Chad Austin

Chad Austin, the gritty hard country singer, traces his roots to Andice, TX. According to him, the place once featured a general store in the 1880's bearing a wooden-plank sign that read "Beer and Ice"; weathering gradually reduced it to "And Ice," which is how the community acquired its name. That plainspoken small-town ethos has shaped his down-to-earth vocal approach and overall persona. Drawing from Marty Robbins, Charley Pride, Merle Haggard, and other classic country stylists, he took up piano and guitar at age 12. During his teenage years he began performing alongside his father and uncles in the family band, working the Texas club circuit. Asylum Records signed him in 1999 and issued his debut album All My Dreams that same year. His self-titled follow-up appeared in late 2000.