Heath-Fitzgerald to perform at Finals
Following a very successful appearance at the
2003 Cowtown Rodeo in Fort Worth, Matthew Heath-Fitzgerald
will be one of our spotlight performers during the IGRA Finals
Rodeo in Dallas.
Growing up in small towns across Oklahoma, he
dreamed of a vocal career and performed regularly at church
functions.
At a young age Matthew was recruited to sing
at weddings and social gatherings for members of his parents
congregation. He quickly became acustomed to singing the gospel
music heard in the Methodist Church. Living in Oklahoma, he
also was influenced greatly by country music, which became
his dream. In his high school years Matthew became choir director
at his local church.
After graduating from Kingston Public Schools in 1997, Matthew
continued performing at various small functions in the Oklahoma
- Texas area.
When Matthew turned 21, he was asked to record background
vocals for a Oklahoma area cabaret artist which consisted
of mainly lounge music. The work he did on the album brought
him more recognition and he was asked to perform in clubs
around Oklahoma.
Matthew quickly became a favorite in Oklahoma City, recieving
bookings most every weekend to sing his energetic country
tunes and his mesmerizing country ballads. Every club he performed
in Matthew was always asked the same question: "When
are you going to release an album?"
So, in March of 2002 Matthew independantly recorded his debut
album in Branson, Missouri. In April the album "MY LOVE"
was released. Available at any Matthew Heath-Fitzgerald performance,
various small shops in Oklahoma City & Tulsa, and on the
internet, "My Love" has proved to sell very well
and has boosted his listening audience. In May 2002 Houston,
Texas radio station KPFT FM played the title cut of the album
on air, and reported to have very good responce.
Matthew says about his debut album: "It has been a learning
experience. I enjoyed recording the album so much. A lot of
it is re-working of Top 40 hits, but I do have many original
songs saved for a future release."
Matthew's "My Love" album has since been released
two more times, the final release was in 2003.
Matthew's second album, a live recording in Tulsa, Oklahoma
(June 2003) was released in October of 2003.
Matthew's Live album was greeted with much responce and opened
the door for many more bookings at clubs and rodeos around
the country. Matthew quickly became a favorite at clubs in
Oklahoma like The PlayMor in Tulsa and The Copa in Oklahoma
City.
By 2004 Matthew's schedule permitted little time for recording
a new album, however, the need for another album was evident.
Matthew opted for recording his next album in the comfort
of his own home. The begining of 2004 found Matthew recording
tracks for his upcoming album in his spare time.
Matthew was then asked by Brian Black (brother of country
legend Clint Black) to be his opening act for the Cowtown
Rodeo in Ft. Worth, Texas. Matthew decided that this concert
would be the perfect timing for the release of his latest
album. So, on the evening of March 5th 2004, Matthew's "Neon
Rainbow" was released at his performance with Brian Black.
"Neon Rainbow" has quickly become Matthew's best
selling album to date.
Currently Matthew is regularly performing monthly at Oklahoma
City's Club Rox and The Boom Boom Room and Tulsa's PlayMor
Club, as well as various dates in and around Oklahoma.
Matthew Heath-Fitzgerald now lives in Krebs, Oklahoma and
travels performing around the country.
Find more about Matthew at his web site: www.heathfitzgerald.com
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