Poodle Lynn and the Backstage Band

Country’s All I’ll Ever Be is about as country as I’ve ever hard. Poodle Lynn has been playing the
Texas club scene since 1985. This is pure dancehall music. While listening to this, I can close my
eyes and virtually be transported to a place where someone’s grandmother sells the beer for $1.50
and sawdust covers the floor.
Enough about the feeling, 12 of the 14 songs (13 plus a bonus track) on the album are written by
one of the performing family members. What a talented bunch.
In fact, lead singer duties on Country’s All I’ll Ever Be are traded off between Poodle Lynn and her
children T. J. Hamrick, Jr., Billy B. Wimberly, Jr., and Melissa Sellers. Assorted musicians fill in the
“Backstage Band” duties on this recording.
Lynn, who wrote five of the songs on this album, offers a wonderful song in the soul-filled “Until Life’s
Chapter Turns A Page.” This is what I would call a definite belly-rubbing song.
Hamrick, Jr. writes and sings three songs on this CD. “Don’t You Cry” is a classic-country song. Bob
Brown provides an awesome steel-guitar backdrop for this sad song.
Sellers takes lead vocals on the track “It Takes Two,” one of the two songs she writes on Country’s
All I’ll Ever Be. It’s a gospel-sounding track she wrote about love slipping away. “It takes two to make
love grow, reaching down in our souls. C’mon baby lets try it again.”
“Dancing In the Dining Room” performs one of the two songs Wimberly, Jr. writes for this CD. It’s a
great memory song about weekends spent at home, dancing in socks and underwear. I thought I was
the only one.
The Pete Townsend penned “Squeeze Box” is one of the cover songs on this album. Ponty Bone
Steps in to provide the accordion to this one. Nice.

- Sean Claes-November 2003