “I think it will be over a lot of people’s heads.” I took it as a complement!
Chris founded the Boulder Dam Songwriter Jam, a Nashville style guitar pull, out at Boulder City, NV in 2023 and frequently does solo acoustic songs and stories shows with other artists such as Justin Furstenfeld from the band Blue October. Furstenfeld calls Chris’ harmonica infused live solo show a cross between Townes Van Zandt, Ray Lamontagne, and Bob Dylan.
“I remember walking into that sold out show with Justin not knowing how these die-hard Blue October fans would respond to this country guy, but I fit right in there like the Dude in Los Angeles.
Our main residencies lately are at Blake Shelton’s new place, Ole Red and every Saturday (that we are in Vegas) at the 110-year-old Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, NV.
I’ll look out at the crowd at the Pioneer and see bikers, hippies, stockbrokers, nuns, the Pawn Stars... Randy Couture sings with us. You really never know what will happen or who will sit in at those shows. It is our poker night.
The weirdest show I ever did was in a hanger at a place that doesn’t officially exist out near Groom Lake, NV. But I can’t talk about that.”
Chris lives near the airport in Las Vegas with his two dogs Sammy and Butters.
Discography
"Western Stars" (Debut Indie Studio Album 2009)
"Dirt Rich" (Single - USA MusicRow CountryBreakout)
"Dirt Rich" (Single - Europe/Australia)
"Cow or Cowboy" (Single - Europe/Australia)
"Beyond" (Single - Europe/Australia)
"Happy Thought" (Single - USA MusicRow CountryBreakout)
"Nowhere Train" (Single - Europe/Australia)
"Sarah the Butterfly" (Single - Europe/Australia)
"The Road Ahead Shines" (Studio Album #2 1-16-15)
“New Freedom Grin (Studio Album #3 6-1-24)
Charts/Awards
*Best Country Album Nominee 9th annual Independent Music Awards “Western Stars”
*Winner Robert K. Oermann Power Chard Debut and Music Row Magazine Discovery award “Dirt Rich”
*USA Songwriting Competition “Your Son” best country song finalist
*Dallas Songwriting Competition “The Matador” finalist
*Music Row Power Chart Debut winner for “Dirt Rich”
*#1 song in Europe/Australia for “Cow or Cowboy” (Hotdisc)
*#3 song In Europe/Australia for “Beyond” (Hotdisc)
*#12 song in Europe/Australia for “Dirt Rich” (Hotdisc)
#2 Country Album Internet airplay (Top 50 Internet Roots Report 2010)
*Top 100 Single USA for “Dirt Rich” (CountryBreakout Chart)
#2 position Roots Music Airplay Report (Western Stars Album)
*Top 100 Single USA for “Happy Thought” (Country Breakout)
#12 song in Europe/Australia for Sarah The Butterfly (Hotdisc) 10/2011
Writer/Co-Producer - Sammy Steele - Songs From the Third Cactus 2012 Indie Release
"Dirt Rich" included on Country Dance 2 for Wii (Holidays 2011)
Writer/Co-Producer – Hunter Sealy – Debut EP (3/2015 release)
*Best Country album nominee 15th annual Independent Music Awards for “The Road Ahead Shines” 2016
Chris Heers named Las Vegas Performer of the Year 2015 (PN Magazine Awards)
"Dirt Rich" included on Country Dance All-Stars for the XBOX Kinect 3/2012
Writer – Seth Turner – Nine Years and Several Miles Later 2014
4 Songs from "Western Stars" included in the Cycling Motion Picture "Be Strong Be Naked"
*Best Americana Song Nominee for “Leaning into Barstow” 15th annual Independent Music Awards 2016
*Best Country album nominee 15th annual Independent Music Awards for “The Road Ahead Shines” 2016
Writer – Siena – Word of Honor 2018
Writer – Sammy Steele – (Sophomore studio album TBA Late 2024 release)
Writer – Wyatt Turner – Wyatt Turner (Late 2024 studio album)
(Selected press, radio, and listener quotes pasted from www.chrisheers.com – Music – Press/Reviews)
Few manage to do what singer/songwriter Chris Heers has done. He left a singing career in his native Las Vegas to spend years in Nashville honing his craft, then returned home to Vegas to find greater success than ever. Rick Moore - Nashville Music Guide 6-6-21
“The song is somewhat frivolous, maybe even silly, on its face, with an uptempo Warren Zevon vibe. But after Heers sings that main chorus line a few times, the song’s message of hope and faith begins to sink in.” (RE: Fannye Katrina)
Rick Moore - American Songwriter 4-19-20
Online article “Chris Heers Talks Hope and Angels”
"Heers, a Las Vegas native with midlength blond hair and modest facial scruff, has been a leading light of Las Vegas’ country scene for years now.
But with “Road,” his second studio album, he embraces big-hearted Americana, with fat-free, studiously arranged songs evocative of the likes of Rodney Crowell, Wilco and Ryan Adams."
