1978

Hermann brought that international touch however already two years before to his musician, as he learned to know, during a holiday trip through Texas in 1978, CLAY BLAKER & The Texas Honky Tonk Band in Houston. From this amity there come three successful Tours through Texas with Hermann and his Emsland Hillbillies together with Clay and his band. They played in Honky Tonks and Music Dance Halls in towns like San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and Austin. This band exchange became a stronghold institution under the name "TEXAS COUNTRY ROAD SHOW". Yearly tours were made through Germany, The Netherlands, England and America. In 1979 and 1981 from this tours two records were recorded, which show a representatively cross-section of the music. This both records "TEXAS COUNTRY ROAD SHOW" (Vol. I and II) brought Clay Blaker and Hermann Lammers Meyer a their musicians more than simply reasonable successes in Europe and the USA.

The band members to that time were: Hermann Lammers Meyer / Marion Lammers Meyer / Ulli Möhring / Hans Schleinhege / Klaus Hagemann / Heini Sürkens and on mixer Werner Protzner. This was the longest band population in the history of the EMSLAND HILLBILLIES

The 80’s

The early 80’s brought a lot of disquietude into the by now established Country Music world. A new wave of music (or what people thought of) swashed about the Federal Republic of Germany and adjacent States. At one sweep were ever still NENA, TRIO and such like this were on top and had a very large commercial success and so producers and organizers wasn’t interested in country music any more.

There were hard times, but not only for Hermann and his Emsland Hillbillies. Also other bands which has prescribed their selves to country music, felled this trend. But not HERMANN! A hard core of fans helped him to survive and to stay true to country music. Indeed Hermann and his Emsland Hillbillies didn’t play so much gigs any more as in the years before, but they were going on to follow their way.

1985

The year 1985 brought again "light" into the Country scene in Germany. After the „New German Wave", Punk and that synthetic Disco mix, the audience again was interested in hand made music, and what could be nearer to this than country music?! Hermann’s schedule plan filled again and the mood in the band, and also in the row of the country music friends elevated itself appreciable. It was more - because they could win more new fans, too.

1987

In summer 1987 the bags were packed again. The travel destination was AUSTIN, Texas USA. Inspires and turned on by everything Texas has to offer, it became not a well deserved vacation. Instead of this Hermann wrote two songs in Austin, put together the best studio musicians, he could get and disappeared into the studio. With JOHNNY GIMBLE (Fiddle, Mandolin), JIMMY DAY (steel guitar) and some others, he recorded "MOONSHINE LADIES" and "NEON LEON". At the best of that single was MARCIA BALL on the Piano. Hardly he single was mixed up and pressed, the A-page (Moonshine Ladies) went into the Top 20 of KNON, one of the biggest and most popularly Radio Stations in Texas. Only a little later „Moonshine Ladies" was to find on place 6, where it could stay for a time. Noteworthy at this is, that Hermann was the first European country musician, who get a place at the Top 20.

In October of the same year not only Hermann fans was going to Melstrup at the Ems / Germany. The reason was: HERMANN LAMMERS MEYER & EMSLAND HILLBILLIES celebrated their 15. Birthday! Around the small hall in Melstrup more than 2.000 Country Music fans and Music journalists wanted to go in and they were standing there like sardines in oil around the tin and they all saw a grandiose "RE-UNION - SHOW". The anniversary became to a retrospect of a 15 year music history of a band, which is unique in Europe. It began to get the story of the EMSLAND HILLBILLIES and naturally of HERMANN LAMMERS MEYER narrated in music and anecdotes. There has been a meet again and listening with the original band members of all eras. In addition there have been a meet again with Clay Blaker and its Texas Honky Tonk Band, which were coming extra from the USA. There were many jubilation for AUTUMN LEAVES with the Ex-Hillbillies Marion and Ulli Möhring & Friends, Newcomer Scotty Riggins from Indiana/USA and Kentucky Five, a Band from Leer in Ostfriesland. Country pur and the finest, Country Rock and a touch of Rock 'n' Roll - it was a great birthday. Ay, even more than that.

