Bellamy Brothers: 50 Years of Music, Touring, and Parker Fly Guitars

Enduring Career and Touring Life

• 🚀 The Bellamy Brothers, David and Howard, maintain an extreme tour schedule, performing around 140 shows annually across the US and Europe.
• 🎯 Their upcoming 50th-anniversary show is scheduled for June 25th at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, marking a significant milestone.
• ✈️ For US tours, they typically fly to Nashville to join their band and tour bus, often leaving on Wednesday for weekend shows.
• 🧠 They emphasize the importance of pacing themselves and getting adequate sleep and rest while touring at this stage of their lives.

Musical Journey and Influences

• 🌱 Their early musical roots were in gospel and country, playing with their father and influenced by artists like Jimmy Rogers.
• 🎸 They were exposed to a wide range of music, including singer-songwriters, Merle Haggard, and British Invasion bands like The Beatles and The Stones.
• 🎶 Early band incarnations included The Accidents and Howard's FFA quartet (barbershop music), before forming Jericho and eventually the Bellamy Brothers.
• 💡 Their career was jumpstarted by the song "Let Your Love Flow," and David also wrote "Spiders and Snakes" which was recorded by Jim Stafford.

Guitars and Gear Evolution

• ⚡ The brothers became associated with Ovation Guitars in the 1970s after their equipment was stolen during a tour with Loggins and Messina.
• 🎸 They were early adopters of the Ovation Adamus model, despite its challenging shape for sitting down.
• ✅ Currently, they primarily use Parker Fly guitars, valuing their thin, light design and versatility in sound.
• 🛠️ Their long-time bassist and friend, Wally Dentz, was instrumental in connecting them with both Ovation and Parker.

Breaking into the Industry and Media

• 🤝 Conway Twitty played a crucial role in helping them gain acceptance within the Nashville establishment, appreciating their high-quality sound system.
• 📺 They did extensive TV work early in their career, appearing on shows like Midnight Special and Eurovision, which helped them gain popularity, especially in Europe.
• 🎤 Their strong presence in Europe led many to believe they were a European act, due to frequent touring and record releases there.

New Projects and Ventures

• 💿 A new album is planned for their 50th anniversary, with a single and video expected in April and the full album in June/July.
• 🌿 They have a successful side project: a line of marijuana called "Old Hippy Stash," distributed by Trulieve, available in Florida and West Virginia.
• 💰 The "Old Hippy Stash" venture is profitable and expanding, offering both flower strains (like Rattler) and gummies.