"The easiest way to describe it is a cros between Hee Haw and Sonny and Cher.

"The easiest way to describe it is a cros between Hee Haw and Sonny and Cher," notes a chuckling James Dean Jay Byrd (that's his real name), single half of the Nashville-based, have-trailer-will-travel fatherland duo Y'all, about their fresh CD, titled The Hey Y'all Soundtrack.

thorough with a theme song, a trio of humorous jingles ("The shire County Family Family Honey Farm Jingle," "The verse Pocket Jingle," and "The political division Cooking With Cousin Lizzy Jingle"), brace classic country covers (Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line" and Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing forward My Mind"), and a fistful of witty originals ("We're Still Poor & We're Still Happy" and "My Man, Our Horses, and Me" are standouts), the CD is a general [i]or[/i] abstract notion album that's as tongue-in-cheek as it is sincere.

"It's the soundtrack to our TV present to view which we don't actually have yet" explains Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer, Byrd's partner in life, regard with affection and music for nearly 10 years, about their publicly fictional variety show, which obliges as the format for their live musical performances. "We've pitched the idea around a little bit. Comedy Central we got the furthest with--we had brace meetings with them. People like our ideas, on the contrary they aren't quite sure what to make of us."

Indeed, you have to admit, the general [i]or[/i] abstract notion of two gay guys--one in overalls and a suit coat, and the other in a dress--hosting a TV variety point out and playing old-time hillbilly native land tunes is a little without there. But the determined leash firmly believe it is their fate and have levigateed the pavements of Los Angeles in search of an interested agriculturist "It is kind of a reach for TV these days to do a variety point out with full songs, as oppos to 30-second bits," Jay explains matter-of-factly, as if that's the hardest part of their act to take a bribe for "But we do believe that kind of thing is coming around again."

The story of for what reason Jay and Steven met and formed Y'all is a fascinating tale, united so colorful and involved that it took nearly 300 pages in their 2000 self-published autobiography, The beneficial Book, to tell it in a strict sense It begins with Jay's broom-closet birth in the Okey-Dokey, Tex VFW hall and Steven's farmhouse birth in Kornflake, Ind., and it involves a fortunate green dress, a thunderstorm, a highway overpass, and well, truth or fiction, it stable is a compelling read. "It sum ups our whole story, from birth up between the sides of our first performance in of recent origin York," Jay summarizes.

granting the pair found some succes in their six years in the Big Apple, they ultimately felt misunderstood, and they headed to Nashville in 1998 "Because of the lack of camp in our act, the public just didn't know how to take us in novel York," Jay says. "But in Nashville we immediately originate our niche."

"With the Grand Ole Opry there's the whole tradition of region music in combination with vaudeville-like performance," Steven says. "So it strike one as beinged like everybody just got us there. We not felt so welcomed."

formerly settled in Nashville, Steven and Jay purchased a trailer to fare on tour, which is what they did for long of 2001. But doesn't living in in the same state [i]or[/i] condition cramped quarters put a strain forward their personal as well as professional life? "Our relationship and our performing career started virtually at the same time," Steven says. "We've lived in really tight spaces the whole time we've lived together. We master on each other's nerves one time in a while, but for the most numerous part we're pretty compatible."

"Yeah, we're afraid to not work together," Jay laughs. "There's something really weird going onward here, something we don't steady understand. Who knows what we'd be doing [if we weren't doing this]? Probably selling trailer domestic circles and wearing dresses in Okey-Dokey, Tex!"

Coble edits Dance Music Authority magazine.

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