Ben Coulter

On a night where a Taylor Swift concert was adding additional congestion to a usually overburden parking situation, Nashville was treated to a one-night only engagement by Ben Coulter and the Delta Outlaws. The five-piece country band from Little Rock, Arkansas played to an appreciative near-capacity crowd at the popular Listening Room.
Originally from the tiny railroad thoroughfare of Montrose, Arkansas, Ben Coulter has emerged as one of Arkansas' and Little Rock’s favorite sons. A regular on Little Rock television morning shows as well as frequent guest at local radio stations, Coulter has developed a loyal following with his rich and effortless vocals and a songwriting style that blends a combination of traditional Country with a hint of Delta Blues. Often playing as a solo act in the Little Rock club and café circuit as well as a bevy of statewide festivals, Coulter recently added the Delta Outlaws and brought his show to the Listening Room in Nashville.
Backed by Zach Gibbons on bass, Kirby Smith on lead guitar, Terry Swilley on harmonica, and Brandon Hogg on the drums, Coulter immediately captivated the audience with his booming voice and soulful southern feel.
The audience was treated to a wide variety of musical textures as Coulter tapped into his roots and delivered every song with the conviction of a church choir member on any given Sunday. “Mississippi Woman” showcased Coulter’s fondness for the Delta Blues, while “Roll on Train” painted a picture of living in the rural South where the frequent rumble and whistles of the passing trains are still a part of every day life. Perhaps Coulter’s most commercial endeavor came in the form of “Songwriter”, an introspective ballad that quickly brought comparisons to a young George Strait.
The attentive yet high-energy crowd rewarded Coulter with their focused appreciation after every song in the ninety-minute set and then hung around long after the performance to get signed CDs as well as meet and welcome the up and coming artist to Nashville. - Examiner - Brandler Johnson

