Biography
In the early 1980s the Kentucky outfit Radio Café built recognition by performing weekend club dates and events throughout the Midwest and Southeast. When the choice arose to commit to music as a full-time pursuit, only singer/songwriter Kiya Heartwood and drummer Kopana Terry elected to pursue that path. They renamed the project Stealin' Horses after a Native American tribal ritual, moved to Nashville, and entered a production agreement with Castle Studios. The facility set up regional showcases aimed at label interest while Heartwood and Terry captured the material that became their first album, resulting in a contract with Arista Records. Those recordings fell short of the label’s standards, so the pair traveled to Los Angeles to work with producer Greg Ladanyi and session players that included guitarist Waddy Wachtel and keyboardist Jai Winding. Neil Young stopped by the sessions to add harmonica on several tracks, and the self-titled debut appeared to strong critical notice in 1988.
Former Roman Holiday guitarist Brian Bonham and bassist Jon Dumo were added to the lineup, after which Stealin' Horses spent nearly two years on the road supporting the album with acts such as the Del Lords, the Smithereens, and the Lemon Drops. Arista dropped the band in 1990; Bonham and Dumo exited as well, uneasy with Heartwood’s folk-rock direction. Heartwood and Terry recruited Kentucky acquaintance Kelly Richey on guitar, and the trio spent the next year touring the Southeast while developing new songs. After Richey departed for a solo career, Heartwood and Terry relocated to Oklahoma and enlisted guitarist Kevin Clark, bassist Steve Kirkpatrick, and multi-instrumentalist Tim Gilliam to record the 1991 album Mesas and Mandolins. The group disbanded permanently the following year. Heartwood released the solo country album True Frontiers in 1993 and, in 1995, formed the folk duo Wishing Chair with Miriam Davidson; former Stealin' Horses member Kopana Terry joined Wishing Chair in 2001.
Former Roman Holiday guitarist Brian Bonham and bassist Jon Dumo were added to the lineup, after which Stealin' Horses spent nearly two years on the road supporting the album with acts such as the Del Lords, the Smithereens, and the Lemon Drops. Arista dropped the band in 1990; Bonham and Dumo exited as well, uneasy with Heartwood’s folk-rock direction. Heartwood and Terry recruited Kentucky acquaintance Kelly Richey on guitar, and the trio spent the next year touring the Southeast while developing new songs. After Richey departed for a solo career, Heartwood and Terry relocated to Oklahoma and enlisted guitarist Kevin Clark, bassist Steve Kirkpatrick, and multi-instrumentalist Tim Gilliam to record the 1991 album Mesas and Mandolins. The group disbanded permanently the following year. Heartwood released the solo country album True Frontiers in 1993 and, in 1995, formed the folk duo Wishing Chair with Miriam Davidson; former Stealin' Horses member Kopana Terry joined Wishing Chair in 2001.