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Artist Bio:
Rather appropriately, mystery pervades the career of Robert Earl Keen, the most successful artist that many Americans have never heard. He's had his songs recorded by George Strait, Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin, the Dixie Chicks and the Highwaymen (Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash & Kris Kristofferson); appeared in such prestigious publications as Playboy and Men's Journal; performed on Late Night With Conan O'Brien and The Today Show; had Garth Brooks mention his music in one of his own songs, and played concert venues steadily for more than 20 years. By his own admission, he's never had a song hit the Top 10 of a major chart, and yet he consistently plays sold-out shows for audiences that number sometimes as many as 25,000.
Keen's career-hugely successful while dodging the music industry's most obvious channel of exposure, mainstream radio- remains a bit of a mystery even to him.
"As time goes by, it becomes a greater and greater curiosity," he confesses. "I literally can play a 90-minute show and almost everybody in the room will be singing every song. To me, that's what it's all about. If people are recording your songs and singing your songs, then you're successful. If you play these songs and nobody cares, then you're not successful. My thing is like I'm extremely successful because so many people know so many of my songs. They don't know one song-they know them all!" This high-energy fan participation can be, not only heard, but experienced on Keen's latest release, recorded live at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium (the longtime home of the Grand Ole Opry before it moved to the permanent Grand Ole Opry House). Keen delights a packed house with first class renditions of some of his biggest hits and best loved songs including "What I Really Mean," "Broken End of Love," and "Amarillo Highway." Live at the Ryman captures the high energy experience that has made Keen a favorite of audiences all over the country. "Sometimes I say this jokingly, but I think this is pretty much the key," Keen observes. "I don't think I intimidate anybody with my voice. My vocal range is so limited that anybody that's even had a tracheotomy can follow what's going on. Everybody can sing a Robert Earl Keen song. You're not gonna be thrown a big curveball by some huge falsetto piece in the middle of it. They work, and they sound good, the words fit together well, and they're easy to sing. I think people like that."
And surely they do, as Keen's albums continue to receive critical acclaim and success. Keen's latest studio album, What I Really Mean, topped #1 on the AAA charts and charted as the number two American album for all of 2005. The Washington Post called it "another terrific disc…a fine choice for those searching for country music with character and authenticity."
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