Larry Brewer

Artist: Larry Brewer

CD: Lucky Ever After

Home: Madison, Mississippi

Style: Pop/Rock

Quote: "The core of Lucky Ever After is as sunny as its title: not a cloying, fake sentiment, but true optimism, through struggles and heartache."


By Beeb Ashcroft

Heartfelt, honest, and often poignant, Larry Brewer's Lucky Ever After is pop rock twinged with a little western twang. Taking a timeless approach to songwriting, Brewer crafts compelling songs and draws you in with his sincere vocals.

Although the album touches on topics from joy to heartache, there is an underlying positivity to this record which is charming. The album's first song is "Daydream," a sweet, nostalgic trip down memory lane which opens the album with a genuine sense of optimism, and reminds me somewhat of Boston. Uplifting and well produced, the song's likable pop melody gets the record off to a good start.

The pace picks up a bit on "Little Miss Understood," a jangly foot-tapper with good riffs. More solid rock tunes follow, like "Out Of The Blue" and "Brain Freeze," which highlight Brewer's skill as a talented guitar player. He has a knack for producing raucously catchy riffs, and I'd love to hear more tracks like this from him.

But Brewer has a softer side too, which he shows on several ballads. The melancholy "Miss You Now" is a touching, piano-driven piece that muses sadly on the loss of a loved one, while "All For Love" narrates the disintegration of a relationship. But the album ends on a happy note with the album's title track. A sweet love song that features some lovely classical guitar, Brewer pours out his heart with a sincerity that is apparent throughout the entire album.

Stylistically, Brewer incorporates a lot of influences, from soaring pop to rowdy rock riffs, with a little folky twang thrown in for good measure. His music is appealing not only because of his skill as a songwriter, but because of the sincerity with which he delivers his material. The core of Lucky Ever After is as sunny as its title: not a cloying, fake sentiment, but true optimism, through struggles and heartache. It is truly a feelgood record – and that's something we surely need more of these days.
- Indie-Music.com

Larry Brewer & The Rainmakers (classic rock)
By Herman Snell | Jul 18, 04 | 10:57 am | Profile
Larry T. Brewer was born in Chicago, Illinois (on May 21st). He began playing the guitar at the age of 9. He was inspired by the Beatles and and the British Invasion. "During that period, I just didn't care about American rock 'n roll. I wasn't interested in it at all. I listened to The Kinks, The Who, The Searchers, and of course the Beatles." The family moved to West Tennessee when he was 15 years old. "It was quite a culture shock but I hooked up with some rock bands in high school and everything was cool." An accomplished singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has celebrated almost 30 years in the music business.


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From 1980-1995 he fronted the regional hit band, "The Windows". Today he performs with his band "The Rainmakers", solo, or with Hunter Gibson.

Musician Name: Larry Brewer

Date Formed: Solo since January, 1996

Genre: Rock/Pop

Principles (line-up/who you perform with): Solo; Also have a band called The RainMakers and
perform in a duo with Hunter Gibson.

Musical Influences Most Apparent in Your Sound: The Beatles, The Cars, Cheap Trick

Not So Apparent Musical Influences: XTC

Non-Musical Influences/Inspirations: Abe Lincoln, Captain William Bligh

Past Bands/Persons You Have Performed or Recorded With: Former frontman of the 80's band
The Windows. Performed with Starship, Peter Frampton, The Beach Boys.
Recorded by Multi-Platinum Engineer, John Hampton - Ardent Studios in Memphis, TN.

- Jackson Free Press

Larry Brewer
Solo artist, vocals and guitar. From: Madison. Influences: The Beatles, The Cars, Cheap Trick. CDs Released: Two solo recordings, Traveling at the Speed of Life and World Going Crazy. Also, The Windows, Runnin' Alone album. Website/Email Address: www.larrybrewer.biz, brewers@netdoor.com.
Singer/songwriter Larry Brewer has a history that most performers would envy. He is a successful and respected solo artist, and is frontman for the band, The RainMakers. Founder of west Tennessee's most successful rock band, The Windows, he has performed in thirty states, and has shared bills with the Beach Boys, Peter Frampton, Jefferson Starship, and Badfinger to name a few. He has recorded several albums, beginning with Runnin' Alone in 1987, recorded at Ardent Studios with renowned engineer John Hampton. In 1983, his original composition "Hello, Hello" was named Pop Song Of The Year in the Jackson Music Awards.

