Chris Brotherton

-They slapped a nickname on him, The Renaissance Man.-

"...AND FROM WEST PLAINS, MO - THE HOME OF THE ZIZZERS"

    That phrase has been heard by thousands of John D. Hale Band fans, night after night as John humorously introduces the man behind the drums on stage at each show.  Always leaving the audience wondering 'what's a zizzer?'

   After moving from Missouri to Minnesota, then to Texas before returning to the small town he was raised in, Chris has put down roots, as he jokingly admits, "three and a half hours from everywhere".  It's here where he raises his family and runs a graphic design and screen printing business.  In the confines of his hometown, relatively few people have any idea that he has spent the past decade sharing the stage with artists such as Billy Joe Shaver, Marty Stuart, Chris Stapleton, Cross Canadian Ragweed(back when they were Cross Canadian Ragweed), Jason Boland, Jack Ingram, Chris Knight... and the list goes on, and on, and on.

   As the long time drummer for the international touring act, the John D. Hale Band, Chris has played from coast to coast and on two continents.  He co-wrote two radio singles with Hale from the band's 2007 album 'Lost'.  'Heartbreaker' and 'Only Time Will Tell', both songs appeared on the hugely popular and highly competitive Texas Music Charts that year.  Then in 2011 Chris confirmed his nickname as The Modern Day Renaissance Man when he published his first book, Hilljacked: A collection of stories based on the songs of the John D. Hale Band.  

   But even before joining John's band, Chris was well known as the long-time, and very first 'In-House Sound Guy' for the now legendary Snorty Horse Saloon, in Mount Vernon, MO. There he ran sound and worked with the biggest names in Texas Country and Red Dirt music (pardon another installment of name-dropping) Some of them include Shooter Jennings, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Gary P Nunn, Mike McClure, Randy Rogers Band, Stoney Larue... again the list is endless.

   Many of the old Snorty Horse crowd can recall Chris on-stage, not behind the drums, but with a guitar in hand singing the songs he wrote.  For years prior to finding a home with Steve Green and the staff at the old Snorty, Chris travelled the midwest honing his skills as a performer playing acoustic shows.  Occasionally jamming with bands, and even releasing two solo albums, 2006's solo acoustic 'Snorty Horse Live' album (currently out of print), and a full band record from 2009 'Modern Day Renaissance Man'.

   And now, many years, and many stories later, Chris is returning to the front of the stage, guitar in hand.  With a decade of new material, you won't want to miss him when he hits your town.