Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan McKay.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Morgan. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up in Sugar Land, I took vocal lessons from Jane Turner, owner of Rosenburg Music, next door to the Rosenburg Opry. I toured Texas Oprys and performed in a Show Choir called Governor’s Posse. This created a background in not only country music, but classical, broadway and pop. Through the years, I’ve also been in a classic rock cover band and a multi-genre party band. In 2012, I decided to break out as a solo artist. I taught myself how to play guitar and starting writing music. Once I had enough material, I headed to the studio to record while playing 4-5 shows a week to pay for the studio time. “The Dawn” was recorded at HillTrax Studio in Huntsville with Billy Hillman. The album was released in 2014 with a CD Release party at Cypress Saloon. I continued to play acoustic gigs until I ran into an old drummer friend, Eddie Danger. We started playing gigs together, got tight on the music, then bass player Dale Kirk joined. Jim McGuire on lead guitar recently joined the band along with James Redd, Stage Manager – forming the band as “Morgan McKay & The Danger Zone”. We started playing band gigs around the Houston area at Lonestar Saloon and Bareback Bar & Icehouse and later venturing outside of Houston and recently playing gigs at River Road Icehouse in New Braunfels and Ft. Worth Stockyards. Recently, I did a radio tour across Texas to promote the current radio single “Whiskey”. Right now, the single is #55 on the Texas Regional Radio chart! Upcoming gigs in the Houston area include Spring Texas Music Festival in Spring, TX and opening for Sundance Head at Wildcatter Saloon in Katy, TX.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been smooth and it’s been rough. That’s why they call it the grind. Sometimes the gigs would just fall in my lap then there would be others that wouldn’t respond for years. But you have to keep at it! Keep knocking down doors and stirring your pot to keep it fresh so you don’t just get stuck in a rut. That’s probably the hardest thing I’ve done; trying to get out of a rut! Always looking for new challenges and adventures keeps me on my toes!
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I write, sing, play guitar, book shows, manage the band and sustain the brand. Entrepreneurship is definitely an adventure in itself. I learn something new all the time!
I’m definitely known for my “150 Watt Voice”, a name that fans have given me. Someone yelled it out at a show one time and it just stuck. Example for why I’m called the “150Watt Voice”? On radio tour, my promoter had to warn the DJs that I had a strong voice. There was one station, because of the size of the room and the acoustics, I ended up on the other side of the room in order to not distort the sound through the mic. To try to sing quietly would not be the same emotion and feel of the music. The song I was singing, Live Once, is a track on the current album, The Dawn. The song actually hit home for someone that was in the studio that day, and she cried. The only thing I love more than the music itself is when the music touches someone. It was a great experience and I made great new friends that day!
I’m most proud of having a song in the Top 100 on the Texas Regional Radio chart. Texas Music is its own sound and independent from conformity. There are so many creative artists in the scene and I’m proud to be among them! Of course, I couldn’t have done it without my oh-so-dedicated band members, their wives and my husband!! I’m especially grateful to my radio promoter, Debbie Green, for all her wisdom and help with the promotions and tour.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory would have to be listening to Alan Jackson’s 1994 Who I Am tape cassette on my tape player in middle of my bedroom floor until the tap actually broke. I can’t even count the times I rolled the tape back up with my #2 pencil just so I could play it again. The album came out right after my sister was born. I was 7. That’s when my mother realized that I truly did love music. I started taking vocal lessons at 8. I sang on stage for the first time at the Rosenberg Opry and the rest was history!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.morganmckaymusic.com
- Email: bookmorganmckay@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morganmckaymusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morganmckaymusic
- Other: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sundance-head-at-the-wildcatter-saloon-tickets-73989198685?aff=MorganMcKay
Image Credit:
Terry Maulin and Brooke Fatiganti
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