- Planet Weekly

7:55:40 PM Monday, April 7, 2003

Former Martin Man Releases New CD

Larry Brewer, a former resident of Martin, announces the upcoming release of his most recent album, "World Going Crazy." With 13 original songs, this will be his second solo album and is expected to be in stores on April 29. Brewer was born in Chicago, and then moved to Martin at age 15. At age 9 he started playing the guitar. His first job was at Dairy Queen, while he attended Westview High School. After graduating from WHS in 1973, he then moved on to work at Halls Printing. There he picked up a big interest in music. "The Beatles are definitely my all time favorite band," Brewer said. "They were the ones that motivated me." Brewer gathered a few friends and eventually made a local band called "Raisin' Kane." Having a friend who attended the University of Tennessee at Martin helped him and his first band find a place to rehearse without disturbing anyone. "It just so happened that he had access to rooms and audio equipment," Brewer said. A more well known band Brewer started in the '80s was called "The Windows." This band almost went nationwide with songs such as "Runnin' Alone" and "Motorcar," from the album "Runnin' Alone." In 1983 the band won the JMA pop record of the year for the song "Hello, Hello." Songs from this album have recently played on local radio stations. 'The Windows' have played with Peter Frampton, The Beach Boys, and Jefferson Starship. The band was successful until a sudden tragic accident took the life of their keyboard player, Kirby Jackson on August 25, 1987. This was a hard time for Brewer and the members of his band, as their spirits were lowered. Today, at age 48, Larry lives in Jackson, Miss., and is still successful in pursuing his music career of 30 years. His newest band is called 'The Rainmakers.' Brewer recently signed a music publishing contract with 'Solar Fire Music.' There will be a CD release party for 'The Rainmakers' from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, at the Bourbon Street Bar & Grill in Jackson, TN. Everyone is invited to celebrate. Look for his album, "World Going Crazy," in stores this month. For more information on Brewer, visit his Web site at www2.netdoor.com/~brewers/ - Weakley County Press

Brewer to release music album April 15
By Rod Walker
rwalker@mcherald.com



© Jesse Worley/The Herald

Larry Brewer performs one of his hits at Buffalo Wild Wings in Ridgeland.

MADISON | Twenty years after his group won a Jackson Music Award for Pop Song of the Year, Larry Brewer of Madison is still going strong.

Brewer, who wrote the award-winning "Hello, Hello" for the Windows, is releasing his new self-produced solo project "World Going Crazy" on April 15.

"This album is my best one lyrically," said the 48-year-old Brewer, who will have a CD release party next Saturday at the Forum in Jackson along with his band The Rainmakers.

"As you get older, you mature," he said. "When you're younger, you like boy, girl stuff and you write a lot of love songs.

"This one is more about world issues and how I feel about the world. I think lyrically it is good."

Contrary to what may be implied from the title, the CD has little to do with the war in Iraq.

"I wrote this album around the time of (the) Columbine and Pearl (shootings)," Brewer said. "I watch a lot of CNN. I'm a news junkie.

"Some people may see the album and think it is about the war, but a lot of these songs were written three to four years ago. It absolutely can be applied to today too though."

Brewer, who describes his music as pop-rock, traces his musical interests to his parents. His mother was into rock and his father was into country.

"I would hear George Jones and Ray Price from my dad and then I'd hear Buddy Holly, Elvis and the Everly Brothers from my mom's records," said Brewer, who was born and reared in Chicago before moving to western Tennessee. "I started taking guitar lessons when I was nine, but then I stopped.

"Then the Beatles became big, and I got interested again."

Said Brewer: "The Beatles are my biggest inspiration. I studied those guys like people study history.

"I still can't believe they wrote such good songs. You'll be hearing those songs until the end of times."

Brewer's biggest success came when he played with the Windows in the 1980s, opening for acts such as Hall and Oates, Jefferson Starship and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

He credits a concert with the Beach Boys at the Mississippi Coliseum as being the concert that blossomed his band's success.

