Voice Editor

Trying to talk to Chad Warrix this week gave new meaning to the term “dropped calls”, while he tried to connect by phone to Jackson from Nashville and Albquerque, New Mexico.

“I’m headed to the Nashville airport to fly to Dallas for a radio interview,” Warrix told the Voice by cell phone on Monday. Warrix, who is half of a Country group called “Halfway to Hazard” (H2H), then called here Tuesday, coming back from a radio interview in Albquerque. “It’s been absolutely crazy for us. I’ve been really blessed with the success we’ve had, and the support we’ve gotten from folks back home,” Chad chimed in from the cell phone.

Then the sound on the other end of the line went blank.

Not to fear. Warrix called back, and this time, the connection on his way to the airport in New Mexico held steady. “We finished up the western tour of radio stations to promote our single “Daisy”. The song’s number 55 on the Country Music charts and rising. We’ve had some play on CMT (Country Music Television). And while the travel’s been wild, it’s paid off for us,” Chad said as he and his bandmates sped off to go to San Antonio, Texas.

It’s been one whale of a ride for the son of Lewis Henry and Grace Warrix of Jackson. Always musically inclined, Chad is one half of a mountain-made duo that has Eastern Kentucky blood running in their veins. “I’m from Jackson, and the other half, David Tolliver, hails from Knott County. We’re both “Halfway to Hazard”, so to speak, and that’s one way our band’s name was formed. The other way was one of the lyrics from our first song “Cold”. That also mentions being “Halfway to Hazard”. David and I have played together, known each other for years, so there came a time to make music like we’re doing now. And it’s working.”

Their current song on Mercury Records, “Daisy”, is getting airplay on WJSN-FM here in Jackson and at WSGS in Hazard. Both 98.1 “The Bull”, and 92.9 “The Bear” in Lexington are playing it too. And so are stations in Chicago, Knoxville, Houston, Cincinnati. Kansas City, Los Angeles and other cities. But all these visits to radio stations is just a harbinger of things to come for Chad and David. Come this Summer, they’ll be touring and performing with superstars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, during their “Soul 2 Soul 2007″ tour. The closest places to Jackson to see this tour will be in Columbus, Ohio on July 18th at Nationwide Arena; and in Atlanta, Georgia on July 21st at Philips Arena.

It’s understandable Warrix is on Cloud Nine, while he presently streaks through the clouds to hit the next stop on the promotional tour. “We’re so excited to have the opportunity to tour with Tim and Faith. Tim worked with us two years ago, and it was pretty cool, as it will be this Summer. To be in his camp is something, and he’s very loyal to people, like he was with Jo Dee Messina.”

No one could be more prouder of Chad’s accomplishments than his mother, Grace. “I’m absolutely wild about his success. He’s such as good writer and he hasn’t quit writing. This is his forte. And he writes about our feelings here in Eastern Kentucky,” she said to the Voice Tuesday afternoon. “He’s a great performer and entertainer, but what a writer. He won’t quit. He always wanted to make music. And now that he’s the father of a three-week-old daughter, Olivia Grace Warrix (Chad also has a four-year-old son), he’s made me a proud grandmother.”

Chad insists that he’s a songwriter first. “I think the lyric is so important, and the story. We’ve had many influences and it’s cool to know them all. Like Southern Rock and the 80’s “Arena Rock”. Like the banjos and mandolins from Bluegrass and Gospel songs. I played it all while I went to school at Belmont University in Nashville during the day, and working the clubs and shows at night. The strong harmonies David and I do are part of the mountain influence. And you can hear it, you can feel it, on record.”

Meanwhile, the days ahead will be busy for this musical son from Breathitt County. An Eastern tour of radio stations will go on. One stop will be in Louisville, where H2H will visit that city’s top Country station, WAMZ, and appear next Friday night at Coyote’s, as part of the Derby Festival activities in Louisville. The tour with Tim and Faith is rapidly approaching. The single is rising rapidly, and their new album “Halfway to Hazard” will debut this Summer. Their website, www.myspace.com/halfwaytohazard continues to get hits from fans, some of them from the mountains of Kentucky. It’s all bubbling to a head for Chad Warrix, and it could be said that this curly-headed guitar player of Halfway to Hazard is headed all the way to stardom. And why not? “Everywhere I go, I take my guitar with me. Music has always been in my bug. On occasion, during these radio interviews, we’ll just jam in and pick a song or two during the live broadcast. It’s reaching out to people. Our listeners. Our fans. We’re proud to be from Eastern Kentucky, and to represent our region to America. Someday, when things get less hectic, we hope to come back to Jackson and perform for the homefolks. That would be cool. In fact, life and my work has been cool these days. It’s a great journey.”

And with that, Chad said goodbye, and the cell phone went dead. They arrived at the Albquerque airport, as they press on to San Antone’. To St. Louis and Detroit. To Louisville and Las Vegas.

And to the top of Country Music’s elite.