When you hear the rich three-part harmonies driven by Kathie Baillie's powerful.
heartstopping vocals. Michael Bonagura's soaring guitar and Alan LeBoeufs solid bass
line, the music of Baillie & The Boys will be forever inscribed on your mind and in your
heart.
Baillie & The Boys have released six albums starting with their first for RCA Records in
1987 and including their current release "The Road That Led Me To You" on their own
Synergy label, officially released in the spring of 2000. The common denominator of all
of their releases, however, is the songwriting talents of Kathie Baillie and Michael
Bonagura, and that talent is most evident on the new CD. Seven of the 12 songs are co
written by Kathie and/or Michael, and an eighth song was co-written by Alan LeBoeuf.
who has returned to recording and performing with Baillie & The Boys for the first time
in ten years. When not recording their own songs, they have selected material from some
of Nashville's top writers including Gary Burr, Susan Longacre and Bob McDill to make
their new project complete as well as compatible with their own songs.
"The Road That Led Me To You" is a whole new direction for the group. It was
produced by Michael Bonagura and is an all-acoustic project that allows these songs to
become little stories of their own. Kathie Baillie's vocal coupled with the instrumental
background on each of the tracks take Baillie &The Boys to a whole new level.
musically. This ain't the Baillie & The Boys you thought you knew. Kathie Baillie has
never sounded better, and this new release puts her squarely in the company of vocalists
like Emmylou Harris. Joni Mitchell and Nanci Griffith.
Billboard magazine said of the new CD, "On this well-crafted album, the trio remind
everyone of the musical magic that occurs when great songs. skilled production. and a
stunning voice unite." The review also went on to state. "In a perfect world where
exceptional songs and great performances triumph over music biz machinery, this album
would be multi-platinum."
Kathie and Michael met in 1973 while Michael was attending the University of
Delaware. A friend had set them up on a blind date promising that the two would "make
beautiful music together." Within a few months they were literally making music
together in clubs and coffeehouses up and down the Atlantic coast. The two became a
trio with the addition of Alan LeBoeuf, Michael's childhood friend. In 1981, Kathie and
Michael were married, and two years later. they landed in Nashville, gaining recognition
first as songwriters and then as session singers. They did a live audition for RCA
Records and their first album was recorded and released in a matter of months.
"Oh Heart," the first single by Baillie & The Boys. was a top ten hit and became a
trademark song for the group. Over the next four years. they released four albums for the
label, each to critical acclaim, and containing hit singles like "Long Shot." "She Deserves
You," "A Fool Such As I," "I Can't Turn The Tide" and "Treat Me Like A Stranger."
The success of the music earned them awards and nominations from the Country Music
Association, the Academy of Country Music and the TNN/Music City News Awards.
Midway through their tenure with RCA, Alan left the group to pursue other projects
while Kathie and Michael continued to tour the U.S. and Canada. In 1996, Intersound
Records signed Kathie and Michael to record a new Baillie & The Boys album. Titled
"Lovin' Every Minute," the album contained nine new songs written by Kathie and
Michael as well as a remake of the Joni Mitchell classic "Both Sides Now." They have
divided their time between touring, television performances and raising their daughter
Alyssa.
Kathie. Michael and Alan have remained close friends over the years. and in August of
1998. the three were reunited for a performance in Daytona Beach to benefit the victims
of the devastating fires that destroyed so much of Central Florida. That night, the Baillie
& The Boys magic flowed from the stage as if the trio has never stopped performing
together. and the three have continued to work together ever since.
With a new album and a new direction, Baillie & The Boys are back on the road and back
on the radio, bringing music fans more great songs, great vocals and great harmonies.
"The Road That Led Me To You" is a comfortable combination of country and folk
styles that works anywhere you play it.
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