When your dad drives a bus for Hank Williams, Jr. how do you not end up in the music industry?
Travis Kidd was just a boy when his dad made the transition from truck driver to touring artist bus driver. Born in Pryor, Oklahoma, Travis was surrounded by music from the beginning. “My mom played guitar and sang. My dad played some too. I can remember hearing my mom practicing Emmy Lou Harris songs, and there were instruments of all kinds around our house.” To this day he can’t remember a time when entertainment was not a part of his life.
While the majority of his younger days were spent in Pryor, Kidd loved traveling to “the magical city of Tulsa” to hang at Windjammer with his bandmates. He recalls, “during the early 90’s with my original band Ironside, we had gotten acquainted with Bob Lynn and Eddie Bishop. They were a few years older than us, and it was like we were hanging out with Steve Vai or Marty Friedman, real rockstars! I still admire those guys today.” He continued to play in several other original bands like Mac McCord Worn Leather, Rick Hancock and Bulletproof, and Charlie Mars Band before embarking on a solo career.
A style all his own, Travis Kidd has set a precedence for an original singer/songwriter presence in Tulsa. Versed with an abundance of talent in guitar variety, he says his mood really dictates what any given show will entail. “I love 80’s guitar rock. MTV was a big influence when it came out and I was glued to it.” Much of his musical taste came from southern rock greats like Marshall Tucker and The Eagles, but he also credits Van Halen, Charlie Daniels, and Lynr to his stylings. He has a gift of seamlessly blending rock, pop, country, and metal with a transition so smooth, you'll never see it coming. He states, “I am totally more of a musician than a lyricist. Some of my most popular songs probably have the least lyrical firepower than songs I have taken months to perfect.” Tow Man, he says, is a perfect example. “It’s goofy, and fun, and seems to be what people like about it. I finished it in about 30 minutes!” However, not all songwriting sessions have been so lighthearted.
Jesse Cooper was a young and gifted member of the Coweta based band Crooked X. His life was cut tragically short in 2015, but the impact he made lives on. Travis had gotten to know his parents pretty well, and felt a tribute was in order. He says, “it was a shocker to everyone who knew him or heard him play guitar.” He began writing a song entitled “Jesse Boy” and found some of Jesse’s playing on You Tube. “Finding some of his guitar work, I was able to add it to the song. It was surreal how well it fit. Basically lead guitar from the after life.” The track was mixed and mastered by local engineer Steve“Doc”Morris, and has become a sentimental piece of material that will live forever in the hearts of all who experience it.
With several albums under his belt, and a lucrative career in the music scene, Travis Kidd is thankful he doesn’t have to sacrifice family or friends for a life on the road. He says, “For 20 years Tulsa has afforded me the opportunity to play music for a living. I have found love, raised a family, and made a great life for myself and my family because of it.” He feels the music scene is more like family, and the diversity makes him love Tulsa even more. He is thankful to all who have and continue to support local music, and will remain indebted as long as he is able to entertain.
For Travis Kidd music and live appearances, please visit traviskidd.com