Ben Coulter wants to go to the Grand Ole Opry. He doesn't want to just take the tourist route and soak up the atmosphere of Nashville's hallowed stage. The 30-year-old native of the tiny Arkansas Delta town of Montrose wants to go behind the velvet rope and perform at the Tennessee shrine.
Coulter is an aspiring country singer and his website, bencoulteronline.com, is draped with the descriptive banner "Traditional Country from the Heart of a Delta Bluesman." His Opry quest is front and center in his dream to make it big. He has dedicated a blog to it, roadtotheopry.com, and, to his surprise, he's dedicated to the blog.
"I never thought I would be able to blog about it every day but I am on Day 122," Coulter says. "I put something on there every day. When I am coming back late from a show, I'll put something short and something longer the next day."
In a recent blog entry, he writes about playing in front of Joe Diffie at the Pink Tomato Festival in Warren. All of the entries are about, one way or another, Coulter's hopeful trip to the spotlight in Nashville.
That hoped-for trip got a nice boost when an online reviewer posted a favorable notice about Coulter's show in late May in Nashville. Coulter, who was playing with his band Delta Outlaws, was praised for "captivating the audience with his booming voice and soulful Southern feel."
"That show in Nashville was huge for us," Coulter says. He was the opening act for several songwriters, including Brian White, whose 13 No. 1 gospel and country hits include Rodney Atkins' "Watching You."
"The house was packed," Coulter says. "After our show folks were lined up to get autographs and buy CDs."
As good as that Nashville reception was, it hasn't yet proved to be the key that unlocks Opry's door. Instead, Coulter is doing what he has been doing for the last couple of years - playing as many shows as possible and trying to make inroads to Nashville by way of his home in Maumelle.
Coulter is content, for now, to seek out and perform for events like the Pink Tomato Festival and small stages that are way off the map. During the week, he will play solo shows and often during the weekend he will play with his band.
"This is all I do," Coulter says. "If I am not playing during the day, I am calling around for gigs. I do guitar lessons. It's paying the bills."
Coulter marks the beginning of his musical life when he got a guitar from his mother when he was 19.
"I got real involved in playing at church and at deer camp," Coulter recalls. Deer Camp provided more of a musical education than you would suspect. "We played more music than going after deer," Coulter says with a chuckle. "One guy in the group played with Johnny Cash. There were some great guitar pickers. I learned a lot just listening to them play."
When Coulter decided to try his hand at being a professional musician, his first stop wasn't Nashville, but the tourist mecca of Branson.
"I had never been there," Coulter admits. "I had my guitar, my clothes and three hundred bucks. I was driving down the strip and stopped at the Dixie Country Inn. I said, "I need a room.' They asked what I was doing in town and they noticed my guitar. When I told them, they said "This town is going to eat you alive."
Coulter ended up spending three years there and spent a good deal of that time rent-free at the Dixie Country Inn because of an Arkansas connection. Coulter was thrown into the fire, learning his trade on the fly.
"That first night I played there I was supposed to play three hours," Coulter recalls. "I knew 10 songs. In the first 20 minutes I was out of songs."
Today Coulter figures his repertoire is about 400 tunes, many of those his own compositions. A few years ago, he tried out for American Idol but didn't make it to Hollywood. Like many other musicians, Coulter has self-made and released his albums while waiting for a label to discover him.
The music he listened to growing up was a heavy dose of Hank Williams, Waylon Jennings, and Randy Travis, thanks to his father, along with Poison, which Coulter notes was "real big when I was in high school."
As he got older Coulter's appreciation for country got stronger, then he fell in love with Delta Blues.
"I really got into old blues," Coulter says. "It's the music from where I grew up, though I really didn't hear it until later. I even got into guys like Jimmie Rodgers, who is all blues but with some yodeling added."
Coulter understands his mixing blues with country makes him an odd fit for the country genre that's dominated by bands like Lady Antebellum, who are closer to a standard pop-rock sound.
"When you look at the country award shows, you can get discouraged," Coulter says. "What I am doing is completely different. I am doing what I am feeling is best. If [audiences] get tired of what they have heard and start looking for something new, we are going to be right there."
Coulter hopes that right there is the Grand Ole Opry. He intends to keep blogging and playing until it happens. - Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, written by Werner Trieschmann (front page of the STYLE section)

When she was only 11 years old Georgia Middleman came to Nashville along with her father and her sister with aspirations of taking the music world by storm. According to Middleman, the recording industry made it quite clear that the young and ambitious Middleman should just concentrate on being a little girl and come back when she was ready.

Eventually Middleman came back to Nashville to co-write Keith Urban’s hit “I’m In” with Radney Foster, and has recently showcased her considerable talents as an integral part of Blue Sky Riders, a band that also features infamous 70’s icon Kenny Loggins and Hall-of-Fame songwriter and former member of Pure Prairie League, Gary Burr.

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On Saturday July 9th, Georgia Middleman performed at the new Puckett’s restaurant in downtown Nashville with fellow songwriters Billy Kirsch and Tony Haselden.

The engaging Middleman began her set with “I’ll Have What She’s Having”, a song that Reba McEntire recorded. Included in her set were “Dearly Beloved”, a song initially intended for Lee Ann Womack that ended up being recorded by Faith Hill, and her popular “Table 32”, a song she wrote while waiting tables as a waitress at the Green Hills Grille.

Known for her charismatic vocals and throwing all of her conviction into every performance, Middleman once again appeased her audience and they rewarded her with the largest ovation of the evening following her set ending performance of  “I’m In.”

Also joining Middleman and playing in the round were talented songwriters Billy Kirsch and Tony Haselden.

Billy Kirsch included in his set the song “Stay Gone” which was recorded by Jimmy Wayne and “Come Some Rainy Day” which was recorded by Wynonna Judd.

Tony Haselden  included in his set the songs “You Know Me Better Than That” which was recorded by George Strait, and “Mama Knows” which was recorded by Shenandoah.

