by Ed Solt
South Bay Country founder Michael Grady embodies country music’s blue collar persona. He’s worked six days a week for over 30 years managing Independent Repair & Tire Pros in Redondo Beach. More recently, he’s taken his work ethic and applied it to music. He’s made South Bay Country arguably the area’s hottest country act, and helped spawn a South Bay country scene.
Grady strongly believes in playing for the audience. His band belts out country tunes that audiences want to hear. During a performance, Grady looks to see the age of the audience, and observes its reactions. Are folks dancing, clapping, or just enjoying their drinks?
“Each venue has a different audience. For example, when we play Texas Loosey’s, the tempo changes after dinner,” he said. “Plenty of times I have changed the setlist midway based on how I am feeling the audience.”
Grady’s dedication to his audience is just another aspect of the workhorse that is South Bay Country. By playing variety that caters to different tastes, the band is more accessible to different audiences. South Bay County’s versatility leads to playing different venues and more gigs.
“When I first started South Bay Country, I was told that country would not work in the South Bay,” he said. “That I was wasting my time.”
Flashback to 2012. Grady only learned to play guitar a couple years prior and advanced as a student at the Fitchett Guitar School in Redondo Beach, enrolling in the “Adult Rock Band 101” course to form a band.
“My personal preference for music [is that] I need to hear the words,” he said. “No yelling or screaming. I have always loved to country because the words are understandable and from the heart. Country has storytelling and the artists always have something to say.”
After a little research, Grady discovered no local acts and no local venues that catered to the country taste.
“I went online just to look for a local country band to hook up with,” he said. “There was nothing, I mean nothing. It sucked.”
The country craze had last swept the South Bay in the 80s, specifically at venues like the long gone Sweetwater at the Redondo Beach Triangle Shopping Center (bulldozed for the Crown Plaza Hotel in the late 80s), where artists like Bonnie Raitt and Vince Gill performed, and which launched local country artists, Sweethearts of the Rodeo, who would go on to national fame.
“Country was popular, especially after movies like ‘Urban Cowboy’ during this time,” Grady said.
Grady sought out band members and started the first incarnation of South Bay Country. They played their first gig at the defunct 20/20 club in Redondo Beach on October 7th, 2012.
“Everybody liked us and we ended up playing Sundays,” he said. “From there, it was time to get serious.”
Grady was prepared to make the investment and purchased equipment and gear. When he felt band members didn’t share the same vision, he found the right players. His goal was to play a show once a week.
“I was laughed at and told some of the best in the business aren’t even hired to play once a week,” he said.
South Bay Country’s coming out party occurred on February 27, 2013, at Baja Sharkeez in Manhattan Beach.
“There were a lot of big names and club owners in attendance,” he said. “I guess they liked what they saw. We played 51 shows in 2013, just about our goal of one show a week. In 2014, country music was the most popular genre in the United States.”
South Bay Country’s success paralleled this trend, more than doubling its performances for the next year, playing 130 gigs in 2015. In 2015, they played 130 shows. This year, Grady has 150 shows scheduled. The band hosts weekly country nights at many local venues — places where a DJ mixing the latest beats are the norm.
“We started a country night with American Junkie on Wednesdays called ‘Western Wednesdays’ that morphed into them hiring a DJ to play country hits on the other side of the bar,” he said. “What we started has given the opportunity to other country acts to play. We only play twice a month. I mean, I wouldn’t want to see the same band four weeks in a row.”
South Bay Country’s current lineup is an eclectic, talented group. The lead singer, Bee Hudgins, is originally from Texas.
“She’s an amazing vocalist who loves singing ballets and also is an actress,” said Grady. “She has her own princess party company where she plays the princess for children.”
On lead guitar is the versatile Mike Thompson, originally from Detroit. “He loves all types of music,” Grady said. “He keeps us on our toes and can play anything requested by the audience.”
Bassist Phil Gilbreth was an original member of the Twisters, the late 70s and early 80’s New Wave South Bay band that was all over the LA music scene and enjoyed some mainstream success. Tony Mortillaro plays the drums. Hisako Ozawa, the rhythm guitarist, is on a four-year visa and just graduated from the Music Institute Hollywood.
“She plays in all girls cover band, Paradise City, a Guns n Roses Tribute, and an all Japanese girl band,” he said. “She is working on getting her artist residency.”
The band has connected outside of the South Bay and has played with other country acts like Southern Caliber, Tina Michelle and the Rhinestone Cowboys, Honkytonk Boom Box, and Country Thunder.
“We are super excited to have played with and are going to play with such great bands,” Grady said. “It has introduced us to many fans outside our area.”
Grady’s aspirations aren’t to play the Grand Ole Opry or to put a number one hit on the country charts.
“Our goal is to play bigger and larger local festivals like the Hermosa Beach Festival, Redondo Beach Concerts on the Pier, and the Polliwog Concerts on the Park [in Manhattan Beach],” Grady said. “We want to show them that country is back here in the South Bay.”
South Bay Country plays The Boogie at Fisherman’s Wharf on the Redondo pier Saturday night April 23, starting at 9:30, and American Junkie in Hermosa Beach April 27 at 9:30 p.m. For more information, see SouthBayCountry.com. ER
