THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012
LIFE
COMMUNITY RECORDER
PEOPLE | IDEAS | RECIPES
Troy Brooks performs performs at KJ’s Pub Feb. 3 in Crescent Springs. JOSEPH FUQUA II/CINCINNATI ENQUIRER
WALTON MUSICIAN CLOSE TO FULFILLING DREAM
By Mark Hansel mhansel@nky.com
WALTON — The trip from this small Boone County town to Nashville, Tenn., only takes about five hours. The journey from small town musician to Music City recording artist is typically a much longer road. Walton native Troy Brooks, however, is poised to make that leap. He has been working on his first album for more than a year and will head into the studio in a few weeks to begin laying down tracks. Brooks was back in Northern Kentucky recently after playing a few dates in Ohio and talked about the upcoming album and his career to this point. “My album is not going to be traditional country,” Brooks said. “It’s a little more bluesy. It’s going to be me, my drummer and my regular bass player, but we’re going to produce it ourselves.”
His influences include Stevie that guitar up again and I’m just Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton and not going to say any more about Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Brooks it,’” Brooks said. “From that time envisions the album as a potential on, I was determined to learn to springboard to a contract with a play.” major label. Brooks started playing locally Brooks, 26, played locally for a with his brother, Vaston, under the decade before name the Brooks heading to Nash- “In Nashville Brothers, while atville. He hopes his tending St. Joseph hard work is about country music Academy in Walto pay off. has a story, and I ton. Brooks got his He also played first guitar in the had to learn how in a few bands fifth grade, but to write a great while at Covington didn’t really get seCatholic High rious about learn- story that fit the School, including ing to play until melody.” Gravity Hill, about a year later. which achieved His father, Steve TROY BROOKS some notoriety and Brooks, also plays later formed an guitar and encouraged his son to acoustic duo with friend Mike take up the instrument. Brooks Barczak. wanted to play, but was not crazy Three years ago, Brooks decidabout putting in the time and ef- ed it was time to head to Nashville. fort to learn how. “I knew if I didn’t try it, I would “One day I was headed to foot- regret it,” Brooks said. “I saved up ball practice and my dad said to about $5,000, because I knew when me, ‘I don’t care if you ever pick I moved down there, I wasn’t going
to get a job right away. The only person I knew was a guy I went to high school with, so I moved in with him in Murfreesboro, which is 30 minutes outside of the city,” Brooks spent time in the nightclub district known as Printer’s Alley in downtown Nashville and caught a break when some local musicians took notice and asked him to sit in with them. Brooks was eventually playing about five nights a week, but found he still had a lot to learn. The biggest evolution has been with his songwriting. “I just realized how much I didn’t have a grasp on songwriting before I moved there,” Brooks said. “I thought I did, but when I got there, I just started completely from scratch. To me, the melody is the song, but in Nashville country music has a story, and I had to learn how to write a great story that fit the melody” Brooks has played with country music stars John Rich, formerly of the duo Big and Rich, and Joe
Nichols and talked music for hours with Toby Keith and a group of other local musicians one evening. “That happens a lot in Nashville,” Brooks said. “Guys come in to the local bars to check out shows and just sit in with the band.” Brooks spent more than a year writing songs for the album because he knows artists don’t always get a second chance. “I don’t want to be (in Nashville) for three years and have an album that doesn’t reflect the work I’ve done,” Brooks said. While Brooks enjoys performing in the Nashville clubs, he would gladly leave it behind. “I know I don’t want to do this the rest of my life,” Brooks said. “I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had, but you are really just getting by. There is no way I could support a family the way I want to with what I’m doing right now.” The first album by the Troy Brooks Band is targeted for release in the spring.
CATCH A STAR
Friendships keep Schadler, 85, working By Chris Mayhew cmayhew@nky.com
EDGEWOOD — For 65 years Alexandria resident Ed Schadler has worked as a State Farm Insurance agent – and retiring isn’t in his plans. Schadler, 85, spends his days at his Edgewood office where he calls many of the longstanding policyholders he’s worked with for decades by the name “friend.” “He just keeps going, and he’s here every day,” said Lisa Michele Pulaski, a multiple line representative in Schadler’s office. "He still has a couple of customers that were with him when he started in 1948 from Campbell County," she said.
Schadler said he received his first license Feb. 1, 1948, and that he is the longest-serving State Farm agent in Kentucky. Schadler earlier served as a member of the U.S. Merchant Marine during World War II. Schadler said he came back to Northern Kentucky and made about $500 “gross” in 1948 minus office and travel expenses. Among the about 18,000 working State Farm agents, Schadler said he is either the second or third longest-serving. Schadler is one of nine people working at his office at 998 Dudley Road. There are three people, including his son Larry, who have worked for him for more than 25 years, Schadler said. Larry, Schadler’s office manager, has been working with
his father for 37 years. The Edgewood office, open since 1980, is only Schadler's second location. "I moved the office location one time from downtown Covington in the Coppin’s Building," he said. "It was in room 608." The Coppin’s Building, 638 Madison Ave., was operated as a store of the same name from 1909 to 1977 and is Covington’s city hall today. Schadler wants to stay active and has no interest in retiring. "I could take something up as a hobby, but I've got so many friends," he said. "I could tell my staff to call 500 people, say I wanted to have a cup of coffee with them and they'd likely say 'yes.’"
Ed Schadler of Alexandria holds a copy of the first insurance agent license he obtained in 1948 as he stands with his son and office manager Larry of California inside the Edward C. Schadler State Farm Insurance office in Edgewood. CHRIS MAYHEW/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER