Great Plains (Tennessee band)
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Founder | Jack Sundrud, Russ Pahl, Denny Dadmun-Bixby, Michael Young, Lex Browning |
| Defunct | 1996 |
Key people | Jack Sundrud, Russ Pahl, Denny Dadmun-Bixby, Michael Young, Lex Browning |
| Products | Studio albums, singles |
Great Plains emerged in 1987 as a forward-thinking country pop ensemble, comprising Jack Sundrud (currently a member of Cimarron 615), Russ Pahl, Denny Dadmun-Bixby, Michael Young, and Lex Browning. Over their career, they produced two studio albums and charted four singles on the Billboard country listings, with their top-performing track, "Faster Gun," peaking at No. 41.
Early days
The group’s roots trace back to Michael Johnson's backing band, which included Sundrud, Pahl, and Young. Sundrud brought a wealth of touring experience, having performed with notable acts such as Poco, Nicolette Larson, and Dickey Betts from the Allman Brothers. Producer Brent Maher, collaborating with Johnson, recognized the band's promise and arranged studio sessions that initially featured Austin Cunningham as lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist. Following Cunningham’s departure to pursue a solo path, Sundrud’s songwriting talents earned him a contract with Maher’s publishing firm, Moraine Music, leading to recordings with Sundrud stepping into the lead vocal role.
After an unsuccessful showcase with RCA, the band expanded by adding bassist Denny Dadmun-Bixby in 1989, which allowed Sundrud to focus on acoustic guitar and lead vocals. Dadmun-Bixby had prior experience with Wild Choir and Gail Davies, connections facilitated through Sundrud’s earlier touring work with Davies. Progress on recording slowed due to members’ external engagements—Pahl toured with Don Williams; Bixby balanced work with Wild Choir and Davies; Young split time between session work and running a custom-car business. Early in 1990, Sundrud rejoined Poco after Richie Furay left their Legacy tour, which postponed Great Plains’ project completion by about a year.
Record deal
By 1991, the band finalized their recordings and performed a showcase for Sony/Columbia that secured them a contract. Their debut album was produced by Brent Maher and Don Potter, with Brian Maher assisting. The initial single, "A Picture of You," co-written by Sundrud and Gary Burr, reached No. 48 on the charts, while "Faster Gun" climbed to No. 41.
Despite these efforts, the debut album did not achieve commercial success, prompting Russ Pahl and Michael Young to exit in 1992. Sundrud and Dadmun-Bixby continued as a duo for most of their second album recording sessions using session musicians. However, Sony underwent leadership changes during production and ultimately dropped the group in 1993.
That same year, Great Plains earned a nomination from the Academy of Country Music for Top New Vocal Group or Duet but were bested by Confederate Railroad.
Around this period, Brent Maher became involved with Magnatone Records—an independent label funded by Home Shopping Network founder Roy Speer. Other artists on Magnatone’s roster included Shelby Lynne, Billy Montana, Rich McCready, and Caryl Mack Parker.
Another chance
Sundrud and Dadmun-Bixby revitalized Great Plains by bringing in multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Lex Browning. Abandoning prior recordings, they began anew under producers Maher and Potter. Their 1996 album Homeland yielded three singles—none reaching the top 40: "Dancin' With The Wind" (co-written by Sundrud and Craig Bickhardt), "Healin' Hands" (Sundrud with Chuck Cannon), and "Wolverton Mountain" (written by Claude King and Merle Kilgore). Music videos were produced for both "Dancin' With The Wind" and "Wolverton Mountain."
The band also recorded additional material with producer Michael Clute (known for work with Diamond Rio). Magnatone released the single "There's More Where That Came From" (written by Sundrud and Tia Sillers) but soon after terminated their relationship with the band. Great Plains completed remaining obligations before disbanding in 1996.
Following the breakup
In 2000, Jack Sundrud rejoined Poco and continued performing with the group through at least 2015, handling bass and vocal duties. He co-authored the 1995 country hit "Cain's Blood" for the vocal ensemble 4 Runner, which reached No. 26 on the country charts. Additionally, Sundrud collaborated with Craig Bickhardt to write Ty Herndon's chart-topping country single "It Must Be Love." In 2005, he launched his solo career with the album By My Own Hand, followed by Idlewheel in 2006—a joint project with Bickhardt that developed into a full band, actively touring until 2008.
Lex Browning moved back to Portland, Oregon, where he became a member of Freak Mountain Ramblers and contributed to four albums. In 2009, he released his solo record Good Rain under Red Newt Records. As of September 2018, Browning reunited with Sundrud in Poco, adding guitar, fiddle, and vocals to their lineup.
Dadmun-Bixby lent backing vocals to Suzy Bogguss's 1998 album Nobody Love, Nobody Gets Hurt and toured alongside Bogguss and Rodney Crowell as bassist and backing vocalist before returning to Portland. He often performs with Browning and has issued two solo albums: Fish Out Of Water (2002) and JOYRIDE (2017).
Albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Great Plains |
|
| Homeland |
|
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | |||
| 1991 | "A Picture of You" | 63 | — | Great Plains |
| 1992 | "Faster Gun" | 41 | 42 | |
| "Iola" | 63 | 71 | ||
| 1996 | "Dancin' with the Wind" | 58 | — | Homeland |
| "Healin' Hands" | — | — | ||
| "Wolverton Mountain" | — | — | ||
| 1997 | "There's More Where That Came From" | — | — | Single only |
| "—" indicates singles that did not chart | ||||
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "A Picture of You" | Michael Salomon |
| 1992 | "Faster Gun" | Pete Cummings |
| 1996 | "Dancin' with the Wind" | Gerry Wenner |
| "Healin' Hands" | Charley Randazzo | |
| "Wolverton Mountain" | Bob Burwell, Rod Thompson |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Organization | Award | Nominee/Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top New Vocal Group or Duet | Great Plains |