Hank Sinatra

"Cowboy boots meet combat boots in a whiskey-fueled rage..."

...that's how one fan described an evening with Hank Sinatra. As much a philosophy as a band, the idea of Hank Sinatra came to singer/songwriter/guitarist Jeff Holshouser while living in Nashville in 2002. The initial concept, replete with horn and string arrangements of classic country standards, fell by the wayside when "Jeffro" relocated back to his home state of North Carolina in the spring of '03. Once situated, he convinced old pickin'-slash-drinkin' buddies lead guitarist Tommy "TC" Cooper, bassist Sam Earnhardt, and drummer Darrell Ussery to join forces and create a stripped down version of the original vision. The quartet ultimately recorded a 6 song EP entitled "Tore Up From The Floor Up" with Charlotte, NC based engineer/producer Jamie Hoover. This new, souped up, hi-octane honky tonk outfit debuted in Raleigh, NC at Twang Bang 2004 and the race was on! A string of successful dates followed but the road is hard and unfortunately all the players lived in different zip codes which made getting together more and more difficult.

Fast forward a few years and Jeffro moves yet again and relocates within shouting distance of TC and 2 former band mates from days gone by, drummer Freddy Jones and bassist Tom D Mills, who had established themselves as one of the premier rhythm sections in the region. With the NC based line-up finally stabilized and playing around the Southeast, the decision was made to return to the recording studio with acclaimed NC producer John Plymale. It was this recording that reunited the tandem of Jeffro and long time songwriting partner "Sideshow" Sammy Madison when the latter came in to track some additional guitar parts. Those last minute additions worked out so well, Madison began performing out live with Hank and eventually signed on full time. Acclaimed NC bassist Danny Kurtz (The Backsliders, Whiskeytown) also joined the HS boys in the studio to provide some backing vocals for the records' opening track "Night in the Box". The result of those sessions is "Poolhalls and Pantyhose"; 8 of the most "turn it up to 11", punked up, honky tonk rags released in recent memory. In June 2007, Kurtz began filling in on bass after Tom D became a proud poppa and had to cut back a little on his number of nights spent in smoky barrooms.

With Hank Sinatra now hitting full stride in the Southeast, Jeffro continues to travel the country as a solo act bringing Hank's mantra to the masses! From New York to Nashville to LA to Austin and back, he has enlisted an impressive supporting cast of musicians including Phil Lee, Marco Giovino, Lorne Rall, Steve Allen, Audley Freed, the Atomic Elf Richard Bacchus, Chip Robinson and JD Hughes just to name a few.

Seamlessly blending a fiercely dynamic live show, solid musicianship, catchy melodies, and a powerful stage presence, Hank Sinatra is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with!