"We had an agency at the time, and they slipped us in as the opening act for the Beach Boys," Brewer said. "It just mushroomed after that.

"Everywhere we played after that was packed."

"World Going Crazy" was recorded at Terminal Studios in Ridgeland and was engineered and mixed by Randy Everett. The CD has 13 songs, including Brewer's two favorites: "The Moment" and "Maggy's Lament," his first instrumental.

Brewer says he never knows when he will be inspired to write a song. Sometimes he plugs in a pot of coffee and just doodles on his guitar, then later adds some lyrics to the music.

One song, "Hopeless," was inspired by a homeless woman who he passed each time he traveled to Mobile.

"I feel really fortunate doing what I do," Brewer said. "Being able to write songs and make my own records has been fantastic.

"Basically, I am a pop-rock writer. This album is more rock. Most of my other work was really produced. I wanted to make this one have more of a live, raw sound, and I feel like I did that."

Brewer's band, The Rainmakers, consists of bass player Eddie Ingram and drummer Lyle Donald.

Brewer's first solo project was titled "Traveling at the Speed of Life."

- Madison County Herald

LARRY BREWER

by LINDA WATTS



Best known as lead singer/guitar player for the Windows from 1980 until their demise in 1995,
Larry Brewer turned that ending into a new beginning. He embarked on his first ever solo career,
and produced a great CD, "Travelin' At The Speed Of Life." Busier than ever, he's writing,
recording, still loving the "solo gig", and putting together a new band.


LW: Where did you grow up?
LB: I lived in Chicago until I was 15, about a mile from the theatre where John Dillinger was
shot! Man, what a great place to grow up my cousins lived close by, and we played baseball in
the alley, rode our bikes all over the place-it was great!

LW: How many kids in your family?
LB: My brother, Alan, is 3 years younger than me; my sister, Kim, was a lot younger she died in
a car accident in '91; she was 27.

LW: Did you and Alan fight when you were kids?
LB: We had our times. I broke his toe, and his collarbone twice, but that's just a brotherly
thing!

LW: Who was your early musical influence?
LB: The Beatles! I used to return pop bottles to get money, and run to the dime store to buy
the latest single.

LW: When did you start playing?
LB: I started guitar lessons when I was 9, but I didn't like it' I'd rather be outside playing
baseball. I only took them for 9 months, but I learned enough that I could pick things out from
the records. And I had these books with simple little songs in them, and I liked to make up
different words to sing. I also changed it around where I'' sing the right words, but I made up
my own chords.

LW: So you were becoming a songwriter at a real early age!
LB: Yeah, I was 10 or so.

LW: Ever had a real job?
LB: Yeah, I've had a couple. My first job was at the Dairy Queen. I had the hat, the whole bit!
In fact, Dairy Queen was my first paying gig! The manager knew I played in a band, and asked me
if we'd like to play in the parking lot. He put our names on the D.Q. sign; "In Concert". I
think we made $20 each. After D.Q. I worked in a couple of factories. One was a factory where
they printed books, and I really like it there.

LW: When did you give up the "day gig?"
LB: When I got in a band called "Raisin' Kane"; that was 1975. God! People will read these dates,
going "how old IS this guy??" Anyway, it was going real well, we did shows with Black Oak
Arkansas, several groups, and we were having a lot of fun, but I was writing pop songs, and the
other writer in the band was writing country rock. I wanted to put a band together to do some
alternative stuff; that was 1980.

LW: Who was in the original "Windows?"
LB: Paul Cooper was the drummer for "Raisin' Kane" and he went with me. I called Paul Doege, who
had been our original bass player. Then I called a good friend of mine, Lowell Wiley, who was a
great guitar player, good singer, and a Beatles nut, just like the rest of us. So that was it
for 5 years; then Paul Cooper and Lowell left. I was devastated. But I called my brother, Alan,
about joining, and he knew a keyboard player named Kirby Jackson who wanted to join, so we picked
up and went on from there.

