Ok, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls...rockers of all ages. We've got ourselves a fantastic prize package available with this contest. But it's not going to be easy to win. You're gonna have to put your thinking caps on and be creative, thoughtful and sincere. The contest will be run until 11/24. Up for grabs:

-Blue mesh RRB trucker hat
-Brown RRB monster truck t-shirt
-Admittance for 2 into the RRB New Years Eve Show at City Limits in Stephenville.
-Autogrpahed copy of Rollercoaster

Here's how you win:

-Reply to this thread with an essay (minimum- at least a paragraph) as to why you are thankful for Randy Rogers music. How's it's changed your life, made you think of new things, rekindled a friendship, whatever. Put it into words. A special panel of judges will be reviewing the answers and choosing the winners. ANYONE IS ELIGIBLE! Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving from Galleywinter and the Randy Rogers Band!

who is eligible?

monee2000 wrote:

who is eligible?

Anyone.

Great, great idea Brad! I know there are going to be some touching entries!

OK, so I am not entering the contest, but I wanted to share my thoughts in hopes of getting some of your brains thinking...there are never enough words to express what this band and the music has done for me, but this is what I got for today:


Why am I thankful for the RRB?

First and foremost, the music…from the very first time I heard them play (June 2003). I was in awe…So many of the lyrics just touched my soul - Randy’s voice & sound are so unique it just drew me in – followed up by the best damn band – what a memorable day in my life! From that day forward their music has truly touched my soul and brought so much comfort in a rough time in my life that words could never express what that has meant to me! Each live show is different, each time I hear the same old song it touches me in a different way, and each time I get a chance to just be around this group of wonderful people it makes my heart smile!

Secondly, the RRB has brought me friendships that I never even imagined I could have. Randy is one of the most real, genuine people that I know…he has always taken time to listen to what I have to say and is always thankful for people’s support and interest in his dream…being apart of that dream has given me such purpose even when my life had none. All the guys in the band are just phenomenal human beings that I have so enjoyed spending time with! Because of my love for the music I found this place called GW and therefore, I have made some wonderful friends who just bring so much to my life! There is never a lonely moment when you are surrounded by so many remarkable people all over the country! Thanks to each of you choir members for sharing in the love of this music and all that the RRB means to each of us!

So Happy Thanksgiving to the RRB – you will never know how much I am thankful to be a part of this Rollercoaster and even all these miles away, you still touch my life on a daily basis! Keep on chasing your dreams – I will be here to watch each of them come true!

RRB helped me through a very transitional time in my life. I had recently broken up with my boyfriend of five years and felt pretty lost. Summer and Michael (my two best friends in all the world) drug me to Texas country shows and made me get out of the house.

It's also their fault that I like Shiner Bock so much. Believe it or not, there was once a time when I wouldn't even think of drinking a beer. They fixed that.

I had seen RRB several times between June and December 2003, but had never really caught on to their true greatness. Michael was all about RRB from day one.

It happened on December 26, 2003, at Poor David's Pub. It was Michael's birthday and he and Summer had driven to Plano from Granbury to crash with me for the night since RRB was playing in Dallas. I was stoked to go hang out and drink a few beers, but had no idea how much I would grow to love this band and their awesome music. I got Like It Used To Be and couldn't take it out of my CD player for months. I can relate every song to some part of my life.

Another wonderful thing about the band is how wonderfully grateful they really are for their fans. They're some of the most down-to-earth people I've ever met. It's been quite a while since I've been to a show or had my picture taken w/ Randy or asked him to sign something. Every time I've asked him to do any of those things, he's always been more than happy. He even came out of the venue and re-signed my car sticker. How many artists do you know would do that?

Thanks guys, for being you and doing what you do! I doubt you have any idea what a profound difference you've made to a lot of people.

I thank Randy Rogers for making me cool. Way back in March, Joeseph (J_Dub) explained to me that while he was cool, I was not. I inquired into why this was. He said, “Because you don’t like Randy Rogers.”

Now, before this point, I had seen Randy only once, opening for CCRW at Billy Bobs. I was underwhelmed at their performance. Unfortunately after that, I quickly wrote them off. “A little bit too ‘country’ for my taste,” I told people.

