BluDoor Studios
This event was originally scheduled on May 11 but will now be hosted on June 23. Learn more about the updated event here.
As he accepted his Hollywood Music in Media Award, Devin Leigh looked over the crowd at Fonda Theater in Los Angeles. There were familiar faces, but not because he knew them personally. The likes of Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga were also there as award nominees.
It seems like the ultimate moment for a local singer-songwriter. However, when you talk to Devin, he seems way more excited to tell you about the time he played for a live taping at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth.
“That moment was really special,” he says. “We were just hitting our stride as a band and that night was so cool, knowing that it was being filmed and added to this catalog of musicians who are legendary.”
On The Road
Born in Fort Worth and raised around North Richland Hills, it’s little wonder that playing at Billy Bob’s was a personal landmark for Devin Steinsultz (stage name Devin Leigh). He’s been playing music professionally for over 20 years, and the profession has taken him all across the nation.
“I was obsessed with music when I got out of high school,” Devin recalls. “I went to Texas Tech, but all I wanted to do was play music. I came home from college and put a band together. We started playing bars around town. We got better and started getting traction.”
The next few years included countless gigs, touring and a handful of Fort Worth music awards. But Devin wanted to grow as a lead guitarist, so when the band decided to go separate ways, he chose a new path as well.
“That turned into an over 10-year long career of playing lead guitar for touring bands,” he says. “I toured the country. Every major city in the country, every major venue.”’
Devin lived out of suitcases, taking tour buses and vans to see parts of the country he would have never seen otherwise. He describes it as a “totally crazy lifestyle,” but it was through touring that he met his wife, Becky.
She was from Arkansas and finishing her degree at the University of Arkansas. Devin was playing in the area, and Becky, without knowing what bands were playing, ended up going to the venue with a group of friends. By accident or fate, she ended up backstage. It was there that Devin first heard his future wife’s laugh.
“I didn't see her, but I heard her laughing and I spun around and before I saw her, I said 'Whoever is laughing, I'm gonna marry her,’” he says. “I could just tell. And then we saw each other and immediately knew.”
Back Home
They dated for a while, making it through long distance and touring. Soon after, she moved to the Dallas area, and they got married. Now, they run a music school with two campuses. Or as Devin would tell you, she runs the schools, he does maintenance.
Between the Hurst and Keller campuses, the Stage Notes School of Music and Arts, has an enrollment of over 350 students and 30 teachers. Becky is classically trained in piano and started the school out of their apartment. It grew quickly, and they formally opened Stage Notes in 2008.
Around that time, Devin decided to stop touring and play solo gigs around town.
“I had to start over from scratch,” he says. “I went from having my road managers that would set my gear up for me to hauling my PA around by myself.” He started out playing five gigs per month, but that number soon grew to 25 gigs. Last year alone, he played 270 shows.
But the major turn in his career took place three years ago when he simply Googled, “How to win a Grammy.” He was determined to set himself apart from other local musicians, and well, when in doubt, turn to Google.
“I found a story about how a lady got a Grammy nomination from being a completely independent artist,” Devin explains. “So I followed her lead. It said you have to become a voting member of the Grammys in order to submit your music.”
So he did just that. Of course, becoming a voting member of the Grammys is no easy feat. You have to submit a portfolio of commercially released music and prove that you are still active in your music career.
“Luckily, I had already played on an album that had been released nationally,” he says. “So that wasn't a problem.”
By becoming a voting member, Devin opened a lot of doors for himself.
“I was now part of a community that had all of these Grammy winners and artists,” he says. “All these major artists started sending me their music and listening to mine.”
It’s also what led him to being on stage at Fonda Theater in Los Angeles, accepting a Hollywood Music in Media Award for the genre of blues. He accepted the award in 2016 after being selected by some of the industry’s most premier members, including those from the Society of Composers & Lyricists, the Academy of Television Arts, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' music branch, the National Academy of Recording Arts, performing-rights organizations, film-music journalists and music executives. His other accomplishments include a Global Music Award, an Academia Award and being named to the Texas Blues Hall of Fame.
“All of that ended up happening because of the high exposure I was getting through the Grammys,” Devin says. “I got my album through the first round of the Grammys three years in a row.”
It’s been a wild ride for Devin and Becky as connections through the Grammy voting community have taken them to places they would have never expected. For example, the two were recently in an Off-Broadway production alongside Micky Dolenz of the Monkees and Annie Golden from “Orange is the New Black.” They have also had the opportunity to record with three-time Grammy Award-winning engineer, Tre Nagella, who has worked with artists such as Taylor Swift, Blake Shelton and Pitbull.
While connections and opportunities could take him anywhere, it’s clear Devin is right where he wants to be: Home.
Hitting The Stage in Southlake
On June 23, Devin is adding onto his never-ending list of gigs by playing at FÜDTRUKY. He kicks off the event, playing from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. He describes his music as a mix of The White Stripes and Johnny Cash, and while it may be difficult to imagine those two sounds coming together, that’s all the more reason to come listen.
He will be followed on The Marq’s stage by Doug Kent, a Texas native who describes his sound as homegrown country that’s fun and upbeat. Much like Devin, he has years of local experience under his belt.
Switching it up from solo performances, School of Rock, a Southlake/Keller music group, hits the stage at 2:45 p.m. The group gives kids the chance to pick up skills in a fun environment, and those in the audience are sure to hear some familiar covers.
Another local solo artist, Dan Quinn, will perform at 3:30 p.m. The Southlake one-man-band is known for his multi-instrumental arrangements of popular songs served with a twist.
After that, it’s back-to-back bands with LIVE80 and Blaze of Glory. LIVE80, a high-energy ’80s party band from Dallas, will perform at 5:30 p.m. Their set will include everything from new wave music to pop favorites to hair metal bangers, so prepare for a change of pace
Ending the night is Blaze of Glory, who will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. The Bon Jovi tribute band draws from the 25 years of hits from the global superstar and promises an authentic experience that will make you feel like you are experiencing the real thing.