Sammy Sadler & Dave Gibson
Sammy Sadler, known for his classic country voice and captivating stage presence, was a rising star in Nashville in 1989, with six successful singles on Evergreen Records—until tragedy struck. While out on Music Row, he and friend Kevin Hughes were shot by a masked gunman. Sammy survived, but Hughes, a Cash Box Chart manager, did not. The attack exposed a payola scandal that shook the country music industry, known as the Murder on Music Row. Despite the hardships, Sammy never lost his passion for country music and remained determined to return to the stage.
He went on to earn three Billboard records, four top-15 hits on the Texas Country Music Charts, and the title of Dallas-Fort Worth Male Artist of the Year. Along the way, he collaborated with legends like Steve Wariner, T. Graham Brown, John Anderson, Larry Stewart, and Marty Raybon. Sammy shares his journey in his book A Hit With A Bullet, offering a firsthand account of his survival and perseverance, earning lasting respect in the industry.
Dave Gibson, born in El Dorado, Arkansas, and raised in Odessa, Texas, was shaped by his heartland roots. His journey to Nashville in 1982 launched a career that left a lasting mark on country music. His soulful songwriting has been recorded by legends like Alabama, Tanya Tucker, Montgomery Gentry, Conway Twitty, and Pam Tillis. From 1990 to 1994, he fronted the Gibson/Miller Band, writing and performing hits like High Rollin’, Texas Tattoo, and Stone Cold Country. In 1993, the band won the ACM Award for Best New Group, and Gibson earned six BMI awards, two NSAI awards, and a Grammy nomination.
Gibson’s songwriting legacy includes classics like Alabama’s “Jukebox in My Mind”, Tanya Tucker’s “If It Don’t Come Easy”, and Confederate Railroad’s “Queen of Memphis”. Most recently, his #1 hit Ships That Don’t Come In was re-recorded for Hixtape: Vol. 3, featuring Luke Combs and Toby Keith—the last song Keith recorded before his passing in 2024.
“I’m honored to have had my song recorded by not just one legend in Joe Diffie, but two, including Toby Keith,” Gibson says. “Luke is surely a future Hall of Famer, and I couldn’t be prouder of the work they did to bring my song to a new generation.”
The Hits and History Tour – Electronic Press Kit
