Gun*Slinger no more
The Maryville glam-metal outfit Gun*Slinger has announced its dissolutuion. According to bass player Ryan “Hannah” Scott, Gun*Slinger broke apart after the lead singer (Cole Graham) and the rest of the band decided to part ways. She writes, “The core music makers of Gun*Slinger (Marcus Ott, Blake Rider and Ryan) are still making music together and can currently be heard backing country/pop artist Jennetta LeAnn as The Riders. A new project is in the works, but it is not Gun*Slinger. Gun*Slinger is done.”
The band was active in Blount County and was a favorite at The Prince Sports Bar in West Knoxville. Check out the band’s Myspace page here; there’s also a page where you can hear what Jennetta LeAnn and The Riders sound like.
UPDATE, Jan. 28:
Scott dropped me a line to clarify a few things about the breakup, and the new project as The Riders:
Jennetta LeAnn & The Riders play at Euchee Marina, 200 Euchee Lane in Ten Mile, Tenn., on Saturday, Feb. 13.
New recordings with Marcus, Blake and Ryan backing Jennetta LeAnn will be added to the Myspace page soon.
Also, in the works: Changing the name “The Riders” to “Tipton Station” sometime in the close future (the band is waiting on one original member, David Caldwell, to complete his tour of duty later this year). Tipton Station was Ott’s and Caldwell’s band before Gun*Slinger formed in 2008. From 2003 to 2007, they performed covers (jazz, country, blues, metal and rock hits from the ’40s to current hits) and originals around East Tennessee.
As for LeAnn, she’s placed in the Top Ten for various vocal competitions, including winning several of them for WIVK-FM, 107.7. She’s opened for such regional acts as Mustang Sally, Andy Lee Stephens Band, Crystal Shawanda and the Monroe County boys in Southbound.