The Tailgators

Don Leady leads the Tailgators as their singer, songwriter, guitarist, accordionist, and producer, bringing a distinctive vision to the project. He assembled an audio gumbo that fuses Gulf Coast styles with rock seasonings. Born in Cool Valley, Missouri, Leady experiments relentlessly on guitar, always developing fresh techniques and tones. His curiosity extends beyond that instrument to include fiddle, steel guitar, and, more recently, accordion. Early lessons arrived through the widely available recordings of Chet Atkins, Les Paul, and later B.B. King. The Ventures and Duane Eddy entered his listening a bit later and immediately appealed to him. Exposure to Joe Maphis and the Collins Kids on the Ranch Party television program left a lasting mark, particularly Maphis’s playing. Maphis soon ranked among Leady’s primary idols. The moment Leady heard Maphis deliver boogie-woogie guitar lines at what seemed ten times the speed of Duane Eddy, he found himself star-struck. Formed in 1984, the Tailgators maintained their high-energy, charismatic sound well into the twenty-first century. On the 1996 album It’s a Hog Groove!, Leady is joined by Jean-Jacques (JJ) Barrera and Chico Oropeza, the three musicians collectively known as the Tail Gators. Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top has named the Austin, Texas trio his favorite American band. Their live shows draw crowds that sell out quickly, making tickets scarce. In the Austin area the group has also performed under the alternate names Zydeco Loco and Gators del Norte.