Cody Sparks is an emerging Texas country artist. He leads the Cody Sparks Band, a three-piece outfit based out of Austin.
Videos by Wide Open Country
A newcomer to the scene, Sparks is steadily rising in a notoriously difficult business to navigate. He credits his success so far to advice from the masters of this business, guys like Aaron Watson.
His upbringing also plays a guiding hand in his career decisions. Born and raised in a small town in the Texas Panhandle, Sparks grew up the son of a pastor. He spent most of his early life chasing the dream of being an athlete. He didn't pick up his first guitar until he was 20. After he caught the bug he relocated to Austin to chase the dream.
Without any songs of his own, Sparks approached Kent Finlay, the former owner of the Cheatham Street Warehouse, a venue that has launched the careers of George Strait, Randy Rogers, Lyle Lovett and many others. Finlay told him to come back when he had some originals. Soon after Sparks had the material for his debut album, Sinners and the Saved.
Sparks and I talked about his path in country music so far, the challenges of playing professionally and some of his crazy stories from the road. The highlight is his story about a wild party guest at his hotel during the MusicFest a few years ago.
Click here to view a complete list of Cody Sparks Band's upcoming tour dates.
