“Steve Ripley was the greatest advocate for Tulsa and Oklahoma music there ever was.” – Taylor Hanson Steve Ripley was destined for a life of music. Growing up, family gatherings filled with the sounds of Bob Wills and Elvis Presley sparked a passion in him. He cherished family and shared that love with everyone.…
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By the mid 2000s, Steve Ripley had taken the country music industry by storm with his band, The Tractors. Their self-titled debut album and the single “Baby Likes to Rock It” became the fastest-selling debut album from a country group to reach platinum status. The band’s success led to two Grammy Award nominations and the…
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By the mid 2000s, Steve Ripley had taken the country music industry by storm with his band, The Tractors. Their self-titled debut album and the single “Baby Likes to Rock It” became the fastest-selling debut album from a country group to reach platinum status. The band’s success led to two Grammy Award nominations and the…
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Ripley had a special relationship with the Red Dirt Rangers. In fact, when he inducted them into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2017, he reminisced: Once upon a time… Twenty-some years ago…The Red Dirt Rangers showed up at The Church Studio – my home away from home in those days. They were filled…
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Hometown Heroes Concert at Aquafest, September 3, 1983 The inaugural Great Raft Race was organized and initiated by Ron Blue, the General Manager of KRMG, to be held on Labor Day in September 1973. There were over 160 raft entries and 500 competitors that first year, with a $1000 cash prize up for grabs. The…
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In 1974, Dwight Twilley was signed to Shelter Records and returned to his hometown of Tulsa Oklahoma. Once in Tulsa, Twilley and his bandmate, Phil Seymour, recorded at The Church Studio and had great connections and relationships with Leon Russell, Denny Cordell, and artists like Tom Petty. Dwight shares his insight in regards to the public image…
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