LW: Why did the Windows split up?
LB: The last 3 or 4 years was a struggle. Some of the clubs we'd been playing closed, things had
changed. The 80's were our time. One the college campuses, if you had the biggest PA, the biggest
lights, and the biggest truck, you could get hired like crazy! But we didn't scale down like we
should have when the times changed...it was like "less was better." And I think we were just
tired of it, but change is scary.

LW: "Motorcar" was a hit for you, but why did people toss change on stage when you sang it?
LB: I made the statement one time, "if I had a nickel for everytime I've played this song" and
people picked up on it and started putting nickels on the stage when we did it. The other night
I was playing in Vicksburg, and the crowd was really getting into my music, so I decided to do
"Motorcar", and I don't usually do it unless I get a request for it.

LW: Why not?
LB: (laughing) If I had a nickel for every time I've played that song..!

LW: Are you really sick of doing it?
LB: Well, "sick" is a strong word, but I don't do it unless I have to. Anyway, I did do it that
night, and everybody got up to dance, and I sold a CD; I don't know what it is about that song.
I'm sure it's just because that's the one that got radio airplay, and people still recognize it
and it's been 10 years! Man, radio changes everything, and we all owe a lot to David Adcock,
'cause he's the only one doing it around here!

LW: What do you miss about being in a band, and what do you like about playing solo?
LB: The best thing about a band is just feeding off of the other musicians, the camaraderie, I
miss that. I like the solo thing because I can do whatever I want, the mistakes are all mine,
but I can do the show I want to do. Plus, I don't travel so much now.

LW: You played with a new band at The Dock a few months ago (the St. Judes Jam). Will we see more
of this band?
LB: Oh! I'm glad you asked me about that. Yes! We'll be playing our first gig Feb 14th at McB's.

LW: Does the band have a name yet?
LB: I guess it's gonna be called "The Larry Brewer Band." Elliott Eddy plays bass, and Lynn Duck
is on drums. I'm excited about it!

LW: How did you and Hunter Gibson hook up?
LB: When I was still with the Windows, he mentioned getting together to do some songs, and we
finally got together at his place one afternoon. We just did some stuff that we both knew, and
it sounded really good. He invited me to come out and sit in with him, and we've been playing
together ever since. It's rally great, when we sing, our voices just sound really good together.

LW: You guys do have an incredible vocal blend that you don't hear often.
LB: Yeah, people ask me a lot why we don't sing together all the time, but Hunter's got a good
thing going with his solo gig; to tell you the truth, sometimes it's hard to do because of the
money. Hunter's got his price, and I've got mine, and sometimes a club owner doesn't want to pay
enough for both of us, when he could just pay one of us!

LW: You've been doing some recording lately; just demos, or a new CD?
LB: Well, I'm putting down demos for a future CD; there's no plan for a CD right now, but that's
basically what I'm doing.

LW: Are you a perfectionist in the studio?
LB: Yeah, producing the CD, it was all me, my songs, my project, you know? I think I did a good
job. My biggest problem was knowing when enough was enough. It was like, I need one more harmony
there, another guitar part here, no, let's take this guitar part out, and add a keyboard. It was
hard deciding when to stop.

LW: You're a pretty quiet guy, what gets your temper up?
LB: Sometimes I've butted heads with guys in the bands, but it was because I was the writer; you
have a vision of what you want it to sound like, whether it be right or wrong. But that's trivial
stuff. I CAN get pretty upset!

LW: About what? Do you get angry in traffic?
LB: Yeah, I get mad in traffic, not too much, though. That's what (new song) "World Going Crazy"
is all about. I watch too much CNN, and I get depressed and pissed off, till I just have to turn
it off.

LW: How did you meet Dawn?
LB: Kirby had dated Dawn's sister Anna a few times, and she brought her out to hear the Windows.
When Anna first introduced me to her, I thought "what a cool girl, and so intelligent!"

LW: And easy on the eyes!
LB: VERY easy on the eyes! She'd come out when the band was in town, and we had a great time,
talking and getting to know each other over a period of time. We've been married almost 3 years,
man, she's been the inspiration for some of my best songs.

LW: What do you like to do to relax?
LB: This right here, home, fireplace, Dawn and I on the couch. I've been on the road so long,
it's great doing my solo thing around town and not having to travel so much; I'm in love, and I
just really LIKE being home. Life is a good one now.

