BIO

While some may be a singer, a songwriter, or a guitar player, Jay Dirks can do it all.  Residing from the great State of Texas, Jay Dirks has been professionally playing and writing his own music for over a decade now and has written over 100 original songs.  From a  young age it was obvious Jay had a musical ear.  He started playing piano at the age of 7 and shortly after he caught the music bug he migrated to playing the guitar - that is where the story starts.  With the help of Jay’s dad teaching him a few chords, it didn’t take Jay long to start singing and playing songs on the radio and eventually he started creating his own music.   He grew up playing everything from rock, country, to blues which his style can be heard in his original music.

 

He formed his first band southern rock/blues band while a freshman in high school and they played local bar gigs around town and school events/functions.  They also won the battle of the bands in their high school after only playing for 6 months.  Jay taught everyone in the band how to play their instruments from drums, bass, to guitar.  In 2001 at the age of 18 Jay joined the U.S Army Infantry and spent 4 years on active duty -  two years of those on deployments to the Middle East.  He spent many hours of his free time entertaining his fellow troops with an acoustic guitar whenever the time was available.  While deployed, Dirks began to write songs about the personal experiences he has was going through.  Jay was released from active duty in 2005 and immediately formed a Texas country band in Austin, Texas called Jay Dirks & The Old No. 7s. 

 

Jay Dirks took charge of that rising Texas Country market and immediately grabbed a large following and was packing the bars, rodeos, festivals, and fairs all throughout the state of Texas playing both his own original country songs and cover songs.  In 2007,  Jay was recruited to become the lead singer and guitar player for a pro-touring band called 3 Ring Rodeo. 3 Ring Rodeo was formed by Donny Tomlinson who had played for acts such as Joe Nichols, Brett Michaels, Sonny Burgress, Kevin Sharp, and many others.  3 Ring Rodeo released their second album in 2008 called “Another Roll of the Dice” which featured 10 original country songs.  They played the Texas Country scene playing shows with acts like Stoney LaRue, Cody Jinks, and Aaron Watson to name a few.   They also toured all over the United States booking shows all the way from Minnesota, Nevada, to New York, and Florida (just to name a few).

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By the beginning of 2009, Jay began a new chapter in his music endeavors and began a solo career focused solely on his singing and songwriting.  He longed to do a completely new album/project that was all his own and wanted to give his fans a brand new side of him that they had never seen before.  Jay released a 4 song EP in February 2013 and his music once again became a hit while at the same time playing statewide gigs and shows and even had the chance to open up for the band Little Big Town.  Jay also took his music to play two different shows during the CMA Fest in Nashville, TN in June of 2013 where he shared the stage with James Otto and many others.   In late 2013 Jay took his band to win 1st place in the Texaco Country Showdown with raving support from local radio stations.  In December of 2013 he released a single called “Better,” which is a heartfelt love song about a real life experience from  many years ago.  Today, Jay has settled down in San Angelo, TX and continues to write new songs and play an occasional show once in awhile.  In September of 2016, he released a new 6 song EP to the Texas Country market and also released his first Texas Country / Red Dirt song to radio called "Our Hearts Bleed Blue," which charted at #50 respectively.  In 2017, Jay released a 9 song Piano album and 3 more singles.  All of those singles, "Scars, "It Won't Last," and "You Won't Fool Lonely," debuted in the top 20 on the Texas Music Pickers Spotify Chart.  In July of 2018, Jay released his 4th album "No Strings Attached," which includes 5 songs about summer love, drinking, and tunes that just want to make anyone two step across the dance floor. Dirks is already writing music for a 5th album which he hopes to release late in 2018.

Just some of the venues where Jay Dirks has performed over years:

 

The Ranch – Midland, Texas 

Hanover’s Draught Haus – Austin, Texas

Junior’s Bar N Grill – Austin, Texas

Big Shotz Neighborhood Bar– Round Rock, Texas

Taz Country – Pflugerville, Texas

Inn of The Mountain Gods Casino – Ruidoso, New Mexico

Boulder Station Casino – Las Vegas, Nevada

Top Deck – Farmington, New Mexico

Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant, Oklahoma

Rockin’S Bar N Grill – Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas

Flora Bama – Pensacola, Florida

Austin City Limits Music Festival – Austin, Texas

South by Southwest Music Festival – Austin, Texas

Snuffys Bar N Grill – Hutto, Texas

Fat Thompsons Sports Lounge – Hutto, Texas  

Red Roosters Bar N Grill – Pflugerville, Texas

Kniebels Tavern – Pflugerville, Texas

The Wheel – Nashville, Tennessee

Whiskey River – Grand Junction, Colorado

Saddle Lite Saloon – Rock Springs, Wyoming

Shooting Star Casino – Mahnomen, Minnesota

Republic of Texas Motorcycle Ralley – Austin, Texas

Anderson Mill Tavern – Austin, Texas

Shooters – Cedar Park, Texas

The Salt Lick – Round Rock, Texas

The Roadhouse Bar N Grill – Round Rock, Texas

Rhinos N Jocks Sports Bar – Round Rock, Texas

Parmer Lane Tavern – Austin, Texas

Rileys Tavern – Hunter, Texas

Inn of the Hills Resort – Kerrville, Texas

PK Roadhouse – Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas

Hal & Mals – Jackson, Mississippi

Papas Wheelhouse – Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas

Little Woodrows – Austin, Texas

CMA Fest – Nashville, Tennessee

Waterloo Ice House – Austin, Texas

Moon River Bar N Grill – Spicewood, Texas

Central Texas Fair & Rodeo – Austin, Texas

Tugs Bar N BBQ – Leander, Texas

The Office Lounge – Georgetown, Texas

Panchos & Leftys – Hare, Texas

Quinns Irish Pub – Round Rock, Texas

Parders – Round Rock, Texas

The Cactus Rose – Taylor, Texas

La Palapa Restaurant & Cantina – Austin, Texas

Homers Bar N Grill – Austin, Texas

The Bunkhouse Bar & Grill – Hutto, Texas

Texas Bar N Grill – Austin, Texas

Reunion Ranch – Georgetown, Texas

Burgers & Blues – Jackson, Mississippi

Carousel Lounge – Austin, Texas

Ropers Dancehall – Austin, Texas

Maggie Maes – Austin, Texas

Inn Of The Hills - Kerrville, Texas

Main St. Saloon - San Angelo, Texas

Peepsi's BBQ - San Angelo, Texas

Horny Toad Brewery - Rowena, Texas

Texas Venue BBQ & Grill - Ballinger, Texas

SoCo Taphouse - San Angelo, Texas

The HornyToad Pub & Grub - Snyder, Texas

Diamond Lils - Hobbs, New Mexico

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