Later on, in my state of confusion and uncoolness, I asked Brad about the BBs performance. He told me that it hadn’t been the boys best night, being as they were nervous and only aloud to play for a short amount of time. He STRONGLY encouraged me to go see them again.

Summer had just begun, and I was ready to try on Randy Rogers one more time. Joeseph convinced me to get tickets to their headlining show at Billy Bobs. Some JacknCokes may have been had, some rocking out may have been done… but most importantly, the night ended with a convert being born. I realized the music was the perfect sound track to a good time… Randy has since provided the energy and songs for many an acoustic Sunday evening or loud Friday night…

Thank you Randy for the catchy songs, for making a country CD my boyfriend lets me play in his truck because loves it, for playing so many Clubhouses where I can eat dinner and watch you play and hang out with my friends, and, most of all… for creating a friendly atmosphere and an amazing time at every show. You truly bring the old skool love.

(And from the stories I’ve heard, I wouldn’t be surprised if I was in the minority when it comes to being able to recollect the shows I’ve seen. )

Randy's music? Where do I even begin, I can't really put into words what exactly his music does for me. Every venue I've visited he's always there rain or shine and puts a smile on my face. Whether it be a hole in the wall bar where the only person who knows about his music is me or in the firehouse where everyone knows him. The guys ALWAYS put 150% into all gigs no matter what they collect at the end of the night.

If I had to put his music into words, it brings me alive and makes me forgot the troubles of my day. He reminds me so much of myself I think in a lot of ways. He's the person he always talks about at his shows when we all hear those famous words 'never give up kids, chase your dreams'. I think he's really speaking for himself, he's doing exactly what he's preaching and I think that's really so honorable.

They play REAL music THEY wrote, and I think that's what really what makes them stand out. Not only do they play & write their own songs I think a lot of heart of soul was burned into each song. There's many times when Randy is singing up on stage when you can feel exactly what he wanted you to feel when he sings a song, they're not just random words that rhyme on a piece of paper they're his/the bands life. I think that's really the sign of a true artist.

Randy is someone you can walk up to and talk with and makes you part of his family. Randy and the entire band and mgmt. have spent countless hours working on this thing they call the Randy Rogers Band and no matter where this road leads them they'll ride this rollercoaster and show us no matter what the world throws at em' they can handle it.

Nothing makes me more happy then seeing randy, les, jon, geoff, brady and dan all working together and seeing the looks on people's face when for the first time they were touched by TRUE TEXAS COUNTRY MUSIC . Anyways, I could go on for hours but I think to the true fans on this board understand my feelings, we'll all agree Randy is a Legend and will be a one in the years to come and we're all glad we're here to be a part of it.

The night I went to the firehouse several years ago I didn't go in for any particular reason, but that night I left a fan for life.

I have been trying for almost a week now of how to say what i feel about Randy. It is hard for me to put into words what his music has meant to me. Sometimes i can be a stubborn person and i was about Randy's music at first. For a long time Blam-o had been buggin me saying that i had to listen to RRB and i had to give it a chance and i never did. I never really thought about it too much until i was watching the Ragweed DVD. And there was Randy and his verse just kinda caught me off guard because i loved what he said. So later that night i have Blams send me a few songs. Well never in my life would i have expected something that great.

After listening to the 4 or 5 songs he had sent me i decided i was going to buy sme more Texas Music. I went on Lonstaremusic and got 5 news cds. And one of those cds was Like It Used to Be. And when they all came and i listened the other 4 took a backseat to LIUTB. I had never related to a CD so well in my life. No song was ever skipped when it was being played.

Another wonderful thing that i am so grateful for is that RRB's music is one of the few things that my Mom & I both like. It is very hard for us to agree on alot of things anymore and we seem to fight more then we just talk. But if we are ever going to go somewhere she never wrinkles her nose or makes a comment about Randy. And now i even find her singing along with the songs or playing one of the songs again. It is one of the few things we have in common anymore and i am so thankful for his music.

I am so excited for the day that i can see RRB live (which will hopefully be really soon). I have built the day up so much in my mind and i know they will live up the expectation i have. All my friends that i have made around the RRB community have always shared the love with me by calling me from shows and making sure that i know that even though i am not there... i am in spirit. And even with Blams having Randy talk to me on the phone on my birthday... well... i dont even know how to say anything about that other then it was the best birthday present ever in my life.

I am just so thankful for the music and everything that has come along with it.

Okay, so wow, how has Randy Rogers made a difference for me? Well, I actually heard from a close friend that Randy was awesome, and since he was going to be at FF 2003 I should check him out. Well due to a hangover, an annoying friend, and lack of communication, I missed Randy's set and was pretty upset. So in December, I came upon some money, and just decided randomly to give LIUTB a shot. When I finally got the album, I gave it a spin expecting to think 'pretty good stuff' and pop it in every now and then. Wow, I was wrong. It rotated between my car and my room for the next month and half, and it was right about that time that we were told my dad possibly had cancer. One of the worst times in my life, and the waiting just sucked. I was listening to the album one day, just crying my eyes out to a friend when she put it on the last track. Well as any fan knows, you can't listen to that without laughing your butt off, and it was the first time I cracked a smile in several days, it seems like little, but I still think back on that song and remember how good it felt to laugh when I was worried as hell. A few weeks later I saw my first live Randy show, and it blew me away.I was also sorely disappointed that Wendy had been confiscated. I couldn't get enough of his music. I listened to Like It Used To Be over and over again. When I was down, it picked me up, and when I was happy it seemed to celebrate with me. Now like any respectable person who loves music, I passed along my Randy knowledge to anyone who would listen, including my dad. I gave him a copy of Like It Used to Be the day we found out he didn't have cancer, and the other day when I got in his truck, it was still in the cd player. Outside of that story, Randy's music has gotten me through a lot of highs and lows , over the last year or so. When Rollercoaster came out I was falling in love with the love of my life, and Love Must Follow You Around meant the world to me. It just seems like with Randy's music, there's always a song to match my mood at the time. That, to me, is one of the greatest things an artist can do with his music. So I want to thank Randy Rogers Band for giving me something to share with my dad, my friends, and my boyfriend. Thank them for making me see that when things are tough, you can still smile and laugh, and not feel terrible about it.

You guys ROCK. I love ya...every single one of you! Keep the stories coming. I want to read EVERY SINGLE "the first time I saw Randy Rogers Band" story you can muster.

Awesome Contest Brad!!

Gotta go...swim my way to Cheatham Street...

The first time I ever saw Randy I was working at Hastings in College Station, and he came in to get a paid out for his cds. That night he played an acoustic show at the Tap with Roger Creager and Deryl Dodd. I will never forget how drunk he was and how truly entertaining the stories he told were. After the show he came down and talked to me and my friends, and since then we have been hooked on RRB. I have seen these guys play for about 20 people and I have seen them play for thousands (Chilifest), no matter how many people in the audience they still play their hearts out. I love Randy's music because everyone can relate to his songs from Lost and Found to Plastic Girl. The band is unbelievable they pour their hearts and souls into every performance, and you can just tell they love what they do. All of RRB are great guys that you can walk up and start a conversation with like they are your best friend. I always say that the happiest I get is listening to RRB drinking a cold beer. Thanks for keeping country music alive guys, and in the words of Randy, chase your dreams kids!

I've been watching him for about two years now and he has really influenced me with playing my guitar. I listen to the lyrics and think about how he gets out to people. He has really catchy songs that eveyone listens to and likes. I always think about the dvd I have called "in the band" and Randy talks about his first song that he wrote and ever since I seen that I have had a lot of respect for him. I believe he said he was fourteen and he wrote a song about a preacher that was leaving his church and Randy got to sing the song to him at the preachers last service there. He has stuck with it with the help of the good lord and I respect him for that and it was smart for him to hook up with Radney Foster, and I truely wish Randy the best in his career.

dang umm ok let me think about this one..

OK.....I waited long enough....here is my story....

The Randy Rogers Band means so much to me, it is hard to discribe. Their music fits my every mood. If I am sad and lonely, I can listen to "Lost & Found" or "Miss You". If I want to tell someone to kiss my ass, I have "This Time Around". If I am in a mushy mood, there is "Love Must Follow You Around". And then there are the songs you hear in the morning and you have stuck in your head all day: "Down & Out", "10 Miles Deep", "Tommy Jackson". And when you just need a laugh to get you through the day, play "Blow Up Girl" and you are good to go. His music is awesome on so many levels.

