Povertyneck Hillbillies

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Povertyneck Hillbillies
Origin	Dawson, Pennsylvania, USA
Genre(s)	Country
Years active	2000-2008
Label(s)	Cort Rust
Website	http://www.thepovertyneckhillbillies.com
Former members
Chris "Abby" Abondanza Bob "Crafty" Crafton Dave Cramer David "Junior" Guthrie Chris Higbee Ryan Lucotch Jeff Volek

The Povertyneck Hillbillies was an American country music band founded in Dawson, Pennsylvania in 2000. Its original lineup comprised Chris "Abby" Abbondanza (lead vocals), Chris Higbee (fiddle), Dave Cramer (keyboards), Ryan Lucotch (drums), Jeff Volek (bass guitar, accordion), David "Junior" Guthrie (electric guitar), and Bob "Crafty" Crafton (steel guitar).^[1] After several years of playing in local bars, the band gained a following throughout their native Pennsylvania; the Pittsburgh Steelers also adopted The Povertyneck Hillbillies as their official band.^[1]

The Povertyneck Hillbillies released a total of three albums: the independently-released Hillbilly State of Mind and Don't Look Back in 2002 and 2004, followed by a self-titled effort in 2006 on Rust Records, the same year that Crafton left the band. Although these three albums produced no chart hits, they sold more than 10,000 copies nationwide.

In 2008, Higbee issued a press release indicating that the band would be on hiatus indefinitely; since then, he has founded another band called the Chris Higbee Project, while Abondanza has begun a solo career.

1 Biography
2 Discography
- 2.1 Albums
- 2.2 Singles
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Biography

The Povertyneck Hillbillies was founded in 2000 in the city of Dawson, Pennsylvania by fiddler Chris Higbee and lead vocalist Chris "Abby" Abondanza, who met and befriended each other after discovering common musical interests.^[1] Through the help of other friends, the two musicians found five more members who would complete the band's lineup: guitarist David Guthrie, keyboardist Dave Cramer, bass guitarist Jeff Volek, steel guitarist Bob Crafton and drummer Ryan Lucotch. The seven-piece band then assumed the name Povertneck Hillbillies, a name derived from Poverty Neck Lane, a street near Higbee's grandfather's farm.^[2]

In the 2000s, the band began touring throughout Pennsylvania, playing at various bars and clubs to help develop a fanbase.^[2] Eventually, they were discovered by members of the Pittsburgh Steelers, a franchise of the National Football League, who chose the band to play "The Star-Spangled Banner" at a halftime show for the team. Eventually, the Povertyneck Hillbillies were chosen as the Steelers' official band.^[1]^[2]

By 2002, the band had released its debut album, Hillbilly State of Mind; a second album, Don't Look Back, followed two years later on Cort Records. Although neither album produced any chart singles, the albums sold more than 10,000 copies nationwide; as a result, they were named by the Country Music Association as one of the top-selling independent country acts of 2005.^[2] Crafton left the group in 2006, shortly before they signed to Rust Records and released their self-titled third album.

On January 14, 2008, Higbee announced that the band had "decided to take a break of indefinite length." According to his press release, "Abby, Jeff, Junior and Dave have chosen to stop performing with the band. As with the impending end of any relationship, hurt feelings and frustration may prompt negative statements, rumors or speculation." Higbee has since founded another band entitled the Chris Higbee Project, while Abbondanza has begun a solo career.