Southbound

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..Matt Broadus: Lead Vocals/Lead Guitar

Bobby King: Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar

Larry Moreland: Vocals/Bass Guitar

James Stanley: Drums

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and then there was..... Southbound

Southbound is a 4 piece country band from Nacogdoches. It was formed by Matt Broadus & Bobby King in 2000. Along with James Stanley on the drums & Larry Moreland on the bass Southbound has played pretty much every bar & club all over East Texas.

Matt & Bobby are 1st cousins who both grew up with an ambition to play & sing. They always have had a natural talent for singing. Sometime around the year 1988 Matt age 10 & Bobby 14, took interest in learning to play guitar. Lead guitarist James Broadus the father of Matt, is responsible for showing them the ropes on the guitar. Once they devloped the ability to sing & play, they would get together on Saturday nights to record what was known as The Broadus & King show 1992-1995. Around the year 1995, Matt Joined the Gospel Assembly Church in Nacogdoches where he cut his teeth on "lead" guitar. While in Church he studied under lead guitarist Mark Rawlinson who showed him some tricks of the trade. With practice & the guidance of his Dad & Mark, Matt would soon become what is now a seasoned lead guitarist. While Matt was cutting his teeth on lead guitar, Bobby was keeping himself in practice by playing rhythm acoustic guitar & singing at private parties & school functions. It wasn't until 1999 the two would collaborate again.

1999 was the year best remembered for Y2K & of course the last year of the 20th century. As for Bobby & Matt, it was the year for the formation of Southbound. They were playing acoustically at a private party when they were informed of lead guitarist Junior Bailey who was looking to form a country band then known as Tuff Country. They called Junior the following week to set up an audition. Junior was more than eager to hire them on the spot. Junior had a booking that coming weekend at The Hideaway Club in Jasper TX. There they played their 1st gig to a crowd of about 15 people along with fill in bassit Mike Helms, & a drummer Junior hired by the name of Jeff Pratt. The name Tuff Country didn't set well with the band. So for their next few gigs they were known as Southern Pride. Their next few gigs were played at the Jasper VFW. No other venue was quite as fun to play as the Jasper VFW. It is still the most memorable place they ever played. For a short time bassist Richard Rawlinson played with the group until a permanent bassist could be found.

The name Southern Pride begin to lose it's sting with the band. A fresh name for the group was in order, along with a permanent bass player. About the same time bassist Reagan Ratliff arrived on the scene, so did Bobby's idea for a new name for the group. A name they all agreed was the perfect name for a hellbound honky tonkin' lifestyle...."Southbound". A five piece band under the name Southbound cut their 1st CD. Songs that they still do to this day. "Swinging Doors", "The Cowboy Rides Away", "Tennesee Whiskey", "The Bluesman" just to name a few.
As 1999 was coming to an end, so was Jeff Pratt's duration with Southbound. He was leaving to join the Air Force. Matt & Bobby already had another drummer in mind. James Stanley joined the group in the latter part of 1999. James & Matt had been life friends, so James was quite familiar with the style of music. Like Matt & Bobby, he comes from a musically inclined family. His dad Tommy, & his brother Tommy Jr. are well seasoned guitarists, drummers, & singers. His other brother Johnny is also a well seasoned lead guitarist. Even his mom Joyce plays bass! James had set in with Country greats such as Gene Watson & Johnny Rodriguez, so Southbound was more than eager to have him on their side. At the beginning of 2000, Junior & Regan left the group after a benefit at Cowgirls Unlimited. Luckily James knew of a bass player that would
make history with Southbound.

Larry Moore joined the group in 2000 & would stay with Southbound until 2003. With Larry in the group Southbound remained a four piece band. Practicing twice a week, Southbound strived to be the best sounding band around. Some say they were at their tightest during this period. Playing venues such as the Spitfire, The Dude's Club, Cowgirl's Unlimited, & Jitterbugs all in the Nacogdoches/Lufkin area. At Jitterbugs they were the opening act for arists such as John Conlee, & Chris Wells. Then in mid 2002 they hired Keyboardist Rusty Rains. They were now a 5 piece playing at the Nacogdoches County Rodeo & the legendary Orange Blossom Special in Mt Pleasant TX. The rein with Rusty Rains was short lived when he left the group in early 2003. Larry Moore left the group in mid 2003.

2003-2004 saw Southbound go throuh a few changes. Reagan Ratliff returned. James left for a short while to spend more time with his family. Reagan knew of a solid drummer from Lufkin by the name of Curtis Oates. Curtis played with Southbound during the time they gained popularity at The Chicken House in Caledonia, & the Lumberyard in Nacogdoches. Regan left the group again in late 2004, while Curtis continued as the drummer. In a strange twist, another bass player was hired by the name of Larry "Moreland". Larry Moreland comes from a rich history of music that dates back over two and a half decades. To this day Larry has proved to be one of the best to ever grace the strings of a bass & also he provides back up vocals for Southbound.
Curtis Oates left the group in late 2004, only to open the door for James Stanley's return. Southbound is still running strong, & Bobby & Matt have stuck together in it for the last seven years. Currently they have been playing at Banita Creek Hall, the Nacogdoches VFW, & more private parties than you can shake a stick at. They look forward to seeing you at their next gig. Keep tabs on this site to find out where you can catch them next!!