The autumn 1987 brought another thing, too. A paperback book across the career of the band was released, with all ups and downs of the Emsland Hillbillies and it was titled: "UNTERWEGS - DIE GESCHICHTE EINER BAND" ("on the way - the story of a band"). The author of the book is the music journalist and long time member of the Emsland Hillbillies ULLI MÖHRING.

The Emsland Hillbillies of this time are: Hermann Lammers Meyer (vocal, pedal steel), Hans Schleinhege (vocal, guitar, bass), Marion Schütte (vocal), Werner Protzner (guitar, bass), Wolfgang Litter (vocal., guitar), Herbert Führs (drums).

TV - appearances, Radio Shows and Gigs all over Europa are the the everyday life of Hermann Lammers Meyer and the Emsland Hillbillies. The fan guild is abidingly like before and grows invariably. Country Music is „in" again and Hermann Lammers Meyer is "in" like never before.

1989

1989 - a year of the decision. A year for new projects and the springboard into a new decade.

Solo - projects

HONKY TONK HEARTS

During its EURO COUNTRY MUSIC MASTERS TV SHOW in Tilburg / Netherlands Hermann represents HERMANN with his "Honky TONK HEARTS" the Germans colors and gets place seven. The show was recorded by TROS TV and had been seen in a lot of European countries. 1989 brought another larger surprise for Country Music- and Country-rock-Pop-fans. In summer '89 Hermann was in Texas. It isn’t a planned vacation, instead a vacation there will be some days with a lot of work in a studio. It isn’t a x-any studio, where Hermann is to find, non, it is the famous PEDERNALES STUDIO in Spicewood, Texas, where a new record accruing. The owner of that studio by the way is WILLIE NELSON. The list of the studio musicians you an read like that Who Is Who of the musician from Austin and Nashville.

THE LP, THE SINGLE

Co-Producer of that LP is his long time friend and Steel guitar player JIMMY DAY. The album is the best Hermann Lammers Meyer has published hitherto and shows his versatileness. Both as musician, and also as composer and writer. Five pieces of the LP are written by his own and shining bright like the other found treasures from Willie Nelson (You Ought To Hear Me Cry), BILL ANDERSON (On And On And On), HANK COCHRAN (Go On Home).

Incidental such famous artists like JIMMY DAY, JOHNNY GIMBLE, RON KNUTH, X LINCOLN, DANNY LEVIN, KIMMIE RHODES, MICHAEL BALLEW, MARK KUYKENDALL and BUCKY MEADOWS, Special Guest MARSHALL CHAPMAN for the duet "You Ought To Hear Me Cry" came into the Studio. All Disc jockeys should give special attention to the double-A-sides-single SOUTHERN COMFORT / YOU OUGHT TO HEAR ME CRY. Just about at this single each DJ and each Music journalist should once forget that there is a "Country Boy" and only listen to the musician Hermann "without putting him into a special drawer". This single is strong and belongs in no drawer or - if it doesn’t go without a drawer - please then in all drawers! Of both into the Country-drawer as well as into the Pop-drawer or the Soft rock-drawer, the Candlelight Music-drawer, the romanticism-drawer, the cuddle-up-rock-drawer and all others that otherwise still there are. Close Your eyes and listen to . without drawer!

HALF MY HEARTS IN TEXAS

The first Solo Album of that sympathetic artist was produced and the title "HALF MY HEART’S IN TEXAS" isn’t a fortuity product, but it shows what in Hermann goes round, it describes that musician and that human being Hermann Lammers Meyer exact.

The 90’s

The 90’s will be very successfully decade for HERMANN LAMMERS MEYER - of both solo, as also with the EMSLAND HILLBILLIES and the Honky TONK HEARTS. The 90’s will bring again true and really country music by Hermann Lammers Meyer and also great "Country - Smooch - rock - Pop - Music" à la Hermann Lammers Meyer and further surprises. The "Double-A-sided-single" is on the market, the long-playing record "HALF MY HEART'S IN TEXAS" was released in spring 1990 and thereto a further German-language single, that also is designated as Double-A-sided-single "TRUCKER LADY" is a great tune from Hermann’s spring and "GEH NACH HAUSE", a great translation of "Go on home" within duet with Kimmie Rhodes. The 90’s will be that decade for HERMANN LAMMERS MEYER.

(reprint from http://www.hermannlammersmeyer.com/html/infos.html)

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