LW: You have 2 daughters in Tennessee, don't you?
LB: (face lights up) Yeah! Delia's 9, and Michelle is 22, she just got married.

LW: Do you get to see them often?
LB: Yeah, about every 3 weeks.

LW: You'll hate me for this one; if you could only do one, would you be a writer or performer?
LB: GOD! That's a tough one, wow! Honestly, I could not give up performing. It all goes back to
being a kid and jamming in the garage with your buddies. I mean, I've played coliseums, and felt
that feeling of hearing 8,000 people clapping and yelling, and it was the high of all highs! We
got to do concerts with some great bands; and recording the album with John Hampton was just the
greatest experience of my career! He wasn't a big time producer yet (Gin Blossoms), but he had
done some engineering for people like REM and Stevie Nicks. He was like a magician on the boards!
And while we were recording in Studio A, Joe Walsh was in B, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds in C;
it was incredible! I met Joe Walsh at the coke machine!!

LW: Was he sane?
LB: He was druuuuuunk!.

LW: Who are some of the bands you did shows with?
LB: Let's see, Stray Cats, Hall and Oates, Beach Boys, Jefferson Airplane, Molly Hatchet. I can't
remember 'em all. Oh, man, we were opening for Jefferson Starship in Tennessee once, and a guy on
our road crew, Tony Fields, came back to lead us out to the stage. As we made our way, I looked
up and Mickey Thomas was standing there - but Tony didn't know who he was! So he said (to
Jefferson Starship's singer) "Alright, get the fuck out of the way, The Windows are comin'
through!. I almost died!

LW: No doubt! Did he move?
LB: (cracking up) Yeah, actually he did-hey the Windows were coming through!

LW: (a personal note) Last summer I was thinking about calling MOJO's publisher, Kip Caven, about
the possibility of writing for the magazine, but I'm basically a chicken. Several people told me
to do it, but it was Larry and Dawn Brewer who stayed on me till I made the call. Thanks guys!


Content is Copyright © 2000 by Mojo Magazine


- MOJO Magazine

Special to The Clarion-Ledger

Larry Brewer is hosting a series of CD release parties, starting at the Hilton on Monday.

Larry Brewer CD release party
Kyle Doherty • kyle.doherty@jackson.gannett.com • August 21, 2008


What: Larry Brewer CD Release Party Week.


When & Where: 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at The Hilton, 1001 E. County Line Road, Jackson.

6:30 p.m. Aug. 28 at Que Sera, 2801 N. State St., Jackson.

8 p.m. Aug. 29 at MCB's Restaurant & Lounge, 815 Lake Harbor Drive, Ridgeland.

6 p.m. Aug. 30 at The Haute Pig, 1856 Main St., Madison.


Cost: Free.


Contact: The Hilton, (601) 957-2800.

The gist: Larry Brewer first gained notoriety as a musician with his band The Windows, which acquired a large regional following in the '80s.

Since then, music has been both his passion and his day job.

"It's a lot of work. I just love doing it and I do it whether I want to or not," he says. "It's become part of who I am.

"You know that old cliche with musicians where they say, 'When are you going to get a real job?' " he says. "I've been doing this for over 30 years; I'm one of the fortunate guys."

His latest album (available at BeBop Record Shop and at FYE) is called Lucky Ever After and, according to him, it's his most eclectic to date.

"It's a lot of diverse material on this album. I wrote my first country song, that was different," Brewer says. "Then there's a song called Brain Freeze which is probably the wildest rock 'n' roll song I've ever written. There's a song for everyone, kind of.

"I think it's the best solo album I've ever made," he continues. "I'm real proud of it."

Another first on Brewer's new album is a stab at a ballad to planet Earth, complete with a choir of children to drive the message home.

"My first green song," he chuckles. "I jumped on the bandwagon and it turned out very well."

For Brewer, continuing to grow as a musician is natural for him since he doesn't intend to switch careers any time soon.

"I don't ever see myself stopping," he says. "It's just so much of who I am that it's all I can do. It's all I know how to do.

"I can see it going on for as long as people want to listen. As long as people want to hear me play and listen to my songs."
- Clarion Ledger