cover story HENRY PAUL
by Michael Buffalo Smith
THE OUTLAWS HIT THE DIXIE HIGHWAY
40 hit "There Goes Another Love Song." Then came their massive hit “Green Grass and High Tides” and their timeless cover of “Ghost Riders in the Sky.” Going on fifty years later, the band has
gone through numerous personnel changes, but they are turning out new music that is as good as their 1970’s masterpieces. We spoke with founding member Henry Paul about the current band, the return of former guitarist Steve Grisham and the groups red hot new album, Dixie Highway.
The Outlaws were formed in Tampa,
Florida, in 1972 by singers/guitarists Hughie Thomasson and Henry Paul, bassist Frank O'- Keefe, and drummer Monte Yoho. With the 1973 addition of guitarist Billy Jones, the lineup was complete, and after a year of in- tense touring the band became the first act signed to Arista under Clive Davis; the Out- laws' self-titled 1975 album spotlighted their Eagles-influenced harmonies and Allman Brothers-like guitar attack, yielding the Top
The band has gone through quite a few changes. You brought back an old friend of mine named Grits - Steve Gr- isham. What are your thoughts were on having Steve back in the band. Well, Steve is an enormous part of the band’s success story. Having Steve in the band is a huge plus. Let me just say this. First of all, he is a great singer and he is a great guitar player, he’s a great Stratocaster player and he plays a world class guitar. He’s a really, really good lead singer and a really, really beautiful harmony vocalist. And when Chris Anderson left the band, which was a very difficult part of my daily work, Dale Oliver came into the group, and Steve and Dale really hit it off. Dale was very gracious and very nurturing and really encouraging and Steve was ecstatic over his relationship with Dale. Dale was very giving, and just a really generous kinda musi- cal minded kind of guy, so Steve and Dale have created this synergy that goes beyond just music, it’s more spiritual. So having Steve back in the band and then having him blos-
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