The Josh Abbot Band Had a Rough Week
Things could be worse in your life. You could be in the Josh Abbott Band at the moment, which means you’ve probably experienced some massive calamity recently. Despite their continued success as one of the very top acts in Texas country, they’ve gone through a string of unfortunate incidents over the last week or so that has resulted in the band announcing they’re taking a breather, and canceling their upcoming shows for about a week.
Last Saturday, July 23rd could be easily described as a hell day for the band. As they were bivouacked in Las Vegas to play a show, Josh Abbott was suffering from dehydration and decided to take an IV to help recover. He then experienced an allergic reaction to the IV, causing his asthma to flare up and his throat to constrict. Paramedics were called, and they were worried he may go into cardiac arrest so they rushed Abbott to the hospital. He was released later that evening after getting the all clear, but it was a harrowing experience nonetheless.
Meanwhile the bass player for the band, James Hertless, lost his grandfather on Saturday—the day after the war veteran’s 64th wedding anniversary. Part of the reason for the canceled upcoming shows is so Hertless can attend the funeral.
And possibly the most bizarre part of the Josh Abbott Band’s Saturday is apparently two of the band members “discovered a dead body in Vegas in a horrific manner.” Yikes.
Yet beyond all this drama is the strange story out of Palestine, TX, the home of the annual Hot Pepper Festival every October. Apparently the Josh Abbott Band had a preliminary agreement to headline this year’s festival with the “Hot Pepper Festival Committee,” but when the decision made its way to the Palestine City Council, it got shot down by a couple of council members who said they’d never heard of the band before.
Apparently former winner of The Voice Craig Wayne Boyd was the Pepper Fest headliner last year, and that was the style of performer the council was more happy with. “It scares me to know this band is $7,000 more than last year, and I knew the guy back then. I don’t know this guy,” said councilman Joseph Thompson according to the Palestine Herald-Press. Councilwoman Vickey Chivers had no clue who the Josh Abbot Band was either. Not that Facebook “likes” are any indication, but The Josh Abbott Band nearly doubles up on Craig Wayne Boyd in that department, and has been around for longer, and is better known in Texas (aside from Palestine, apparently).
The event’s organizer Heather Hrebec tried to explain that Josh Abbott was the least expensive of the acts the festival was considering for the headliner spot, while time was running out to book any headliners for the festival that’s now just three months away. Another councilman pointed out that the reason to pay a headliner is to help draw patrons to the event, and the longer the council took to make a decision, the less likely they were to find a headliner at all, and for an affordable price. Nonetheless, the council decided to table the decision, and do more research before coming to a conclusion.
Ultimately, the Josh Abbott Band made the decision for them, pulling their name out of consideration.
“The Hot Pepper Festival Committee is disappointed in the band’s decision not to perform at the festival. The committee will seek other entertainers for this year’s festival,” the committee said in a press release.
July 28, 2016 @ 10:32 am
I’ve never heard of Craig Wayne Boyd
July 28, 2016 @ 1:36 pm
He won the voice. With dot records for just a bit. Have not heard from him much lately
July 28, 2016 @ 11:07 am
Just your friendly reminder that a whole lot of people who serve on city councils and boards are generally stupid and out of touch. I say this not as a Josh Abbot Band fan, as a matter of fact Abbot routinely comes off as a self-important narcissistic in the interviews I have read of him. However, the city council’s actions are mind numbingly stupid and this is not far more the norm than it should be. How hard is it to go on the Internet and research the Josh Abbot Band? Seriously, virtually everyone carries basically mini computers in their pockets these days and should be able to do a basic Google search.
Sorry, as someone who has to work closely with city councils for their job, I can tell you the general intelligence level of the people who are elected or serve these positions has rapidly declined over the past decade or so. You often get the loudest, dumbest voices elected and this is a perfect example of that happening.
July 28, 2016 @ 11:26 am
dave matthews band sounds more country than this guy, His music sounds like creepy pop christian music. He keeps cheating on his wife and weaseling back, thats hilarious he was dehydrated from being a drunk, fat, out of shape loser.
July 28, 2016 @ 1:19 pm
Aren’t these taxpayer dollars that pay these acts at these town festivals…seems like the residents of these towns should have a say since they are footing the bill. Maybe not everybody wants a country artist at theses things
July 29, 2016 @ 4:18 am
Not sure how the Palestine, TX government does it, but more often than not few–if any–taxpayer dollars go to the festivals. The majority of times, city officials will rely on private groups to fund the bulk of the cost of putting on the festival and through donations/sponsorships from private, local companies. So, for instance where I live they do weekly, free public concerts by the lake. The city organizes and books the bands/artists (usually local or state acts), but the money for the cost will come from local rotary clubs, food vendor fees, donations from local companies and donation from private citizens. I don’t think the city has ever paid out a dime from its coffers for the festival, it has always been able to collect enough vendor fees and donations to more than cover the cost.
Considering local governments across the country have seen less and less state and federal aid in recent years, I would be shocked if Palestine, TX is actually footing much–if any–of the bill associated with this festival. Your point does stand regarding the Country thing, though Craig Wayne Boyd and Josh Abbot basically play the same style of faux-Country anyway.
July 28, 2016 @ 2:23 pm
You have to tell us the “found a dead body” details.
It happens to me every now and then.
July 28, 2016 @ 3:07 pm
They found the body of bro country. It was horrific. He had Tyler Hubbard’s head with a Cole Swindell’s smile and Luke Bryan’s butts.
July 29, 2016 @ 7:12 am
Rest in Peace, bro country.
July 28, 2016 @ 6:08 pm
and wearing a steven tyler scarf from Hermes and a brantley gilbert earring from some mall kiosk
July 29, 2016 @ 6:48 am
I remember my first beer
July 29, 2016 @ 7:56 pm
Lots of folks on the festival’s facebook page are requesting that organizers book Craig Wayne Boyd again, pointing out that he is also represented by the William Morris Agency, and is available. Apparently he put on a first-rate show last year in the rain.
https://www.facebook.com/HotPepperFestival/
August 2, 2016 @ 9:54 pm
It comes down to money. Would JAB out draw Mr. Boyd and at a lower guarantee? Chances are very good they would have with proper promotion and solid radius clauses in the contract. The other consideration are also economic, who would have sold more beer? JAB by a mile. They are not my personal favorite but from a business standpoint their drawing power in Texas is top tier level.