Cowboy21Music

Featured Artist..... ( Featured in 2014 ) Featuring again heading into the 2017 Holiday Season

Where you from:  Garro Ellis, was born and raised in Lingle, Wyoming, and transplanted to Bakersfield, California via Los Angeles.

How would you describe your music:  Ummmm..... Wyoming Campfire Country ..... Yippie Skippie Wyoming Country! .... w/ a flair of Bako Sound.

What's going on in your music career:  Hahaha...... Let's just say, with lack of a better word, it's in "revision" mode.  After finally recording a country Christmas song that I wrote 13 years ago, with the motivation of fellow artist and friend Steve Davis (who produced the song), I'm excited to continue to get back in the studio and create magic with words and melodies stuck in my head and in an old notebook somewhere.

Featured Song:

Featured Song:  Christmas time... Happy Time of Year
Song is about a young boy who writes a letter to Santa Claus, asking for NO toys.  Instead, he ask for the return
of his Daddy, who is away at war.  He receives a letter back from Santa Claus, informing the boy that he can't help him;
However, if he gets down on his knees to pray about it, God can. 
Listen to the song and get the ending. 
Songwriter royalties to benefit
"Wounded Heroes Fund" to help children and families of our soldiers (ends Dec. 15th, 2017)
 

Influences:  His songwriting, cadence, melody and structure has influence from early country story telling, like Johnny Horton, which Garro says, "I think the likes of Johnny Horton defined country music.  The pioneers of the Nashville sound, Jim Reeves and Eddie Arnold, also had a big influence. I mean, come on, I loved the Bee Gees, and later Meatloaf, Journey, Styx, the Eagles, Jim Croce and Jimmy Buffett.   I believe they all had an influence on my love for music.". My dad installed speakers in the ceiling throughout the house, and on any given Sunday, we would wake up to Patsy Cline (my mom loved her and sung just like her), Hank Williams, George Jones, lots of Elvis, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton (my dad's favorite for several reasons), and the list goes on.  We didn't miss an episode of Hee-haw with Buck Owens.  I think we all have an influence in our love for music by all the genres we listen too.  Let's put it this way, "I'm a want-to-be rocker in a country boy body".
I was drawn to the sound and storytelling of country music the most..... from Johnny Horton, Jim Croce, George Jones, Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, and Buck Owens, to Joe Diffie, George Strait, Jimmy Buffett, and Garth Brooks..... and today gotta love Zac Brown.
So, I guess you could say, my influence is from "all" music with a goal to make it my own.

Favorite Artist:  Oh Wow.... so many, but if it comes down to who I find myself listening to the most.  I spin Joe Diffie a lot. Blake Shelton and The Zac Brown Band are super talented .... but if it came down to my favorite singer; I'd have to give that to "the" pure soulful tenor, who I could listen to all day long.... absolutely Love John Berry. 

What's your Story:  Growing up I was highly competitive, with the blessed understanding, at an early age, that I need to be a goal setter.  I set goals at 12 years old to win a State High School Wrestling Championship, become an All-State running back, and earn a scholarship in sports at an NCAA D1 level school ( all these goals were achieved )... but, I didn't set any music or artistic goals; However, I had this secret passion for singing and acting.  Growing up in a small Wyoming town, and being known as the athlete to all my friends, it's something you didn't really share.  My mom use to ask me and my sisters to get up on the fireplace hearth ( our basement stage ) and sing to her friends or some relatives that might be visiting.  The most popular song performed "that's Rock n Roll" by Shaun Cassidy.  I'd complain about doing it, but inside I loved performing.  I did it with the preface they couldn't tell anybody.  I got my 1st drum set at age 12 ( just a 4 piece cheap set ), and bought a 10 piece black vistalite Ludwig beauty ( with Zildjian cymbals and all ), when I was 14 ( my parents matched my lawn mower and paper route money to pay for it ) .  In junior high I'd compete at band competitions with my vistalite black beauty and won most of them ( I think the judges were just impressed with the drum set ), because I wasn't that good. It wasn't until high school that I thought "hey, why not"... I joined chorus, and tried out for "all" the plays and musicals.  So, I'd leave football practice and head right to the theatre.  I eventually convinced other ball players to join me and we had a blast. 

