Perfect Stranger

by Johnny Loftus
 
Perfect Stranger formed in Carthage, TX, in 1986. Led by bassist Shayne Morrison and guitarist Richard Raines, the band also included vocalist Steve Murray and drummer Andy Ginn. The bands formative years were spent fighting for fans at dive bars, honky tonks, and rodeos across Texas. But by 1992, the band had established themselves enough to enter a Nashville recording studio. Their debut LP, You Have the Right to Remain Silent, was released in December 1994, and soon its Vince Gill-penned single, Ridin the Rodeo, was the number one independent country song in America. The albums title track became Perfect Strangers second single. It hit the airwaves in the spring of 1995 and garnered widespread airplay both on radio and CMT. The exposure didnt go unnoticed by the major labels, and soon Nashville powerhouse Curb came calling. The label signed Stranger within a week and immediately picked up distribution rights for Right from the indie Pacific. Curb re-released the album with additional tracks, and it spent an additional 26 weeks on the country charts. In 1998, Marty Arbter replaced original drummer Ginn, and the band continued to tour as they readied their follow-up release. The Hits appeared in summer 2001; it included another version of the bands biggest hit, You Have the Right to Remain Silent. 2002 found the band readying another album and continuing to tour the honky tonks and rodeos where they first found their fans.