Jason Bracelin - Las Vegas Review Journal (1-14-15)
What Heers has that probably sets him off from the numerous contemporary country singers is a songwriting talent that is first calibre. Heers doesn’t just write songs about bars, cars, country roads and how bad he wants to party. Nope. He writes ballads, tales, stories in the Americana bent with a healthy capacity for clever lyrics.
(Laughlin Entertainer Magazine 6-2-2015)
"Fabulous, we need more like him"
Marie Crichton, BBC Radio (UK)
“He’s a farmer who is thankful for what little he has.”
“Dirt Rich” is such a clever concept it’s amazing that nobody has written this before.
Robert K. Oermann - Music Row Magazine (Nashville)
"When I hear the words Dirt, Wheat, and NFR in the same album I figger the songwriter once
worked for a living!"
Baxter Black - cowboy poet and recovering songwriter (Arizona)
—Chris goes two for two. I loved his “Dirt Rich” single, and this one is even catchier. Over an acoustic track and a steady tempo, he lends his sturdy, soulful voice to a lyric about facing hard times by gazing at the family who loves him. Very tender and winning.
Robert K. Oermann - Music Row News 4-28-2010 (Nashville)
"People are calling in about "Sarah the Butterfly". It's truly one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.
It has so many different meanings."
John Burrows, Radio Port Phillip 3RPP (Australia)
"Sarah the Butterfly makes me cry everytime. EVERYTIME! Damn you butterfly."
Kyl Myers (Utah)
“I listened to your whole CD on my way to work...no interruptions. And when It got to Sarah the Butterfly... I cried (its a girl thing). When I heard your CD the first time, I did not give it the credit it was due...AWESOME...I am so glad I bought those extra CDs for my friends and family I know they will love it as much as I do...Thanks keep them coming.
Sandra Dee Skill (Las Vegas)
“Damn it’s good. Really like your music.”
Jim Jenkins (WAGS Radio South Carolina)
"Hell this is too much I have to give Chris a 10 - really like his work"
Al Watts, Collingwood Radio, (Australia)
One word "Great"
Paddy McArdle, WOW FM Radio, (Australia)
"Brilliant piece of work"
Lucien Knapen, Radio Ariane, (Belgium)
"If Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard wrote songs, this is what they would sound like.
Chris Heers writes in Technicolor."
Don Resh – Screenwriter Magazine (Las Vegas)
"Western Stars garnered Chris a DISCovery Award from Nashville music critic Robert K. Oermann, and
that, my friends, is huge. The album is die-hard country, and Chris went about it in all the right ways."
Tyge O'Donnell - The Opening Acts Music Blog (Nashville - Las Vegas)
…A throwback country singer with shaggy blonde hair who mixes the earthy Americana of Steve Earle with a contemporary Nashville sheen and a touch of bluegrass and folk rock
Jason Bracelin, Las Vegas Review Journal
"What a debut! Fantastic"
Roddy Bayne, Linedance DJ, (UK)
"Good blue collar country. Heers pitches his music somewhere in between Alan Jackson and the
late Chris LeDoux as he gets to the core of the deal."
Maurice Hope, RocknReel Magazine, (UK)
"He is one to watch for the future"
Colin Thorpe, Erewash Radio, (UK)
"Great powerful country"
Per Rodal, Radio Midt-Norge, (Norway)
"Fabulous"
Jean-Claude Michelon, Radio Grogne, (France)
"Super Lyrics"
Peter Anderl, ORF Radio, (Austria)
"Very impressive debut – I hope to hear more from Chris in the future"
Michael Schroeter, Radio Herford, (Germany)
"If this is Chris Heers first album, I really can't wait to see what’s next!! This is pure,
honest country. It’s not often I hear an album once and find myself singing a song from it."
Great stuff.” N. Bennett (Nevada)
"Quite like this, well done"
John Brookfield, Pathfinder Magazine, (UK)
"Chris really does make you sit up and take notice."
Stuart Cameron, Radio Borders, (UK)
“I have to tell you that the song “Sarah the Butterfly” on this sampler is one of the songs that will remain with me forever. When I listened to the sampler there were a stack of tracks to listen to and review with my comments as you can imagine; it’s not the only sampler that I get sent to me.
A question. What led you to creating that song? What was the inspiration, and where the heck have you been?”
Big Al Watts Presenter of Big Al's Thythm Roundup on PBS 106.7 fm radio Australia
Itunes listener press quote
“Your voice is like… a warm blanket you just want to wrap yourself in… that was my very first unedited feeling/thought! Wow!
“Chris’ solo show is like a cross between Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt and Ray Lamontagne
Justin Furstenfeld” – Blue October
“Chris Heers is one of the finest songwriters to ever put pen to paper and chord to melody. He paints with words the way Monet did with brushes. This album is a testament to his mastery of his craft. Each song is a detailed brushstroke, which when viewed on a larger scale, displays a beauty one may wish they could create for themselves. When I got divorced, this album helped me to push through. I wore one out, I listened so much. The album's title is just another brushstroke brilliantly placed. Subtle, yet revealing of what is in store for the listener. Do yourself a favor and buy this album. In an age where music has been de-valued if it isn't free, know this is likely the best $15 you'll ever spend on anything”. Seth Turner – Recording Artist