This online news website is owned and operated by Becky Watts. If you enjoy reading Pike County Times, consider buying an advertisement for your business or sending a donation to support the only free online newspaper in Pike County. Donations can be sent to: The Pike County Times, PO Box 843, Zebulon, Georgia 30295. Click here to donate through PayPal. Thanks for supporting Pike County's only free online newspaper!
FLASHBACK to 2008: Coy Bowles - Living the Dream
By Editor Becky Watts
THOMASTON - Coy Bowles is a down to earth guy who is making his living doing what he loves—playing great music and meeting new people. Of course, he’s traveling and playing a lot more since he is a part of the Zac Brown Band and the group’s song “Chicken Fried” is a number one hit, but it has not been an overnight success.
Coy is well-known to friends and family around Thomaston. He taught guitar, piano, and music theory for a living at one time and he is the lead singer for his own band, Coy Bowles and The Fellowship. “Into the Distance” is the name of his debut album, and his band has toured all over the Southeast.
When Coy Bowles and The Fellowship began opening up for The Zac Brown Band two years ago, it opened up a new opportunity for Coy as well as some soul-searching. After a couple of weeks of opening up for the Zac Brown Band, Zac asked Coy if he would just leave his keys on the stage and play with his band after they opened up.
Coy said he would load in equipment, do a sound checks and perform with both bands. “I was on stage at a venue for eight to ten hours a day,” Coy said. Then Coy started doing some of the day to day stuff for the Zac Brown Band. At that point, he had to make some hard decisions about his own band because he knew that there was no way he could do both.
“It was hard to decide to put my own band on hold,” he said, “but I liked the guys [in the Zac Brown Band] and we were serious about what we were doing. We helped arrange songs and were writing together.” Coy said that Zac lives and dies by a creed that you surround yourself by people who are good at what they do.
Coy has been with playing with the Zac Brown Band for the past two years. Members of the band include Zac Brown singing lead, John Hopkins playing bass, Jimmy De Martini playing fiddle, Chris Fryar on the drums, and Coy Bowles playing guitar, slide guitar, and keyboards.
He said that the past eight months have been insane going from a converted Marta bus for their tour bus and a collapsed record deal to radio hitting hard when “Chicken Fried” went to the moon and getting two tour buses with a lot more room for the crew.
When the song started up the charts to number one, people started coming to their shows and knew their music. Coy said that it’s really cool to go to a place that they’ve never been and sing to a sold out crowd.
Hometown people and friends will check in with Coy when he’s around Thomaston. Coy said that people will tell him that they heard “Chicken Fried” on the radio. “People relate to me and want to be proud of me,” he said.
He said that the coolest part is getting to travel the country and play to sell out crowds. Getting to meet people is part of his dream. Of course, getting to meet and hang out with musicians like Billy Gibbons, Kidd Rock and Willie Nelson is pretty cool too.
The Zac Brown Band has opened for Sugarland, Willie Nelson, ZZ Top, Etta James, Alan Jackson, BB King, The Allman Brothers, and Los Lonely Boys. This is a testament to their music which is a mix of country, southern rock, blue grass, and even some reggae mixed in with lyrics that are down to earth and easy for people to relate to.
Coy is enjoying his time off before the tour kicks off next year by spending time with friends and family and driving his 1969 Stingray convertible. Coy and his Uncle Terry were working on the Stingray that he has had less than a month yesterday when I ran into him. Pictures are on the We Are Pike County page.
Coy is a down home country guy from Thomaston who is on the way to the big time as a member of the Zac Brown Band. “The guys in the band are like family,” Coy said, which is a good thing with eleven people living on a tour bus. “I love it!”
He says that the guys hang out a lot together even when they’re not on the road touring. The first person to ride in his Stingray after Coy bought it was Zac Brown.
UPDATE DECEMBER 2016
Coy has been busy touring with the Zac Brown Band and performing with The Fellowship. He has also become a writer of children's books.
"Amy Giggles was self-published," Coy said. Then Will Powers got picked up by a small publishing company along with Amy Giggles. "I'm currently about to release my first major publishing company book with Random House Publishing Company."
The title of the book is "When You're Feeling Sick." Coy said that this book is a "silly, brightly illustrated children's book about having hope and humor while sick with the common cold or a more serious illness."
"I can't think of anything cooler than giving hope and humor to a kid who's not feeling well," said Coy. "I'm very excited about this book and want to push it to be a house hold staple for kids. Every kid gets sick and this book can make that a better experience for the parents and the kids. Like a go to remedy of sorts."
You can read the story about how "When You're Feeling Sick" from Coy's blog at www.coybowles.com. Proceeds of Coy's book sales go back to children’s non-profits in the Atlanta area like Sunshine on a Ranney Day, Make-A-Wish Georgia, and Camp Southern Ground.
Coy has also gotten married and just recently become a Daddy. He is the father of a beautiful baby girl.
He is about to release another solo record, and the Zac Brown Band is getting ready to record in the studio after the first of the year.
"We will be touring again this next year," he said. "And the show goes on. Onward and upward."