Today we’d like to introduce you to Rusty Atomic Drifters Rockabilly.
Hi Rusty, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Well, I suppose my personal story started with my family who taught me to play guitar and always encouraged singing and creativity. I remember being recorded by my mom & Grandmother on cassette, because I could imitate various personalities such as Howard Cosell, The famous sports announcer. the holidays & family gatherings of my childhood were filled with laughter & music and always ended with an evening of my mother, my grandmother & myself playing acoustic guitar and singing songs such as Wabash Cannonball, It wasn’t God who made Honky tonk Angels & out Behind the Barn, along with a host of original songs that my mom would write like the one about me when she was only 20 years old and I was three called” my little man and me and the Lord” which we hope to record and release in 2027. My grandmother was a well-known actress in Denver and performed monthly at the Gaslight Theater. She was a talented musician and known locally as, ” Denver’s own Kitty Wells”. I didn’t know it then, but subconsciously the seeds were being planted for my future 🎸. In high school I sang traditional American doo-wop, completely acapella And took part in the high school talent show with my buddies as the stray cats 😂
– My first guitar was cheap and poorly designed and I was constantly discouraged when my fingers Would be so sore & bleed. Thinking back on it, It sounds ridiculous, but I don’t think I realized I was playing on a $30 guitar. for many years, after my grandmother died young of cancer, I quit playing. I went to college, got a formal education at Colorado State University and joined the workforce.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t suppose anyone has a super smooth Road in life and I’m no different. but, complaining about it never really seem to help much, so I guess I have never been one to dwell too much on the bad obstacles or complain to others. Some of the very hardest moments have been later in my life when I lost someone close to me who I loved and enjoyed spending time with. The intense loss & deep despair of a broken heart is some of the worst pain I’ve ever felt personally. touring the country, playing music without that special someone to share it with can be very lonely. The power of prayer has been important in my life, even though I didn’t understand much about the Bible as a kid. When I got older, and people let me down or I found myself missing that special someone while traveling The lonesome highway between gigs or at the bar with a glass of whiskey, it was the holy spirit that kept me goin’. Today I am a practicing Christian and I spend most every Sunday with my mama in church and most every Sunday afternoon at the thrift store with her 🎸
– I suppose one of the biggest struggles musicians seem to have is consistency with creative collaboration. In the music world, so many people have such incredible talents but it’s hard to do much by yourself. It’s important to realize how much can be achieved with the right partnership and the importance of treating people well, keeping your promises and being honest. 🎙️
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I guess if anything, Atomic Drifters Rockabilly is known for keeping things upbeat and fun. We pride ourselves on providing an interactive, super fun live music show with a lot of audience participation. we routinely invite other musicians up on stage with us and have collaborated imprompt too with other bands to provide some of the most memorable shows across the country. Just this past July we headlined a rockabilly weekend in Minnesota and welcomed another band, ” The Rockin’ Hepcats” on the stage with us to provide what I’m told was an unforgettable experience for the crowd. From our point of view it was one to remember also and we’re grateful to other musicians and to the organizers of these events for allowing us the opportunity to express ourselves and share our music across the country. At this particular show in Minnesota, we were touring with two band vehicles, a slide-in camper truck and a minivan filled with our equipment. The rear end of our truck went out and we had to tow it from Minnesota to Wisconsin and call on our hot rod mechanic friends to help us (June Custom Metalworks, Sparta Wisconsin- THANKS MATT!) fix it which took nearly a week and a ton of money….haha. it was a real lesson but in the end we forged new friendships and came away with new memories….. And a new F-150 rear axle housing..haha
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I feel very blessed, because I have many, many favorite childhood memories. Mostly, my young memories are of trying to get old cars to run, high School sports & dances, great buddies, beautiful young gals and creating fun music in between all that.
– I bought my first car, a ’57 Chevy two-door hardtop Bel Air with a 409 and Muncie 4-speed rock crusher transmission When I was 13 years old. My buddies and I found the ad for the car in the pennysaver magazine and the guy had no idea we were too young to buy a car so he sold it to us. I drove around without a license until I got my permit at 15 and 1/2 years old and it’s a miracle I didn’t wind up in jail. I didn’t drink alcohol or use any drugs in my youth, so I guess it helped keep me out of trouble. The ’57 Chevy was from Illinois and I had no idea about Rusty cars from the Midwest since I grew up in Denver. This car had no rockers, no quarters and not much of a floor. Rust was everywhere, but the big block 409 engine, the four on the floor and the positraction rear end kept my friends and I motivated to keep working on it. We found a vinyl record in the trunk by Ricky Nelson and I asked my mom who that was. She told me that it was her childhood heartthrob and I suppose this whole event firmly placed me in the rockabilly World unknowingly. I began to sing Ricky Nelson songs everyday after school in my many Athletic programs and after practice or games I would get back to trying to keep that old Chevy running. After the 57 Chevy, my buddies and I got our hands on a 55 5 Chevy four-door sedan and a 1971 V8 Vega with a 327 vet engine. I guess because of all this stuff, you can’t take the hot rod out of me and we perform vintage hot rod songs from coast to coast now. It’s funny how doing an interview like this can bring things back and make us realize how our childhood really affects the rest of our life 🎸
Pricing:
- Our pricing is flexible and determined per event by the distance traveled, load in and the budget of the venue.
- We are happy to perform private event, or applicable music venue Coast to Coast or overseas
Contact Info:
- Website: https://atomicdrifters.com
- Instagram: ATOMIC DRIFTERS rockabilly
- Facebook: The atomic drifters
- Twitter: Atomic drifters
- Youtube: ATOMIC DRIFTERS CHANNEL
- Soundcloud: 303-905-6226 Is the easiest overall way to reach us for booking, questions, comments or anything you may need
- Other: Most of these specific URL addresses are listed in our email, since I’m not able to access them on the interview without losing my page
