The Reverend Horton Heat is the stage name of American musician James C. Heath (born 1959) as well as the name of his psychobilly trio from Dallas. Heath is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. A reviewer for the magazine Prick called Heath the "godfather of modern rockabilly and psychobilly". The group formed in 1986, playing its first gigs in Dallas' Deep Ellum neighborhood. The core members are Jim "Reverend Horton" Heath on guitars and lead vocals, and Jimbo Wallace on the upright bass. The band signed to Victory Records in 2012, and released its 12th studio album, Whole New Life, on November 30, 2018. The band plays rock and roll with influences from 1950s country music, surf music, punk, big band, swing, and rockabilly standards.
Early career
Heath was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he grew up with an appreciation of rock, electric blues and rockabilly. He was influenced by country music artists including Junior Brown, Willie Nelson, and Merle Travis. He began his career played in local bands until 1985 when he established the Reverend Horton Heat, based on a moniker bestowed by the owner of the Deep Ellum nightclub where he played. Hiring bassist Jimbo Wallace and...
Extract from Wikipedia: “The Reverend Horton Heat” (CC BY-SA 4.0).
