by photojournalist Dan Fernandez
The Bellamy Brothers are unicorns of the industry. The group, formed and fronted by brothers David Bellamy and Howard Bellamy is rounded out by the additions of Randy Hall (Bass), Randy Hiebert (guitar), Jim Heep (steel guitar), Dewayne Rice (Keyboards), Stephanie Wilson Hall (Vocals) and Collin Dobbs (drums). Along the way the Bellamy Brothers music dominated the charts in the 70s and 80s but their inventive songwriting, eternal dedication to their creative process and a passion for what they do, as well as what they do it for, has kept them as relevant as ever with 21 top singles, 25 top 10 hits on various charts and over 50 albums released over their tenure, most of which have been released through their continual collaboration with Curb Records. The dedication that The Bellamy Brothers have shown to their craft and their longevity in the industry has not only garnered them an impressive fanbase in the states, especially in Texas, but it has brought them a level of international notoriety that not many country acts have managed to achieve.
Despite all the successes the ol’ boys from Darby, Florida never forgot where they came from, making sure to pencil in stops at local venues such as their regular appearance at the Florida Strawberry Festival, partnering with Florida’s largest Medical Marijuana Facilitator and even running their century and a half old family ranch. On the importance of staying true to their Florida roots and operating the Ranch the guys were quoted “We’ve (our family) lived on our family ranch in Darby, Florida, for over 150 years. It’s not just home, it’s where we raise Brahman cattle, quarter horses, and even record our music.” It’s abundantly clear that The Bellamy brothers are a Florida family, it’s also clear that Florida is their family.
I recently had the opportunity to hang out with the guys backstage prior to their short but sweet set before it was postponed due to heavy weather in the area. True to their reputation the guys brought me right in and treated me as one of their own from the get-go as I alternated between conversing with the crew and capturing some of the more candid moments through lens of my camera. Although the show was limited in sample size it sure did not disappoint as I could hear fans singing along to their favorite Bellamy tunes no matter where I was stood in the venue.
As we waited in hopes that the storm would pass, I had the chance to speak to star of the hit reality tv show “Honky Tonk Ranch,” which follows the lives of the country music duo. As a Lifelong friend of The Bellamy Brothers, the show features Andy filling many roles on the ranch including “the Sherriff.” You can catch all seasons of the show out now on Circle Tv. While further awaiting a decision on the storm I also had the opportunity to speak with Randy Hiebert, the long-time lead guitarist, studio engineer, and producer for The Bellamy Brothers who has worked with the duo for over 30 years now. After catching up with Randy and snapping few images of him and his guitar the show was officially called due to the stubborn thunderstorm. All hope that the weather would quickly pass was lost about an hour after the start of the concert’s delay as the lightning continued crashing and the thunder erupted all around us, encompassing us in a dark, hazy mess of clouds which only seemed to part to tease a bit of sunshine before swallowing up the sky once again. Was I bummed that the show would not go on? Of course I was, but I also felt fulfilled. The music, while short lived was exactly what you have come to expect from a Bellamy Brothers performance and more, the atmosphere was full of camaraderie, and I can honestly say that I made some new friends. Isn’t that what it’s all about?
As I walked to the exit, already fully content, I heard what seemed to be the voice of an angel coming from the speakers announcing that the brothers and co would be returning to the stage to finish their performance at 545, roughly two hours after the original start time. The dedication and hard work from the Florida Strawberry Festival crew did not go unappreciated as The Bellamy Brothers were able to trot back out on the stage and finish their iconic set. As Andy Cobb said, “we dared the lightning” and after a little tug-of-war the music came out on top!
