Cory Morrow









































Cory Morrow
Cory Morrow


It is fitting that a south of the border gamble nearly two decades ago would ultimately yield an acclaimed Texas troubadour. Cory Morrow’s humble artistic beginnings read like the gritty lyric of an unwritten Townes Van Zandt song. This straight-shooting musician, who drops his ninth solo release Vagrants And Kings on May 20th through Sustain Records, a branch of Universal Music, started strumming at the age of 15. "My stepfather Joe brought home my first guitar after visiting a little Mexican border town," Morrow remembers. After quibbling with the shop owner over the price of the guitar, Morrow says Joe laid down $80 on the table, twice what the guitar was worth. "He took out a quarter and asked the shopkeeper, ‘Are you a gambling man?’ The guy said, ‘Yes.’ Joe said, ‘Call it. If it lands on what you call, then you take the money and keep the guitar. If it’s the opposite of what you call, I take the money and the guitar,’" Morrow recalls. One lucky coin toss later, the six string gained a new owner. Morrow enlisted in music lessons during his high school years, and soon he was banging out songs by Led Zeppelin and ZZ Top. When Morrow moved on to college at Texas Tech University, friends introduced him to the rootsy, honky-tonk fare of fellow Texans Robert Earl Keen and Ray Wylie Hubbard. Inspired to give expression to his own emotions, Morrow began penning guitar-based compositions in a similarly stripped down, organic style. In 1993, he pulled out of college and migrated south to Austin where he would pursue a career making music. Morrow dug into the local scene. He began playing gigs with a band, honing his songwriting craft and stretching his raw vocals by studying singers like Don Williams and Merle Haggard. Fifteen years, and thousands of live shows later, Morrow has emerged as one of the lone star state’s best-loved artists. Revered along with college pal Pat Green as a preservationist of the unique Texas music "sound," which combines elements of country, bluegrass, swing and blues, Morrow inspires a fierce loyalty in his fans. As an independent artist, he moved 200,000 discs through his own WriteOn label. His latest offering, Vagrants And Kings, finds Morrow at his strongest- artistically, personally and spiritually. Morrow’s rustic sound remains part singer/songwriter: poetic and acoustic at times. But it’s equal parts country rock: accessible, hooky and rowdy in the tradition of outlaws like the Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. Produced with Morrow band bassist Steve Cargill and recorded with the rest of his road crew (Hoyt Stacy on drums, J.J. Soto on guitars, Nick Worley on fiddle and Tim McDonald ..s, as well as Cargill) the 10-track album is an honest representation of Morrow’s artistry, whether in studio or on stage. The interstate warrior, who averages nearly 150 shows a year, tracked the album at his Austin home on a Pro-Tools rig acquired from producer friend Keith Gattis. Morrow, who wrote or co-wrote every tune along with frequent collaborators Walt Wilkins and Liz Rose, among others, calls Vagrants And Kings a "snapshot” of his life. Notes Morrow, "The passion of the lyrics finally came through in the production of the music. I got to this place where everything made sense, where I was seeing life more clearly. Then the music started flowing." Morrow’s last studio offering, the reflective Nothing Left to Hide (2005), highlighted the artist’s struggle through an intense period of soul searching. That batch of songs found Morrow grappling with issues of forgiveness and recovery following his 2005 arrest for what he calls "serious mistakes." But Morrow has entered a new season. "Love Finds Everyone," a candid, buoyant track, sets the tone for the new CD: Even if you think you don’t need it, right when you think you’ll never feel it… Love finds everyone. "When I’m writing music, either I’m healing from the pains and wounds in my life or I’m celebrating the good things in my life," Morrow says. Songs like the tender "Radiates," the soulful, harmony-drenched "My Baby and Me" and the whimsical "I Can Wait" pay homage to a burgeoning, transformational love. And Morrow is unabashedly forthright about the emotions he conveys in his new songs: "Since I met my fiancée, Sherry, the last two years have been amazing. There have been problems that every day brings, but the difference is I get to share it with her, and she gives me perspective. She’s increased my faith, and she’s brought me back to the realization that I don’t have to do things on my own." Morrow’s first single, “He Carries Me,” continues the sentiment, albeit directed toward a higher realm. While themes of salvation and redemption are not new in Morrow’s work, on Vagrants And Kings he approaches such weighty issues with the fervor of a true believer. "Lord, You Devil," a Radney Foster co-write, is a humorous tune offering props to a mysterious, omniscient God. Morrow’s first radio single, the impassioned, gospel-tinged "(Sometimes I Stumble, That’s When) He Carries Me," perhaps best relays where Morrow has landed in recent days. Says Morrow, "For so long I tried to do it on my own. The thing is, you’re not supposed to do it alone. Why would you want to?"
Date Venue City State Note
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09/24/2010 - Saved and sober Cory Morrow celebrates ‘Brand New Me’ CD - Read More
08/26/2009 - Cory Morrow loves Texas, because his sound is bigger - Read More
06/27/2008 - Cory Morrow’s new CD ‘a celebration’ - Read More
05/09/2008 - Singer Seeks Spotlight Outside Texas Borders - Read More
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08/01/2005 - Cory Morrow Q&A - Read More
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Average Rating : 0              Total Reviews: 290


