Dan Colehour

Dan Colehour emerged onto the scene as a country roots rocker whose heartland sensibility echoed the style of Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp. Born and raised in Mt. Vernon, IA, he first gained experience behind the drum kit in various local country, rock, and polka outfits throughout the Midwest before shifting focus to vocals and original songwriting. At age 21 he relocated to southern California, yet once his parents established themselves in San Antonio, TX, he followed and remained there for seven years, performing regularly on the city’s songwriters’ circuit. From San Antonio he advanced to Austin and, upon turning 29, continued onward to Nashville. There he connected with producer Frank Liddell, whose interest in the material led to a publishing agreement with Carnival Publishing and, shortly afterward, a recording contract with DreamWorks. Working alongside Liddell and drawing on the guitar work of David Grissom, Colehour completed a ten-song album in the studio. The project was nevertheless set aside after Universal absorbed DreamWorks, leaving the recordings effectively shelved. Nevertheless, cuts by Trisha Yearwood and Montgomery Gentry helped sustain his presence in Nashville circles until executive Luke Lewis, reviewing inherited DreamWorks holdings, discovered the master tapes and responded favorably. Issued in 2007 through a joint arrangement between Universal and Carnival Records, the collection appeared under the title Straight to the Highway.