Bob Gentry Sets Blue Elan Records Debut Album Release

Singer-Songwriter BOB GENTRY releases his first new single, "Lonesome," today. The track comes from Gentry's forthcoming Blue Élan Records debut album, Fortune Favors due out on September 10, 2021. Working again with Grammy-nominated producer Dave Darling, Fortune Favors follows on the heels of Gentry's re-entry into the music business last October when he released his Back on the Horse EP, his first new music in over a decade.

First single "Lonesome" happens to be Gentry's favorite track on the record, as he explains, "It's not about feeling lonesome at all, like you might think though. It's basically saying you can be alone or do things alone without feeling alone, going alone and taking chances. Often, I'll get asked the question: "What would you tell your younger self?".... I wrote the song from that point of view. Every line is the advice I would have given myself if I had it to do all over again; not just with music, but with life in general. One line says "climb back on the horse when it comes in last"...and I've been trying to take my own advice." For Gentry, that advice seems to be working out just fine.

After releasing his Back on the Horse EP last October and spending much of 2020, as everyone else in the world had, in lockdown at his Palm Springs home, Gentry spent the time continuing to write and finish the final two songs for his debut full length album. "Fortune Favors is why I would even attempt another "horse" ride. It's that old saying: Fortune Favors the brave, the bold, the strong... I also kind of liked the double meaning of favor being an actual favor; and I still feel extremely fortunate. I'd like to think we make our own luck, but I don't know how much is really luck and how much is actually putting yourself out there and accepting the good fortune when it happens."

Gentry regrettably resigned himself to leave his music career behind and relocate to Palm Springs, a decade ago. It wasn't until last year, when Blue Élan Records Co-Founder, Kirk Pasich, who had become a fan of Gentry's, reached out to ask if he had any new music. One thing led to another and a record deal was solidified.

Gentry had found early success in the 90's with his Detroit-based band, Moisture, a grunge-influenced rock band who were nominated for Best Rock Band at the Motor City Music Awards. Eventually, the group disbanded and after relocating from Detroit to Los Angeles. Gentry, then, recreated Moisture with new members from an ad in The Recycler. Finding more success on the west coast, the newly formed band performed on the USA Network and Canada's MUCH Music Network, before being offered a recording contract by FarmClub, then a label under Jimmy Iovine's Interscope Records. But then, September 11th happened and Moisture was all but lost in the changes the record industry endured.

After going solo, Gentry began writing and performing with Grammy-winning artists including David Tyson, writer of the hit "Black Velvet" performed by Alannah Myles among others. He released his first solo album in 2005 and his song "Never Know" was featured in the popular hit Fox television series Bones in 2006. That same year, Gentry made it to the finals as part of the cast of the NBC show StarTomorrow which featured David Foster as the head judge. Gentry bowed out of the show before the finale after discovering the deal he would need to sign was less than advantageous to the artist.

Now, as we near the first half of 2021 in the books and everything beginning to feel like we are getting back to a new sense of normalcy, Gentry is excited to continue on with this new chapter within his story. This time, he hopes, good fortune is in his favor.

"On our last day recording I felt like I was about ready to go into detox mode; I was so sad! It was almost like a full day at the amusement park that was coming to an end. Finishing the recording was great, but I never wanted it to end. I think I could live in the studio; It's my favorite part of it all. So when Kirk said to me "I think we need to get you in with Dave for another track so we'll have enough for the record"-he could have said, "I think we need you to go to Hawaii" and the feeling would have been the same."

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