SHOTGUN DIXIE is a five-piece country / variety band based in central Illinois. SGD is a group of veteran musicians and singers who have played together off and on for many years. The members of the band have had the honor and privilege of sharing the stage with Nashville recording artists DARYLE SINGLETARY, CONFEDERATE RAILROAD, DAVID BALL, RANDY HOUSER, JOHN ANDERSON, MARSHALL-TUCKER, FRANKIE BALLARD, JASON ALDEAN, and DIERKS BENTLEY! Below you'll find brief personal bios for each of the members of SHOTGUN DIXIE. Please scroll down to read all five.
Steve Towery is an experienced and accomplished vocalist who has been singing professionally most of his adult life. He handles the lead vocals on 75% of SHOTGUN DIXIE's nightly set lists. When not singing lead Steve does a great job on harmony vocals. In addition to being the band's lead vocalist, Steve also contributes to SHOTGUN DIXIE's overall musical presentation by playing a mean acoustic guitar on all of the band's music. Steve has a very smooth and versatile voice which lends itself well to the variety of country and country-rock music which SHOTGUN DIXIE performs. He does a great job on everything from beautiful ballads and hard-driving country to country-rock and classic rock. Despite his tough-guy appearance, Steve is very humble and has a very self-deprecating style of humor.
Kevin “Krobar” Anderson is the newest member of SHOTGUN DIXIE. Krobar is arguably THE premiere country and country-rock guitarist in the entire Midwest. Krobar spent 20 years touring the Midwest with the Milwaukee-based band, PORK & THE HAVANA DUCKS, and, after Jerry “Pork” Armstrong’s death several years ago, the group continued touring with Krobar taking over as lead vocalist as well as being the lead guitarist. Krobar has performed with many bands over the years, some of which included Grammy-award winning musicians. As a member of SIDEWINDER, Krobar had an original song, “Whiskey and Water,” featured on local country radio stations. In the early 1980s, Krobar played in the locally popular band, NITEWORK, along with SHOTGUN DIXIE drummer, Alan Stufflebeam. In addition, he has shared the stage with countless country superstars. In case his awesome guitar-picking isn't enough, Krobar lends his vocal talents to the band with killer lead and harmony vocals on many SHOTGUN DIXIE tunes.
Alan Stufflebeam is an accomplished drummer with almost 40 years of professional performing experience (man, is he old)! Regardless of the type of song the band is playing, Alan provides a strong and steady beat and is the driving force behind the tune. In addition to laying down the beat, Alan sings harmony vocals on the majority of SHOTGUN DIXIE's song list and provides lead vocals on several tunes including several classic and southern rock songs. This guy is one of the most respected drummers and surprisingly good vocalists in the central Illinois country-rock music scene. Alan also does much of the booking (in conjuction with Randy Williams) and handles most of the other business aspects of the band, including maintaining the band's website. He owns and operates the P.A. equipment which the band uses and hauls it around in his trusty (but not too rusty) trailer.
Michael Dean is the youngest musician in SHOTGUN DIXIE, but he has a ton of professional experience. He is an accomplished bass guitarist who has played a wide variety of musical styles throughout his career, but he would rather play country music than anything else. Mike lays down a bass line the way it's supposed to be done. Mike and his "Uncle Alan" comprise one of the most solid and "tightest" rhythm sections of any country band you'll hear anywhere in central Illinois. Mike can make that 5-string Fender Precision really talk on stage. He also runs sound from the stage at most SGD performances. You won't find a more talented bassist between here and Chicago or St. Louis. He may be a quiet and somewhat shy guy, but he lets his playing do his talking for him!
Randy Williams is the former soundman for the band and stepped up to become a background vocalist when the band re-formed in 2009. For the last two years, he has worked hard to improve his stage presence and vocal performance. Randy provides background vocals, plays cowbell and a "mean" tambourine, and does most of the crowd interaction for the group. His role is to help get the crowd involved with the performances and to add some versatility to the band's music. In addition, Randy helps with much of the stage set up including lighting and sound. He also helps with the band's promotion and bookings (in conjunction with Alan Stufflebeam), including maintaining the band's Facebook page. By the way ladies, Randy is the youngest member of the group and the ONLY single member!