Fast forward to college.  I was playing football for the Univ. of Wyoming Cowboys.  My freshman year, on Thanksgiving vacation, I accidentally shot myself in the stomach with a 22 rifle.  The bullet put 16 holes in my small intestine, 8 holes in my large intestine, nicked some serious nerves, before exiting out my buttocks... leaving my left leg partially paralyzed.  Initially the doctors gave me a 50/50 chance of survival. And they didn't think I'd be able to walk right again, let alone run..... my playing days looked to be over.  I see it as a blessing, because this is where I truly started to sing ....a lot.  I left U. of Wyoming, and worked construction in Colorado ( more labor work like digging ditches ).  I'd be sent to dig foundations or prep for concrete pads ( I called myself a "Foundation ditch Engineer" ). My dad owned a concrete company in Wyoming, so I had a little experience.... digging.  But, while I dug, and with nobody around I would sing... and sing... and sing.  I started to make up my own words, and pretend the shovel was my mic stand.  Most kids hated to dig ditches, but I looked forward to it ( especially if I was by my self ).  I realized the more I sang the better I got, plus it must have been good therapy, because the good Lord gave me back the feeling in my leg.  It took about 1 year, but I went back to the Univ. of Wyoming, walked into the coaches office and said I'd like to come back.  Rocky Long was my Defensive Back Coach ( he's now head coach at San Diego State )..... He was known for that smirk 1/2 smile, bench pressed 400+ pounds, and eyes that would burn threw you..... I've never been intimidated by anyone, and would go toe to toe with anybody anytime... Rocky Long intimidated me and I would never go toe to toe with that guy .....  he looked at me and said one word "Really?".... hahaha, it was like he was saying, "Don't waste my time boy".  I walked on that Spring and, although I lost a step or two, or three ( due to the accident ), I didn't lose my ability to hit.  After, our Spring game, Head Coach Al Kincaid called me to his office, (  I think influenced by Rocky Long for not wasting his time ) and  I earned my Full-Ride scholarship to play again. To me this was a God Thing.  Lots of prayers!!!  It taught me a Big Heart and passion for something you love, setting solid goals, and faith in God's plan, has a bigger impact than your ability.

When I left college, I went to California to pursue acting and singing.  I started setting my goals.  My first goal was to get on a Soap Opera.  I accomplished this with a role on "Bold and the Beautiful".  I then set a goal to get on a top 10 show.  I accomplished this with a role in "Melrose Place".  On stage I set a goal to find a production of the musical the "Fantasticks" ( which is known as the longest running musical in history ).  I thought it would be coolio if I was cast as the lead, El Gallo, with my name being Garro.  I achieved that goal with the Studio City Park Players and is one of my favorite memories in Theatre. Then I fell in love and got married....and had a child....then another child...... then another child.... ALL GiRLs!!!!!.  God rewarded me...... I prayed for him to surround me with women.  Well, after my 3rd child I really needed to focus on being a better husband, father, and provider.  I wanted my wife and girls to have more than what I was providing.  I decided to get a REAL J-O-B.  I moved out of L.A. and took a job in Bakersfield, CA.  On the commute to my office from our mountain home ( about 1 hour each way ) I would sing... and sing.... and sing.  I carried a cassette recorder, to record a song or poem that might pop up in my pea brain.  Most my favorite songs written, took only 1 hour.  Again, God blessed me with that 1 hour commute.  I wrote about 40 songs, but some are tucked in a notebook somewhere In a tub in the attic..... I'm motivated to find that notebook, and continue to write.  The. Lord put me on a path that he wanted me to be on, and now he's telling me to continue with the original dream of writing and singing.  Let's see where this path goes. 

Today, Garro can be heard daily, from 10am - Noon, on Newstalk 1180am KERN.  He is comfortable in his career, continues to write songs, set goals, and is extremely motivated to get in the studio again..... STAY TUNED


*******************************  How to Buy and Download the Song:

1.  If you have a PayPal account you can click on Garro's "Flying High" Photo Below or MUSIC Tab above, to preview the song, or buy this Country Christmas song directly from this site..... can also push the play button (should see this at bottom of this page) to review.

2.  Click on Christmas Time Picture Below to go to  iTunes link to our featured Country Christmas Song:     

3.  Also available on Amazon.com/music (search for Garro Ellis)