Who is Bobby Ivie

Hey, folks. Thanks for visiting my web site.

I've been blessed to play music with my guitar in many places, with many people and for many people in my career.

I played for the Air Force Band at Lackland AFB in the 1970's and early 80's. The main band I played with was the Country Critters.

We primarily toured Texas and Oklahoma, but we could be found as far east as Pensacola, FL., as far west as Wickenberg, AZ and Sacramento, CA and as far south as Zacatecas, Mexico.

We played annually at the National Finals Rodeo when they were in Oklahoma City, and we played a few of the annual Roy Clark Golf Tournaments in Tulsa, OK where we were fortunate enough to play for Roy on stage a couple times.

Some of the other stars we were lucky enough to either share the stage with or play on the same billing include Reba McEntire in her early days in Oklahoma, the late Jimmy Dean, Dotsy, Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius, the Texas Playboys, Hank William's Drifters, Del Reeves and many others. Yeah, I'm droppin' names :)

After I left the Air Force Band I played many venues in Phoenix and in northern Arizona.

In 1987 I decide to take my guitar playing to the next level and went to Hollywood to attend the Musician's Institute, previously called the Guitar Institute of Technology. I highly recommend this school. The theory I learned enhanced my guitar playing in a big way.

I graduated and moved to Nashville where I became a radio jock in Carthage, TN. I found it hard to make a living and pursue music at the same time, as the clubs there don't pay much. The musician's primarily play to get seen and hook up with better gigs.

I decided I didn't want to pursue country anyway, so I moved to Austin, TX to focus more on Texas blues. I had the same problem there as I found myself taking other work to survive, so I headed back to Phoenix.

In truth, I never really gave it a shot in Austin as I never even 'hung out' or tried to find a gig. I just moved there, took a day job and became miserable in it. Don't ever do that. Always Rock On.

I played the clubs in Phoenix again for awhile, then hit the road with my band, Tailgate. Following that I did a summer in Ouray, CO. at the Chipeta Opry. From there I went back on the road with another band, License to Drive. We toured mostly in the mid-west.

We ended the tour and I went back to playing venues in Phoenix before relocating to the Houston, TX area. The Houston area is great for music and is not far from Austin. I plan on moving even closer to Austin soon so I can give it the chance I never gave it. You may find me in Bastrop, TX in the near future. That way I can pursue my music in Austin and do some great bass fishing in Bastrop :)

Rock on, brothers and sisters. May you come to the knowledge and acceptance of the truth that is Jesus Christ.