It’s the 1990s, and country music is all the rage in Europe. Mike Lieberberg’s 5-Star agency has been busy forging connections in the military circuit, particularly with the United Service Organizations (USO). After successfully bringing over a slew of big American acts, he decided it was time to expand his roster to include local talent that wouldn’t break the bank. He asked Brian to put together a list of qualified bands he could pitch for gigs, and on top of that, he encouraged Brian to start his own band so he could join in on the fun.
That’s when Brian reached out to his fellow hired guns: guitarist Mickey ‘Lee’ Henke, bassist Tony Hardin, and drummer Udo Guckelsberger. Together, they formed the first version of the band, Bakersfield. At first, they mainly played country covers, with Brian and Tony sharing lead vocal responsibilities—Tony often taking the lead on the classic tracks. But Brian was still a songwriting fool and had a bunch of original songs he wanted to try out. During their rehearsals, he would surprise the guys with one of them, and they’d work together to bring those tunes to life on stage…