Ned LeDoux
Friday, Aug. 11, 2017
Gates open at 6 p.m.
in the Outdoor Arena
I
n country music, a last name like
LeDoux casts a big, storied and
bittersweet shadow, but it’s one
Ned LeDoux doesn’t mind standing in
one bit. Having been a drummer in his
dad Chris’ band Western Underground
since 1998, Ned knew from an early
age that he had “no plan b” but
to play music. “Once I got the taste
of the road, and being in front of
a crowd and just the sound of it, it
was...freedom.”
When his dad passed away in
2005, Ned continued to tour with
his father’s band to keep the musical
spirit of Chris LeDoux alive. This drove
him to pick up the guitar and try his
hand at some of his dad’s songs. It
started with “Rodeo Man,” and before
long Ned had a whole catalogue of
his father’s early hits ready to play.
When the other band members heard
Ned’s voice, he found himself front
and center singing at the shows.
Stepping out from behind the drums
stirred something inside of Ned that
he hadn’t felt before. “It’s a different
kind of rush, getting up with a guitar
and standing behind a microphone...
shoot I’m getting butterflies thinking
about it right now.”
The timing couldn’t be more
right for Ned to pick up a guitar and
belt out “Western Skies;” it has been
over 10 years since Chris LeDoux
passed and he believes people want
to hear something new. Ned has
boxes of song ideas his dad never
finished and is digging through those
for inspiration. “I will kind of stick
with what dad used to do but bring
my own stuff to the table.” In July
of 2015, Ned traveled to Nashville
with some of those unfinished songs
and met up with Mac McAnally to
put that inspiration to work. Mac
produced Chris’ last two studio records
and wrote his hit “Horsepower,” so
the collaboration with Ned was a
natural fit and led to the first new
Chris LeDoux co-writes in nearly two
decades.
Keeping the cowboy in country is
important to Ned as you can hear in
the song “Forever A Cowboy,” also
co-written with his dad. Ned puts his
own spin on his endless touring with
“Brother Highway,” about all the
time he has spent on the road with
various bands since his days in high
school. Ned says he doesn’t even need
a road map anymore–that he and the
highway are like brothers. He wants
to write songs about what he knows,
keep the themes simple and harken
back to the sound of good ole country
music but with an edge.
For the last year, Ned has been
steadily touring and opening for acts
like Toby Keith, Chris Janson, Aaron
Watson and Randy Houser. Yet now
that he is in front of the mic, Ned has
a new goal. “There’s an age group
who doesn’t know who Chris LeDoux
is and I just want to keep his name
out there. I want to reintroduce him
to people who’ve maybe heard of
him but didn’t know what he did.
Just carry on his legacy and carry on
his music and at the same time show
them what I can do.”
On tour, you’re guaranteed to
hear “This Cowboy’s Hat,” the song
most requested by his fans and a
request Ned is honored to oblige. His
personal favorite song to sing though
is one called “We Ain’t Got It All.” It’s
the first original song Ned co-wrote
with his dad and seems to pick up
right where Chris left off. And with
his debut EP “Forever a Cowboy”
available now, there is a new voice to
carry on the LeDoux sound.
Gates open at 6 p.m. Concert
begins at 7:30 p.m., with Melissa
Mickleson opening and
Ned LeDoux to start directly after.
Pre-sale tickets available until
noon, Aug. 11. VIP pre-sale
tickets $55 includes private no
host bar serving beer, wine and
spirits. General pre-sale tickets
$35, grandstand or standing.
2017 H GRANT COUNTY FAIR H PAGE 7