THE
FATHER
OF OUTLAW Entering the room, a voice bellows out “Well, Hello There.” It is the hardy welcome of the one and only Cody McCarver, who spent over a decade with country music super-group, Confederate Railroad, followed by the successful solo career that continues to date. This could be your first-time meeting, or you could be a lifelong friend, there is no way to tell the difference as he will make you feel as if he has been waiting just for this moment in time to meet, chat, share or work with you. He is very happy in his hometown of Dunlap, Tennessee, the place where he was raised. It is a small-town rich in history and like most small towns, it was and remains centered around church. Cody became the church pianist at the tender age of nine years old. “I loved Southern Gospel Music, like Teddy Huffman and the Gems,” said Cody, “my dad would take me to big Southern Gospel events, they were superstars to me.” Listening to the radio in a 1970 Ford Pinto is one of the earlier musical memories for Cody, it was the sounds of Lynard Skynard, the Marshall Tucker band and Kiss that caught his attention. “Son, you need to listen
8
GOSPEL
