In 1998, the Dixie Chicks hit #1 for four weeks with the title cut from Wide Open Spaces. The song, written by Susan Gibson, was orignally recorded by her band The Groobees. The Groobees went their separate ways in 2001, shortly after releasing Buy One Get Eleven Free. and the group's web site went away in January, 2003.
These pages are a mirror of the groobees.com web site at the time it went dark. All contents should be considered the property of the former members of The Groobees. This mirror is hosted by the All-Inclusive Dixie Chicks Page. Questions should be directed to the Webmaster.
The Groobees have decided to call it quits after 6 years as a touring and recording
act. The band, formed in Amarillo, TX in 1995, included vocalists and songwriters
Susan Gibson on guitar, banjo, papoose
and Scott Melott on accordion,
keyboards and harmonica, Gary Thomason on lead guitar, Todd Hall on drums and
Bobby Schaffer on bass. The members of the band have cited personal reasons
as the impetus behind the split.
The Groobees have released three CD's - This year's Buy One, Get Eleven Free
on Downtime Records, 1999 's The Groobees on Blix Street Records as well as
1997's Wayside . Buy One, Get Eleven Free and The Groobees landed in the Top
10 of the Americana and Texas Music charts.
Buy One, Get Eleven Free, is an outstanding 14-song collection with smart hooks
and roots-pop sensibilities. John Nova Lomax writes in the Houston Press, “Seldom
has a studio CD played so live. While this endeavor does seem deliberate, it
doesn’t feel forced. Ubiquitous producer, Lloyd Maines, who also handled
the first release, got it right this time. The disk first seduces us with its
canny hooks, and then enamors us with its deep substance. Gibson’s lyrics
are as personal and introspective as any in music today, but her delivery is
ballsy, so to speak, and woe-is-me-free.”
The group is best known nationally for their original song, "Wide Open
Spaces" which spent 4 weeks atop the Billboard Country Chart as recorded
by the Dixie Chicks.
Scott Melott will be relocating
to Austin to join forces with the Groobees former management company, Big9Management
and continue his career in music.
Susan Gibson, author of "Wide Open Spaces" has already embarked on
a solo career. She will playing solo and touring with a band nationally the
rest of the year. You can visit Susan's website at susansongs.com