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Biography
Refimprove|date=January 2009Lead too short|date=January 2009Infobox musical artist| |name = Cross Canadian Ragweed|image =|caption =|image_size = |background = group_or_band|origin = Yukon, Oklahoma , United States|USA |genre = Americana music|Americana Southern rock Country rock Alternative country Roots rock Red Dirt (music)|Red Dirt Texas Country |label = Smith Music Group Universal South |years_active = 1994–2010|associated_acts = Jason Boland & the Stragglers WadeBowen Stoney LaRue Mike McClure Band No Justice Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights |current_members = Randy Ragsdale Cody Canada Grady Cross Jeremy Plato Cross Canadian Ragweed was an United States|American Red Dirt (music)|Red Dirt / Texas Country / Country rock band. The name of the band came from the combination of three band members' names, Grady Cross (guitar), Cody Canada (guitar, vocals), and Randy Ragsdale (drums). Jeremy Plato's (bass) name was not involved in the band naming. In response to rumors of preceding bassist, Matt Wiedemann, contributing to the band name, Cory Johnson only stated that they weren't a band before Jeremy Plato, their current bassist.cite news |title=Galleywinter.com Interview with Cory Johnson |url= http://www.galleywinter.com/main/Forums/viewtopic/t=30787.html The band name alludes to Cody Canada's surname and to Canadian County, Oklahoma (where the town of Yukon is located): none of the members are, in fact, of literal Canadian origin.
History
After forming in Yukon, Oklahoma , they moved to the College Town|college town of Stillwater, Oklahoma , where acts like Mike McClure's The Great Divide (band)|The Great Divide and singer-songwriter Jimmy LaFave had established enough of a local scene to earn Stillwater the nickname North Austin.cite news |title=North Austin |url= http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/north_austin_stillwater_ok_nickname/
The group had already received significant college radio airplay (song)|airplay before it released its first album, Carney (Cross Canadian Ragweed album)|Carney in 1998. They soon released Live and Loud at the Wormy Dog Saloon in 1999 and Highway 377 (album)|Highway 377 in 2001, all on their own independent label Underground Sound.
In 2002 they released a self-titled album also known as "the purple album" due to its cover color, which is a tribute to the band's "little sister" cite news |title=Mandy Ragsdale|url= http://media.www.thebatt.com/media/storage/paper657/news/2003/06/19/AggieLife/Ccr-Remembers.Local.Hospitality.After.Wreck-513925.shtml who had recently died in an auto accident.
Their 2004 offering Soul Gravy debuted at #4 on the Billboard Country charts. In October 2005, the band released their album Garage (album)|Garage featuring the single "Fightin' For," which became their first top 40 hit on the country charts, debuting at an impressive #45 and reaching #39, as well as "Dimebag," a tribute to Darrell Abbott . The band released a double live CD and DVD on October 31, 2006, '' Back to Tulsa - Live and Loud at Cain's Ballroom . Cross Canadian Ragweed recorded Mission California , their sixth studio album, at the end of March 2007. They spent 25 days in the studio; the first 5 cutting 15 tracks, the next 20 polishing each. It was recorded in San Diego, California . Lee Ann Womack laid down background vocals on 4 of the tracks to include the Chris Knight (musician)|Chris Knight cover "Cry Lonely." Mission California '' was released on October 2, 2007. Ragweed's tenth album, Happiness and All the Other Things was released on August 31, 2009, commemorating the band's 15th Anniversary. It includes 12 new studio tracks and 3 live tracks. Recorded in California, this album includes a track entitled "Blue Bonnets" which is dedicated to Cody's oldest son Dierks. Happiness and All the Other Things was officially dedicated to the late Randall "Poodie" Locke ( Willie Nelson 's long-time stage manager) who died on May 6, 2009.
