He wasn't born in the Wood River Valley but when singer/songwriter Hal Ketchum turns up for two shows in Hailey, he's half way to his namesake town. And when he appears at The Mint on Saturday, his hit song "Small Town Saturday Night" will perfectly fit the bill, albeit without the rowdy aspects.
Born in the Adirondacks town of Greenwich, N.Y., Ketchum joined an R&B trio as a drummer in his teens. Ketchum moved to Florida and then to Texas, where he played at local dance halls, such as the famous Gruene Hall. There he began to hone his songwriting skills alongside the likes of Lyle Lovett and Jimmie Dale Gilmore.
He lived in Austin for 20 years, where he worked the Texas singer-songwriter approach. In fact, each year he returns to Austin for a big reunion show at Gruene. Two of his band members and his manger still call Austin home, though Ketchum is now based in Nashville.
"I always include a bunch of my old friends, like Steve Bruton, who's a brilliant writer. It's a lovely day for me," he said in a recent interview. "It's where I started and a wonderful environment. I saw Bo Diddly and Delbert McClinton and a lot of great people that really inspired me."
In 1986, he went to Nashville to write songs, and three years later released his debut album that included the hit single, "Small Town Saturday Night."
Following up with such high profile tunes as "Past The Point Of Rescue," "Sure Love," "Mama Knows The Highway," "Hearts Are Gonna Roll," "Five O'Clock World," and "Stay Forever," he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1994.
His resume has impressive stats: eight albums (over 4 million sold), 15 Top 10 singles, five Top 5 singles and a Country Music Award nomination for Vocal Event Of The Year with "Long-Haired Country Boy," which he wrote and preformed with Charlie Daniels.
Still with Curb Records, he's currently in the studio working on a new album.
"I write a lot and co-write with other people. Nashville's really a very creative town."
As a bonus to living there, of course, he gets to perform at the Opry a couple times a month.
"You can just show up and play (when you're a member). It's very cool. There's a real sense of community. I've met the most wonderful folks. You know it's live radio show has been going since 1926, so it's like being a link in a great chain."
Ketchum has been to the Wood River Valley before.
"I played out in a beautiful open area, an outdoor concert, maybe eight or 10 years ago. And I've visited a few times, Ketchum being my namesake."
He's never played at The Mint and the management is planning on treating him, and the audience, very well.
The first show, at 7 p.m., will be smoke free and the second show is at 10 p.m.
"We want to make it a really nice experience," The Mint manager Tara Bell said. "We've got more cocktail waitresses, more tables and seats for the early show. It'll be a high-end kind of thing. Each set is approximately 80 minutes, no opener, just all Hal Ketchum."
Ketchum is certainly looking forward to the gig.
"I get up and roar, man," he said. "I'll play some of those new songs and some old stuff, tell a few bad jokes, what ever it takes. Like LBJ said, 'You get their tails moving and their minds follow.' I think that's important. I love music that makes you move."
For his jaunt north, Ketchum is bringing along a special guest, drummer Starz Vanderlocket.
"He's a buddy of mine. I'm very fortunate. I have great players, and it's different every night. There's nothing remotely boring about it. It's a joy."
Ketchum, the father of three girls and a devoted husband, is also a painter. His paintings are shown by a gallery in Santa Fe.
"I paint all the time. The paintings have an element of the humorous. That's my take on life. There's always something funny."