On Tuesday July 5th, Arkansas’ favorite son Ben Coulter returned to Nashville and performed at 3rd& Lindsley accompanied by harmonica player Terry Swilley.
Coulter gave a terrific performance, once again captivating the audience with his soulful country intonations and swagger in delivering songs such as “Highway 61 Blues” and “I Just Want to Be Heard.” - Examiner - Brandler Johnson

Ben Coulter, an independent country and blues artist from Montrose, Arkansas, recently recieved a "5 out of 5" star review for his "Cuzz III-Feel Like Goin' Home" album from "Review You", a branch of Ariel Publicity out of New York City". The review is below.

The genre of country music has undergone a facelift in the past ten to twenty years. Where once the genre was defined by typically roots-based backdrop like Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson, the genre has expanded to include acts like Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, and Sugarland. These sounds of these acts have elements of country, but easily fall into the pop crossover category as well. While country music as it was once known stands in jeopardy of fading away, there are a few artists like Ben Coulter who aim to stand in their way.

Coulter has spent the past several years honing his signature country sound. From his beginnings as a praise and worship minister during his college days to three years of performing six shows a week in Branson, MO, Coulter has spent his life cultivating a sound which he has dubbed, “Country Music…Delta Style.” Shortly after Branson, Coulter took his talent to Nashville where he gigged through bars and clubs, eventually tiring of Music City and moving away to forge his way in a more unconventional manner. That decision led to the formation of Ben Coulter and the Delta Outlaws, and a declaration and mission to play the Grand Ole Opry by October 1, 2011. So does Coulter have what it takes? If this album is any indication, he just might.

Coulter’s record is classic country, drawing from the rich history of the genre and bringing all the critical elements together, with plenty of steel guitar, shuffling percussion, and raging fiddle. He makes his case for classic country early with album standout “Long Black Cars and Cocaine,” which lays forth his pedigree. “I’m just a country boy/From down in Arkansas/Raised up on the good Lord, Haggard, and Jones.” With a blues-based vibe guiding the background and some solid breakout instrumental solos, it sets the tone early. Coulter continues his case for classic country with “When Haggard Was King,” a song fueled by rich nostalgia for a time of music gone by and anchored by the artist’s rich baritone, occasionally reminiscent of George Strait, and some burning fiddle and guitar work. While it’s easy to dismiss such tracks as clichéd, Coulter delivers them with a fresh idealism and solid songwriting that helps them to go down easily. Yet he truly begins setting the stage for his unique sound with “Highway 61 Blues” and “Delta Mud.” “Highway 61” is possessed of the Johnny Cash “boom-chicka” percussion, and both songs let the fiddle lay the bluesy pathway, drawing forth mournful and playful tones left and right. It’s a unique juxtaposition of the styles and it plays out wonderfully well here.

It’s not all swinging soul with Coulter though, as he takes more than his fair share of opportunities to deliver several radio-friendly ballads, beginning with the mandolin-influenced autobiographical tale, “Songwriter.” The steel guitar wails, mandolin plucks, and vocals warble keenly through it all, laying forth a claim to true country. In similar fashion, “I Wish You Were Mine” borrows a classic sonic palette while turning to the subject matter of longing love. “What I Would Do Just To Be With You” continues the longing, as does the album closer “You Don’t Have to Remind Me,” ending things with a somber and heartfelt note.

Ben Coulter has set forth on a mission to play the Grand Ole Opry with Cuzz III: Feel Like Goin’ Home as his war cry. Conjuring forth great country sounds of old and combining them with subtle elements of classic Delta blues, the artist has crafted an album that should be heard far and wide. And the Opry? If he keeps it up like this, he just might get there.


