ROBYN FRIDAY
MU S IC I S S UE
STILL STANDING: Greg Spradlin has been to honky tonk hell and back.
THE LONG WAY
After nearly giving up, the best guitarist in Arkansas joins forces with his musical idols. BY DAVID RAMSEY
14
DECEMBER 12, 2012
ARKANSAS TIMES
O
nce upon a time, Greg Spradlin had designs on becoming a rock star. He once told No Depression magazine that his former band, The Skeeterhawks, had “been sent to save rock ’n’ roll.” Nowadays, Spradlin, 43, works as a consultant to non-profits, trading on years of experience as an upper-level manager for the Heifer International Foundation. He pops up on stage from time to time, stealing the show at Riverfest or playing a big-shot industry event. Ask a local music nerd and he’s liable to tell you that Spradlin’s the best guitarist in the state. But for more than a decade now, he’s been more of a nine-to-fiver than a rocker.