Cowboy Troy

By Jessica Northey and Tobey Deys

How do you begin an article about Cowboy Troy? Some things stand out: he’s really tall, standing at six-feet-five-inches. Add a cowboy hat, darker than average skin, southern drawl, sharp dresser, and nothing but smooth moves on the dance floor…

… and you know he is everything BUT average. He is an architect, trailblazing, paving his own way, and opening the door to a whole new collection of Country Music fans.

Cowboy Troy has done more than excite the industry folks. He’s on his way to corralling a new generation of listeners. The creative fusion of genres in his music is attracting a new kind of audience to Country Music, drawing in listeners who otherwise may not have connected. He found a kindred spirit in like-minded co-producer John Rich (AKA J. MONEY):

“John was one of the first people in the business that understood how natural what I was doing really was and that it wasn’t an act, just a natural extension of myself and my musical influences”

He also feels that his music shouldn’t be deemed outrageous, gimmicky, or bizarre. Cowboy Troy is also a true American innovator:

“I grew up listening to a mix of country music, rap and rock, with a little bit of funk and pop,” he says. “That didn’t make me unusual back home (Dallas, Texas). Whenever I would go into the honky-tonks and they put on Run-DMC or Sir Mix-A-Lot, the floor would be packed with the cowboy hats swaying and people having a good time dancing. So it didn’t seem like that big a deal for me once I decided to try music that all these things would converge in my music.”

Cowboy Troy, Big Kenny, John Rich & Two Foot Fred

Troy Lee Coleman III was born in Victoria, Texas. As you know, his “Hick-Hop” handle is Cowboy Troy. (He got the name from a friend in college to distinguish him from ‘that other Troy’) You should also know that he is a member of the MuzikMafia, an aggregation of country music singer-songwriters that includes Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, and James Otto. Cowboy Troy’s repertoire to date includes four studio albums (two released on Warner Bros. Records), an EP, and he has charted twice on the Billboard Country singles charts.

Now you’ve met Cowboy Troy. This Hick-Hop Artist is a full-time rhymer, part-time singer, and perpetual gentleman. It is truly an honor to know him both online and in real life.

Troy’s “Hick-Hop” continues to provoke a stir in the country music world. Two years ago, Loco Motive, Cowboy Troy’s Warner Bros./Raybaw debut, landed at number two on the Billboard Country Album chart and definitely got the industry buzzing. There’s one little Loco Motive that could; it has sold 342,000 copies. And the world noticed him, on the pages of People, Rolling Stone, Time, USA Today, The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, and Larry King Live. Troy was everywhere. More than anything else, his hosting gig on USA’s Nashville Star affixed him in the country’s focus. His support and respect for new talent is admirable. He recognized that the power of the show was “making sure that the best and most talented people win and that they get the seasoning and advice they need to make it in the business.”

And Troy is true to his word. Nashville Star season five winner Angela Hacker lent vocals to “Lock Me Up” and “Hick Chick” on his album, Black in the Saddle, which launched in June 2007. For extra flavor, this album features rocker M. Shadows, lead singer of Avenged Sevenfold, as well as the deep baritone of Troy’s MuzikMafia cohort, James Otto.

Cowboy Troy doesn’t miss a beat; he’s also a savvy participant in Social Media.

“Social media allows me to connect with my fans directly. It helps me provide a more meaningful experience to them.”

Twitter is Troy’s favorite website, and following @cowboytroy is a treat. Unlike some Music Stars who are available online ‘in name only’, Troy is open and supportive of the community, responsive, and completely accessible.

He lives in Nashville TN with his wife Laura, and their busy and growing triplets.

Web address: http://www.cowboytroy.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/cowboytroy

iLike: http://www.ilike.com/artist/Cowboy+Troy

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/cowboytroy

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