Review by Andrew Greenhalgh
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

- "Review You", a branch of Ariel Publicity out of New York City

January 16th,2008
LITTLE ROCK- Ben Coulter of Montrose will perform live on the TV show "Midday Arkansas" on Thursday. "Midday Arkansas" airs from 11:30 a.m. to noon on KATV Channel 7.
Coulter will perform a few songs on the show to promote his upcoming gigs here and Lake Village. He will be performing at Grumpy's Too on Thursday, Saturday and Feb. 2. All shows will be from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Coulter will be performing at the Lakeshore Cafe in Lake Village on Jan. 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
For more information on Coulter, visit www.bencoulteronline.com. - Ashley News Observer

For Ben Coulter, a Montrose native and a 1998 graduate of Hamburg High School, what started as deer camp activity has become a career in Branson, Mo.

Coulter said that in his early years he went to the Portland Reserve and Hunting Club, where people sang and played guitar.
"We played more guitar than hunting deer," he said.
Outside of that, music was not a part of Coulter's early life. Benjamin Luke Coulter, named for Star Wars characters, played baseball in high school and studied agriculture and history at the University of Arkansas-Monticello.

While in college, Coulter decided to play guitar.
"I figured it would be a good way to pick up girls," he said.
At age 19, Coulter asked his mother, Kathy Coulter, who works at a Portland Bank, for an acoustic guitar for Christmas.
"He asked me for a guitar," Kathy Coulter said. "I thought it would end up on the shelf after two weeks."
Now, Ben Coulter's fingers are picking guitar and his voice is singing with it in Branson, Fayetteville, and other places. He plays country and a little Gospel.
Coulter said he takes after his favorite country artists-Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and Hank Williams Sr.
"I wanted to play music," Coulter said, "But, there was not a place to play in Monticello."
In May of 2004, Coulter dropped out of the University of Arkansas-Monticello and took his guitar, $400 and a pickup truck to Branson.
When first in Branson, Coulter started looking for a day job, Gerry Moore, owner of the Dixie Country Inn, a 56-room motel in Branson said.
"The first time he played for my wife and I, I knew he had talent," Moore said.
The next day, Moore took Coulter to a recording session where he made a demo compact disc.
"He took me under his wing when I first got to Branson," Coulter said about Moore.
Coulter has a voice range as good as Haggard or Jennings, Moore said.
"He's really talented," Moore said, "He's got a good vocal range. He's a good Christian young man."
Moore said that he helped Coulter get a gig playing his guitar for tips at Shorty Small's, a Branson restaurant.
Coulter entertains customers on the patio while they are waiting to eat and in the restaraunt while they eat.
In Branson, guitar players other than headliners typically make $40 a show, Moore said.
"That's why most people play three shows a night," Moore said.
Coulter said he makes $650 to $700 a week in tips during the summer, playing at Shorty Small's and the Pasta House, another restaraunt.
When playing in restaurants, Coulter does not just do the standard 45-minute set, typical of union musicians.
"I just sit down for an hour and a half or two hours," Coulter said, "Then, I go to the bathroom for a few minutes."
"I don't want folks to miss my music."
Coulter plays and sings songs he wrote himself as well as country standards.
During the winter, Coulter heads south to Fayetteville, where he works a day job in a University of Arkansas entomology laboratory, watches the Razorbacks and plays his guitar Thursday nights at Sodie's.
Moore said, "He likes to play for kids his age."
Coulter said that he often gets home at midnight, which in Branson is the Dixie Country Inn, picks up his guitar and writes some new songs. Coulter said that his hometown of Montrose and its surrounding railroad tracks and cotton fields are often the theme for his songs.
Coulter's recent album "Songwriter" has a cover picture of the artist beside the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and its line sign for Montrose.
Songs that Coulter wrote and recorded include "Someday I'm Goin home," "I Wanna go out West," "Goin down to Montrose," "Old School," "I Know Where I'll Be Found," "Ten Miles North of Louisiana," "I'm a Razorback Fan," "Railroad Blues," "Louisiana Trainride," and "The First Big Record I make I'm goin Home."
Although Coulter has cut a couple of albums, he has not made a big record deal.
Coulter will be close to home, singing and playing, on March 3rd at the Lakeshore Cafe in Lake Village from 6:30 to 9pm.
Across the river, Coulter's music received airplay on WDMS, 100.7 FM in Greenville, Miss., but virtually no place else.
To get airplay, one has to know a disc jockey, Coulter said. In addition, Coulter said that his music is not the type that most stations air.
He said, "It is just me and a guitar."
But Moore said that Coulter has put on the shelf the guitar his mother bought him and purchased a new $3,000 Martin guitar.
Moore said, "He's got the best guitar in the business." - Ashley County News Observer written by Todd Bergmen