In May 2010, Cross Canadian Ragweed announced a hiatus from touring. In a band press release, drummer Randy Ragsdale's explained, "Right now, I need to be at home for my family, particularly my son JC, who has autism. He's 10 years old now and still struggling in his development. I feel the only way I can help him is to be more hands on and close to home." Despite Ragsdale's insistence to supporting the band wanting to “get another drummer and press on," singer Cody Canada stated "We’ve always said from the start, we’re Ragweed as the four of us, or not Ragweed at all." cite new |title=Cross Canadian Ragweed cancels Oklahoma City Family Jam |url= http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/2010/05/28/cross-canadian-ragweed-cancels-oklahoma-city-family-jam-still-playing-sundays-music-and-mayhem-in-eufaula/
In September 2010, singer Cody Canada officially announced the band was calling it quits by announcing their "Last Call Show" in October, 2010 at Joe's Bar in Chicago, IL, stating "as far as that’s concerned, Oct 24 is the last one, the last gig.”cite new |title=Cross Canadian Ragweed frontman's career evolves |url= http://www.caller.com/news/2010/sep/16/cross-canadian-ragweed-frontmans-career-evolves/
Since Cross Canadian Ragweed, singer Cody Canada and bassist Jeremy Plato formed Cody Canada & The Departed with fellow Yukon-native Dave Bowen (drums), Seth James (guitar), and Steve Littleton (keyboards), releasing their debut album in June, 2011.cite new |title=Cody Canada & The Departed digging into red dirt roots with debut album, “This Is Indian Land” |url= http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/2011/06/17/cody-canada-the-departed-digging-into-red-dirt-roots-with-debut-album-this-is-indian-land/ Randy Ragsdale and Grady Cross both returned to Yukon, OK, where Ragsdale has since opened up a landscaping business and now tours with Stoney Larue as of December 2011. Cross purchased and operates the bar that was the very first venue Cross Canadian Ragweed performed in 1991.cite new |title=Local musician puts family first with new business |url= http://www.mustangpaper.com/v2/content.aspx? module=ContentItem& ID=186897& MemberID=1586cite new |title=Former Cross Canadian Ragweed rocker returns to his roots with opening of Yukon pub |url= http://newsok.com/fomer-cross-canadian-ragweed-rocker-returns-to-his-roots-with-opening-of-yukon-pub/article/3583300
Notable appearances
The band frequently plays with country music star Dierks Bentley and other stars of the Red Dirt (music)|Red Dirt scene including Stoney Larue , Micky & The Motorcars , Reckless Kelly (band)|Reckless Kelly , (Canada's brother-in-law) WadeBowen , No Justice , Johnny Cooper (musician)|Johnny Cooper , Seth James , and Brandon Rhyder . Bentley referenced the band in his song " Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go) ", singing that "Ragweed's rockin' on the radio".
Minor League baseball player Adam Boeve uses "Anywhere But Here" as his intro music. Minnesota Twins catcher , Ryan Doumit , comes to bat to their song "Alabama".
"Cry Lonely" is a playable track in Rock Band Country Track Pack .
The song "Boys from Oklahoma" plays as the credits roll in the movie Leaves of Grass (film) |Leaves of Grass starring Edward Norton and Susan Sarandon .
'' Back to Tulsa - Live and Loud at Cain's Ballroom
Release date: October 31, 2006
Label: Universal South Records
Formats: CD, music download
"—" denotes releases that did not chart
Singles
Year
Single
Peak positions
Album
US Country cite web
2002
57
Cross Canadian Ragweed
2003
57
2004
46
Soul Gravy
"Alabama"
2005
39
Garage
2006
43
"Late Last Night"
2007
—
Mission California
2008
59
2009
—
Happiness and All the Other Things
"To Find My Love"
"—" denotes releases that did not chart
Music videos
Year
Video
Director
2001
Darren Cameron
2002
Roger Pistole
"17"
2003
2004
Eric Welch
"Alabama"
2005
Trey Fanjoy
2006
Rob Dennis
2008
References
reflist
External links
http://www.crosscanadianragweed.com/ Cross Canadian Ragweed's Official Web Site
Category:American alternative country groups Category:American country music groups Category:Musical groups from Oklahoma Category:American country rock groups Category:Texas country music groups Category:Show Dog-Universal Music artists