His live shows are amazing too. I can not tell you how many WONDERFUL memories have been made for me at RRB shows. From singing at the top of my lungs with some of my best friends, to going to a show alone, just because I couldn't miss it.

RRB has given me a link to so many people as well. My Galleywinter friends that I have met because of RRB are second to none. Most of you I have never really "met" but you still mean the world to me. And those of you that I have met are considered some of my very special friends. I have also met great people at RRB shows, that I probably wonldn't have gotten to know had it not been for a common interest in this amazing band. I also love the fact that I have been able to introduce many of my friends to this amazing band as well. I have led some new die-hard fans to RRB!

And finally, I love these guys just for who they are. It is very seldom that you come across a WHOLE band of genuinely nice guys. My favorite memory of RRB will always be the night I went to see them play in Boerne. I went alone because all of my friends backed out at the last minute, but I couldn't stand the thought of missing RRB playing 30 minutes away and me not being there. So, I made the drive alone. But I had one of the best nights of my life. I just hung out with those guys like they had known me forever. I went back to New B with them for a very intense game of darts at Geoff's house, and had such a good night just hanging out with them. These guys are all amazing & talented people and musicians. I will support them as far as they go!

O.K. here goes:

It is so hard to put into words how much something that is such a huge part of your life means to you, but I will try.

My family thinks that I am crazy. They cannot understand why I got to so many Randy Rogers Band shows. Or why I travel to different cities to follow the guys. It is so hard to explain to people why we all do what we do.

I never would have thought that a show I went to on Halloween last year would change me like it did. Slappy called us up and asked us to go see Randy Rogers. I had heard some songs and they were really good, so we said yes. I wasn’t really prepared for what was to come.
That night I heard music that touched my soul. And ever since then I have become a fan for life. I went and got LIUTB and it didn’t come out of my CD player until Rollercoaster came out. And I cannot even describe to you how much I love that CD. It touches every emotion for any time period in your life. It has the I am broken hearted song, the I am through with you song and the I finally found the love of my life song. How one group of guys can create words that just touch your soul the way that the RRB does I will never know. It is amazing how really good music just moves you. I don’t know what happens when I go to a RRB show or put in a CD. It just takes you to another place. The music takes over.

I have seen the guys countless numbers of times this year. But each time I go it is like the first. I never get tired of seeing them. I love the feeling I get at a show. It is like there is nothing else in the world going on. I just stand up singing along at the top on my lungs and have the time of my life. I love how there is a little RRB community that has formed. And when you go to a show there is always someone there from that group. We all go and we all feel that same way about Randy, and that is awesome. It is so great to meet people that have that same passion for the music that you do. I have met so many dear friends going to Randy shows, and I will always be grateful for that. I also love how if you are not able to make a show someone will make sure that you are there through a phone call. That is just so awesome. And I can now go to shows and get other friends and even family to go. I have recently turned my mom and my step dad into RRB fans as well, and that is so cool to me. They are the kind that like the traditional country. And for them to like the RRB so much really says a lot about the music they play. It shows how true and genuine this music is.

Randy is the real deal. I have never seen a band so dedicated to their music. They work so hard to make their dreams come true. Just look at their schedule, they play almost everyday. And they are the nicest group of guys you will ever meet. They seem so appreciative of their fans. They never act like they take anything for granted. Randy is a guy who is going to get to the top by doing things his way. He is not going to let anyone tell him how to run his career. That is another thing I admire about him, the way he is just himself. He plays what he wants and just has so much fun doing it. You can tell at the shows that he is just having the time of his life. It feels good to stand behind someone that is true to himself and true to the music they love. That is why I don’t think twice about going to see Randy 3 times in one week. Or to travel to Houston or New Braunfels or wherever to see them. I like being a part of trying to get this group to the top. Because nobody deserves it more than they do.

Thank you to the Randy Rogers Band for the amazing music that you give us. Good luck to you in the new year. I know great things are about to happen!!

Ya'll are just so awesome - thanks for sharing!

I was going to enter, but I can't after that entry

OH YES YOU CAN!!!!!!!!!!! Spill it!

I'm outta here for the week....won't be back until Monday. If I win the contest, someone call me and tell me! Several of ya know how to get ahold of me! Love you all and have a wonderful Turkey Day!!!