Cory Morrow  06/01/2007            
Schrade
I am very dissapointed in you Cory I went to a show last weekend in Bandera and my friends & I got kicked out of your concert for spraying beer in the air(not on stage) during beat of your heart and YOU PERSONALLY requested us to be kicked out is what security said! Sorry beer runied the smell of your fruity inscents lit onstage... I have been to many of your shows and texas music shows for the past ten years and done this along with the other THOUSANDS of screaming fans and nothing has happened.Instead of having a great time at your show my time was ruined. WHAT A JOKE!!THANKS FOR A HORRIBLE TIME!!!!Bleu Edmondson and Randy Rogers didnt seem to care,had a great time listening to them!(Thanks guys) they were badass and you were being a joke Cory!Thanks a million.
Cory Morrow  05/28/2007            
Miguel A
What has happened to Texas Music? This is terrible! Someone must have told Cory that it was time to put out a cd. What crap!
Cory Morrow  05/28/2007            
Jeff
"Now appearing for 2 nights only at the Starlight Lounge at LaGuardia Airport, CMB." Good Lord Cory what has happened? I've traveled many states to see you and the band, it has always been fantastic. This is just flat terrible. Come back home.
Cory Morrow  05/09/2007            
Jake
He once had great promise, but, he has since become an afterthought in any discussion of influential artists on today's scene. I am not a rabid fan who is against any form of change or growth from the artists I love. Simply put, Cory's songs are not compelling anymore, and they certainly don't have the impact that I'd expect from songs of growth and maturity. Did he build his reputation on songs that we could identify with - songs that spoke of his struggle to succeed (Light on the Stage, Nashville Blues) or championed the cause of Texas pride (Texas Time Travelin)? Is it that, now he has achieved success, he no longer can produce the kind of music he once did? I can't say for sure. All I can say is that we are left with ineffective tunes we are told signify 'growth' (though the music and lyrics don't display this revelatory maturity we are told they signify), and bland re-hashing of songs that once had great edge and relevance. Sadly, his eploits off the stage have made far more noise of late than his music - and this record is another step on Cory's journey from legitimate "fire" (early in his career) to "smoke" (his current state).
Cory Morrow  05/08/2007            
Anthony
Hey Dave I will pay you to throw that CD in the trash. I liked Cory's old sound and this new "take" on his old songs is just absolute dog s**t. I hope it is just a hiccup and Cory stay's true and doesn't sell out like his old friend (who now sucks).
Cory Morrow  05/08/2007            
Dave
I have to say VERY DISAPOINTED in Ten Years. This new stuff sounds like liberal nashville dog s**t. If it aint broke why bother. First Ingram then Green now Morrow. Whos next Watson? Save your money, or buy mine off Ebay.
Cory Morrow  04/27/2007            
Stu
Don't wast your money. What the hell has happened to Cory. Nothing at all like the originals. Has completely ruined the classics we all grew to love. These songs sound like elevator music. Im a huge Cory fan, mainly just sad hearing this. 1 Star is even generous
Cory Morrow  04/27/2007            
Robert
This record was a waste of time and money. I think desperation has sat in for what is left of the Cory Morrow Band. Glad I downloaded the whole record for free because I would not have spent a dime on it. Better Luck next time Cory.
Cory Morrow  04/26/2007            
Randy D
What an awful album. What in the hell has happened to Cory. This is terrible. Sounds nothing like the originals. I am at a loss of words. This is sick.
Cory Morrow  03/30/2007            
Rob from BR
Cory, glad to have you back in Baton Rouge. It has been a while. Glad to see someone is still showing some SOUL and LOVE for texas country! Enjoyed the show as usual.
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