(This review of Montrose native Ben Coulter's new cd, "Cuzz Vol. II" was written by Lindy Word, a reporter for the Hometown News in Rogers)


Country singer/songwriter Ben Coulter describes his music as "country music – delta style," and in a musical era where genres are easily mixed, Coulter keeps his sound pure with a newfound blues edge in his third independent album entitled, "Cuzz – Volume II: Got the Devil On My Heels."

The album, jam-packed with twenty songs (two of which are live tracks), takes the listener on a whirlwind ride of girls, God, and odes to the South. With great lead guitar solos by Bruce Smith and Coulter's new harmonica addition on many of the tracks, Coulter continues to define himself and his sound, all the while remaining true to his Southern roots. Some might define his delta-style country as "real" country, a type of music that has nothing to do with the poppy, pseudo-southern sound that the genre has evolved into. Instead, his sound and his lyrics remind listeners of where country came from, and unapologetically tells us where he thinks country music should still be.

With steady harmonica and guitar playing, the album begins solidly with "Roll on Train," and it sets the tone well for the rest of the album. His faster, bluesy songs like "Roll on Train," "Headed Down to Georgia," and "Delta Blues" would make anyone turn their head and tap their toe. It's a deeper plunge into what Coulter was dabbling in on a few cuts off the first volume in the series. And it sounds like Coulter is saying for maybe the first time, "Here I am. Take notice. I have something real to offer."

Also, the ballads on the album are stronger than on the previous record. "Nothing Worse than Being Alone in the Middle of the Night" stands out among them, along with a love song to God entitled "Your Love is Amazing to Me." When he sings the question, "I wonder how you could love someone like me," those could easily be the most honest and heartfelt words in all of the 20 songs.

Pondering everything from chicken in a frying pan to God's unconditional love to Hank Williams, Coulter, just like any good songwriter, covers it all. Although the album tends to run long, whether it's editing issues or Coulter giving you -as he said- "more bang for your buck," he always keeps you interested in what he'll say next and how he will say it.

As the singer continues to carve his musical identity, Coulter, whose country twang never affects his crystal clear tone, has a sound reminiscent of old-school greats like Johnny Cash. Although it sets high expectations for the small-town southern singer, just give him some time and see what happens as he continues to grow and find his musical niche.

"I'll be somewhere singing my blues," Coulter sings on the track "I'll Be Gone Before the Snow Falls." We'll be listening
- Ashley County Ledger

This is a review of my newest album in Nightflying magazine- October 2008 issue.

FEEL LIKE GOIN HOME
(Cuzz Volume III)

Ben Coulter
Indie

First couple albums I pulled out of the box were blues and suddenly the scene shifted to country. Ben Coulter recorded this excellent album in Hot Springs (at Crystal Hills Studio) and I would be willing to bet everybody involved had a big time on the gig. Tim Crouch played guitar, mandolin, and fiddle. Robby Springfield added electric and steel guitar. Doug Deforest played bass and Stacey Lux added background vocals. Ben has a good voice, no spectacular effects needed. I would venture to say he could hold his own with any popular country artist you might hear on the radio these days. This is a tight little set and firm proof homegrown talent is strong, from poignant ballads such as the title track to flat out rockers like the opener. This is the sort of album that makes this job sweet. - Nightflying