TEXAS IN THE MAN See the full review just above the BUY button. Mike Parrish bio: “I’d rather find myself at 80-years-old sittin’ in a rockin’ chair, knowin’ that I tried, rather than wonderin’ how life might’ve been if only I had.” (Mike Parrish) Emerging from the pumpjack-speckled prairies and woodlands of Southeast Texas, Independent Country Music Artist Mike Parrish is nothing short of boastful of his heritage and proud of his Texas roots. The International Fame Games Radio Panel said, “Every now and then you get a band that seems poised to do something great. We think this is one of those bands.” When Mike was a kid you might’ve found him, on most any hot Summer day, walking the railroad tracks with his lifelong friend Sammy Hundley or building a tree house while they dreamed aloud of their future exploits with a band they planned to call Black Diamond. Often times, a stereo served as their amps, Mike's living room sofa was a makeshift stage and broom handles made perfect air guitars to the blaring music of bands like KISS, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Led Zeppelin. They'd play those air guitars and leap from Mrs. Parrish's sofa just as they've finally leapt onto the European and Texas Country Music scene. Life seemed to have simply gotten in the way of this childhood dream, as they grew up and moved away from their small home town of Hull, but the dream somehow survived 30 years of perpetual motion. When fate landed Mike and Sammy back in their home town they picked up right where they'd left off almost as if there had never been any time or distance between them. Sammy was a cover band leader and Mike had become a distinguished Texas Peace Officer having risen to the rank of Chief of Police three times, in two separate Texas towns, and elected Constable once. This Parrish-Hundley reunion rekindled the fire that still smoldered within the dream and within their hearts, the dream of making music. In June of 2006, in a beach cabin on the Gulf of Mexico, Mike & Sammy recorded the first demo, “Runnin’ Outa Time” for Mike’s solo album, an album that would later be titled “Texas in the Man.” This demo was Mike’s first choice because it spoke of the old railroad track that they’d often walked as boys and, since they were both now in their early forties, the title seemed so symbolic. While standing on that shore, Mike told Sammy that the time was now to record the album and fulfill a dream or their story would never be told. And they got busy. Armed with a Mac computer and free GarageBand software they recorded the 15 tracks that completed the “Texas in the Man” EP, the title song built around the lyric, “It’s not about the man in Texas it’s the Texas in the man.” The album was released in September 2007 and by January 2008, Mike was able to retire from his law enforcement career and focus entirely on a life of making music. By December 2008, the first 5 singles had made the European Country Music Association National Top 40 Charts a total of 17 times in 8 countries. The two lifelong friends began playing acoustic duo shows all over the greater Houston area under the moniker of “Sammy & Mike” and full band shows were billed as “Parrish-Hundley Acoustic Duo.” Even though the songs from the first album were mostly all Mike’s tunes, Mike’s loyalty to his friend wouldn’t allow anything other than both their names being on the marquis. The Parrish-Hundley duo continue to hone their craft and play their music all over Southeast Texas with quiet satisfaction in knowing that a childhood dream can become reality.