Sons of the Desert don't mind getting a little 'SOD'dy

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Oct 8, 2000 by Bill Blankenship Capital-Journal

By BILL BLANKENSHIP

The Capital-Journal

Drew Womack doesn't mind being called a SOD.

That is how Womack's band --- the Sons of the Desert --- was billed when the song, "I Hope You Dance," was shipped to radio stations as a pop single.

The Sons of the Desert, which will perform today at Remington's for the 97 Country Birthday Bash, sang backup vocals on "I Hope You Dance" for its MCA Nashville labelmate Lee Ann Womack (no relation).

The song earned her and the band a Country Music Association nomination for Vocal Event of the Year. And at last week's award show, the recording won Single of the Year and exposed the Sons of the Desert to a bigger audience as they and Womack performed the song live on television.

However, when the Sons' label, MCA Nashville, decided to try "I Hope You Dance" as a crossover single on pop radio, Drew Womack said, "They were just worried about the Sons of the Desert sounding too country."

So the Sons of the Desert got reduced to SOD.

However, the soaring harmonies of the Sons are unmistakable no matter what the band is called.

The trademark sound of the Sons --- frontman Drew Womack, his brother and guitarist Tim Womack and bassist Doug Virden --- was first heard on the band's 1997 debut album, "Whatever Comes First" (Epic Records), the title track of which gave them a Top 10 hit. Follow-up singles "Hands of Fate" and "Leaving October" also showcased their harmonies, but then the band hit a discordant note with Epic executives.

The Sons got into a "song love triangle" with the Dixie Chicks over "Goodbye Earl." The controversial, yet comical song about an abusive husband who winds up a homicide victim of his wife's friend was a staple of the Sons' live show.

The Sons already had recorded the track, and the band thought it should be its new single. The band's management said Epic was on board and had even printed hundreds of single copies for distribution to radio until the Dixie Chicks heard the tune and claimed it for their own.

No one could blame Epic for giving the song to the superhot Dixie Chicks, who last week won another four CMA awards, including one for the women's video of "Goodbye Earl."

And while the spat about "Goodbye Earl" caused the Sons to leave Epic, MCA Nashville quickly snatched them up. MCA this summer released the band's new CD, which is aptly named "Change."

The first single from the new album, "Everybody's Got to Grow Up Sometime," a Drew Womack co-write, is rising in the charts. It is a song about the sudden realization that childhood heroes aren't really bigger than life:

Barbie and Ken they got a divorce

Guess that's the way it goes

She got the house and accessories

And told Ken to hit the road.

While Drew Womack said he and his bandmates were proud to share the stage with Lee Ann Womack, they can't wait to be at the CMAs next year in a leading --- not supporting --- role.

As of Friday, 97 Country has already distributed all of the tickets to their free Birthday Bash, but listen to the radio station today for word on late admittance. Doors to Remington's, 1155 S.W. Wanamaker Road, open at 4 p.m. for the party, at which Topeka's own Dixie Road will start off the music.

Bill Blankenship can be reached at

(785) 295-1284 or bblankenship@cjonline.com.

--- Submitted