Outlaws

Emerging during the mid- to late 1970s, the Outlaws ranked among the foremost exponents of Southern rock by fusing the earthy guitar exchanges typical of the Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd with the refined vocal harmonies and compositional approach associated with the Eagles. Their commercial breakthrough arrived with the self-titled debut album issued in 1975, which contained the buoyant single "There Goes Another Love Song" and the extended guitar showcase "Green Grass & High Tides," both of which remain among the ensemble's most enduring tracks. After a stretch of lineup turbulence, the group dissolved following the appearance of Soldiers of Fortune in 1986, only to resume recording and touring once It's About Pride surfaced in 2012.

The Outlaws originated in Tampa, Florida, during 1972 when singers/guitarists Hughie Thomasson and Henry Paul joined bassist Frank O'Keefe and drummer Monte Yoho. Guitarist Billy Jones completed the roster upon his arrival in 1973, and after a year of rigorous road work the band secured the distinction of becoming the first act signed to Clive Davis' newly established Arista Records imprint. Their 1975 self-titled release highlighted Eagles-styled harmonies alongside Allman Brothers-style guitar firepower and produced the Top 40 single "There Goes Another Love Song."

In the aftermath of Hurry Sundown, produced by Bill Szymczyk and released in 1977, both Paul and O'Keefe departed; guitarist Freddie Salem, bassist Harvey Dalton Arnold, and second drummer David Dix joined for the 1978 concert recording Bring It Back Alive and the studio album Playin' to Win. Further changes ensued when Arnold exited after In the Eye of the Storm appeared in 1979, prompting bassist Rick Cua to join for Ghost Riders in the Sky the following year, whose title track—a cover of the Vaughn Monroe favorite—reached the Top 40. Yoho soon rejoined Paul in the Henry Paul Band, and Jones also departed, leaving Thomasson as the sole original member; the group predictably disbanded after completing Los Hombres Malo in 1982.

One year later Thomasson and Paul assembled a fresh Outlaws configuration that added guitarist Chris Hicks, bassist Barry Borden, and drummer Jeff Howell; following the release of Soldiers of Fortune in 1986 Paul again left, while the remaining quartet returned in 1993 with Hittin' the Road. Paul resurfaced in 1994 within the chart-topping contemporary country outfit BlackHawk, whereas Thomasson toured with the reunited Lynyrd Skynyrd yet continued leading the Outlaws, issuing So Low in 2000.

Jones and O'Keefe both passed away within a three-week span in early 1995. In 2005 original members Thomasson, Paul, Yoho, and David Dix reconvened as the Outlaws, completing the lineup with three BlackHawk alumni—guitarist Chris Anderson, bassist Randy Threet, and keyboardist Dave Robbins. Paul and Robbins exited a year later to focus once more on BlackHawk, while Thomasson, the only founding member to participate in every iteration, sustained the band and reportedly finished the studio album Once an Outlaw prior to his death from a heart attack in 2007.

A reconstituted Outlaws delivered the studio album It's About Pride in 2012. Dedicated to Hughie Thomasson, Billy Jones, and Frank O'Keefe, the project featured Henry Paul, Monte Yoho, Chris Anderson, Randy Threet, and Dave Robbins from the Once an Outlaw configuration together with newcomers Billy Crain on guitar and Joe Lala on percussion. Billy Crain departed in 2013 owing to health concerns, and Joe Lala died in 2014 after battling lung cancer; Steve Grisham, an Outlaws member from 1983 to 1986, returned on guitar. This lineup issued the concert album Legacy Live in 2016.

Steamhammer released the studio album Dixie Highway in 2020, followed by two archival live packages: Live at Rockpalast 1981, a CD and DVD set documenting a German television performance, and Alive in America, drawn from a 1975 radio broadcast recorded at Ebbets Field in Denver, Colorado. The band marked the holiday season with Southern Rock Christmas in 2023, a compilation containing tracks by Charlie Daniels, Point Blank, Blackhawk, Black Oak Arkansas, the Georgia Satellites, and others; the Outlaws contributed their rendition of the classic "What Child Is This?"