AJ DOWNING
  .. comes out swinging with his 2nd CD Way Back Home.  This is Texas roadhouse
filling, honky tonk everyday living, swamp slide guitar, three-legged dog beat,
Americana Roots Country with a side of Cajun accordion. 

  It's real old-time respecting hillbilly songwriting that's lonesome plaintive,
upbeat and hooky struggling with 'chasing rainbows', love, redemption, defeat and
everything 'done wrong'.

  Recorded in Austin TX, and sho'nuff sounding like it too .. Texas Music Times
Indie Artist of the Month, AJ Downing says this is “chapter two of my quest to
change my priorities, to put the music first. I'm on my 'Way Back Home'.”

  “Music is the universal language” for this Berklee College of Music student,
California meth valley escapee, Steve Earle in Nashville elbow-rubber, Michigan
recording studio producer, Christian hillbilly currently kicking out the jams in
Texas.

  AJ DOWNING and the BUICK 6 perform at Blue Bird Cafe in Nashville TN, Sam's Burger
Joint, Cheatham St, Gruene Hall in central TX,  Poodie's Hilltop, Jovita's,
Patsy's Cowgirl Cafe in Austin, TX.  California Tour in June.  Michigan Tour in
July.  “Bringin' Spiritual Music Back into the Barroom where it Belongs ..”

  AJ Downing (guitar , harmonica, vocals, songwriting) and The The Buick 6:
JordanTietlebaum (drums), Steve Sarber (guitar), Andrew Carrell (bass), Pete
Weiss(accordion), Tamineh Guaramy (fiddle, vocals), Carrie Downing (vocals).

WEBSITES
http://www.ajdowning.com
http://www.myspace.com/downingaj
http://www.facebook.com/pages/AJ-Downing-and-the-Buick6/33428621556
http://www.texasmusictimes.com/AMTV-0907-AJ-Downing.php
http://airplaydirect.com/music/AJDowningMusic/

CD Baby
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/AJDowning

YouTube - Facebook Song by AJ Downling
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4SWwiSRVU4

 ? ? ? ? ? For More Information Booking & Press Inquiries
? ? ? ? ?  Email - buick6@ajdowning.com

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Original Bio from River of Life Press Kit

Well I'd seen every episode of Forensic Files and Investigative Reports and decided
to get my ass off the couch and put out a record. This album has been a long time
comin’, folks.

One thing I accepted in recent years is that music isn’t something I chose. It chose
me. Lookin' back now, it’s been chasin' me around since I can recall! Not sure why
I’ve spent the last 18 years tryin to deny it. It certainly couldn’t have been more
of a struggle than the one I’ve been on. Grew up hearin the sounds of Hank Williams,
Elvis and Rick Nelson comin' outa the old console record player we had. When I was
13 my cousin Terry Gilliam came to stay a few days, brought his guitar and started
playin these old hillbilly songs that just blew me away. That was it.

I bought a junk guitar from my brother for twenty bucks and the journey begins. Had
a coupla bands in high school, even had a 45rpm single released when I was 16 that
was in rotation for a while on local country radio (witl). Contacted them about
playing the new album, no response! Corporate Radio Sucks!!!

After high school I spent 1 semester at Berklee College of Music where I learned you
could earn your weekend party supplies just about anywhere in Boston with an open
guitar case and a hand full of folk songs. My folks couldn’t keep up with the
tuition as much as they would have liked, so it was time to regroup.

Spent the better part of the next year in Southern California. Played lead guitar in
the Shadow Riders, a hillbilly band that played mostly at a place called Bronco
Billy’s in Lakeside. I had to leave the club during breaks because I was under age.
Did some solo gigs at any coffee shop I could get to let me in the door before
coming to the realization that I was stuck in the birth of the California meth
scene. Packed up what little I had and got the hell outa California before becoming
one of the early statistics. Some of the folks I knew were not as blessed.

Worked around Michigan long enough to gather a few bucks and headed south for
Nashville. Humbled by the caliber of talent, I spent the better part of the next
year going out to clubs, watching and taking notes in the shadows. The anxiety I was
suffering from the meth withdrawal would let me do nothing more. I did get to meet
my hero, Steve Earle! Met him my first day in town at Harlan Howards birthday bash
and then sometime later spent an afternoon with him and the Dukes while they
rehearsed for the Copperhead Road Tour. Oh believe me now, truth be known there’s
probably not a day goes by in recent years that I don’t wish I’d have kept my foot
through that door. Steve was in the height of his drug use and I was really
struggling. Everything happens for a reason. In February of 89 I lost my Dad, He was
my best friend. I was nineteen, lost at the loss and started thinkin that maybe I
needed to think of another career.

Headed back north, bought a house and followed my dads path into the electrical
field. I didn’t touch my guitar for a coupla years, startin messin with it a bit in
the fall of '91 while I was laid off for a few months. During that time I began
dating my wife of 16 years, Carrie. We were married in August of '92.

From '94 to '98 I owned and operated Cottage Productions, a recording studio I built
in my pole barn. Though I did continue writing through this time and made a coupla
trips to Nashville to play the Bluebird Café, I really was putting most of my energy
into other regional acts I was recording at the time. The DTs’, The Dumpster
Cowboys, The Deans, Dorothy, The Weepers, Pub Domain, 19 Wheels, Fat Amy and
Zydacrunch were some of the bands I either did albums or projects for.

As you can see, I’ve rubbed elbows with alot of amazing musicians in the Mid
Michigan area. Many of them ended up playing on the tracks that came to be the
“River of Life” album.

My oldest daughter Maggie joined the Downing clan in June of '97 and the pressures
of raising a family weighed heavy. I spent the better part of the next 10 years
climbin the electrical ladder, extremely focused on that career. During this time we
had three more chlidren, Grace, Lily and Samuel.

Right about the time Sam was born, I started really questioning my priorities. The
war was on. A war that has to do with nothing but power, money and greed and nobody
will ever convince me of anything different. Capitolism in America has gotten way
out of control! Now don’t get me wrong, I do realize that I’ve been, in my own life,
contributing to the problem for quite sometime. The “River of Life” album is the
beginning of my resolve. I will no longer put status and money before my family and
my dreams, I simply refuse! “Mister jones can take his good life on a slow train,
straight to hell!”

Well, the next year should definitely prove to be an interesting one! Hopefully we
will choose a president this year that doesn’t believe killin' folks is the answer.
As for me, I’m out to teach my kids to live life to the fullest, like everyday just
might be your last and I plan on teaching by example!

See Ya At The Show!

Peace, AJ