Country Music Artists Lee Roy Parnell & Lisa Stewart Discuss Life 'On the Road'

Lee Roy Parnell grew up in Texas, surrounded by Country Music
royalty. His father was great friends with the legendary Texas
Swing fiddle player and bandleader, Bob Wills. Parnell is also
cousins with Americana singer/songwriter, Robert Earl Keen.


As a teenager, Parnell began his music career as a drummer before
picking up the guitar. The young musician spent a decade playing
in the bars, dance halls, and honkytonks of Texas before making
the move to Music City in 1987 as a songwriter. He quickly
parlayed his singing ability with his tremendous slide guitar
skills, which created his own identifiable sound and stretched
the boundaries of Country Music. 


Parnell continues to tour and tear the roof off of theatres and
electrify festivals. He is passionate about his songwriting and
most recently his Blackberry Smoke cut, "Good One Comin' On,"
which as featured on the hit TV series, "Yellowstone."


Mississippi native Lisa Stewart sings with Parnell, yet her
incredible talent stretches into recording voiceovers and acting.
Like Parnell, Stewart began performing at an early age by singing
in church, eventually moving to Nashville in 1987 to attend
Belmont University on the Roy Acuff scholarship.


 


Stewart earned her stripes in the music industry by playing clubs
in Nashville while a full-time student. After a demo session with
Byron Gallimore, she landed a contract with BNA Records. Besides
promoting her singing career, Stewart hosted several nationally
syndicated and cable entertainment news shows while balancing her
touring career. She has shared the stage with artists as diverse
as Lenny Kravitz to Kenny Rogers. And she has shared the silver
screen with Oscar winners Gwynneth Paltrow and Melissa Leo.


 


The young singer put her career on hold for several years when
she married former Little Texas band member, Brady Seals, in
2002. After divorcing in 2018, Stewart has been touring with
Parnell.


I interviewed Parnell and Stewart via phone in May of this year
after they were forced to cancel performances due to the
coronavirus pandemic. I first saw this duo in April of 2019 when
they performed at City Winery in Nashville at a benefit concert
for fellow singer/songwriter, John Berry.


Parnell and Stewart, who are raising young children from previous
marriages, discuss their individual musical backgrounds and how
their combined love of singing and performing has brought their
careers together.