In the late 1960s, the Outlaws were a successful local band in Tampa featuring Dave Dix, Frank Guidry, Herbie Pino & Hughie Thomasson. Guidry and Dix exited the band, and Monte Yoho joined. After years of local work the group broke up and Hughie went to New York to play with noted folk-singer Milton Carroll. Tampa folk-singer Henry Paul also moved to New York to pursue a recording career, though Henry and Hughie’s paths didn’t cross until sometime later.
In the early 70's Hughie and Henry moved back to Tampa, and with Frank O’Keefe, Billy Jones and Monte Yoho, complete the 5-man lineup called Outlaws. The band began playing clubs in Tampa and developed a strong local following.
The group met Charlie Brusco, who became their first manager. The band hit the road and played clubs from Cocoa Beach to Macon, Nashville to Cleveland, and many, many places in between.
In the spring of 1975 Arista Records president Clive Davis signed the band to his new label as his first signing. Paul Rothchild, producer of The Doors and Janis Joplin, was selected to produce their self-titled debut album. Recorded in Los Angeles, where the group lived at the infamous Tropicana Hotel, the album was released in late August. Four months later it peaked at #13 on the Billboard chart, and soon after the album was certified gold. The band soon embarked on a coast-to-coast tour with The Doobie Brothers, and the Outlaws’ national reputation as a great live band was quickly established.
In 1976 Lady in Waiting was recorded, again with Paul Rothchild producing, and the rest of the year was spent touring with Lynyrd Skynyrd, who was managed in Europe by the Who’s manager Bill Curbishley. Curbishley became the Outlaws European manager and the band teamed up with The Who on their "By Numbers" tour of the U.K and Holland. The Outlaws also performed throughout the USA with, among others, the Charlie Daniels Band and The Rolling Stones.
Frank O’Keefe left the band in 1977 due to the intense schedule and lifestyle demands and was replaced by Harvey Arnold, a left-handed player from North Carolina. The band went into the studio to record Hurry Sundown, produced by Bill Scymczyk of Eagles fame. At the same time Dave Dix rejoined the band to play drums along with Monte. In August Henry Paul left the band to pursue a solo career and was replaced by former Chambers Brothers member Freddie Salem.
In 1978 the live album Bring It Back Alive was released and was soon certified gold, and in November their new studio album Playin’ To Win was released, produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who would later go on to produce Def Leppard, AC/DC, and Shania Twain. The Outlaws continued to headline shows across America, and in 1979 they headlined a sold-out Madison Square Garden concert supported by Molly Hatchet.
In 1981 the Outlaws most commercially successful album Ghost Riders was released, produced by Gary Lyons, Hughie Thomasson, and Billy Jones. It became the band’s third gold album with a top charting single Ghost Riders in the Sky.
The group disbanded upon completing Los Hombres Malo in 1982. Sadly, in 1995 Billy Jones and Frank O’Keefe died within months of each other.
In 2005 all of the surviving members of the Outlaws got together with Charlie Brusco in Atlanta for dinner. Out of this came the decision to form a 30th Year Reunion Tour: what fans have been screaming for for many years is finally a reality. With the addition of later-day Outlaw Chris Anderson on guitar and vocals, along with bassist/vocalist Randy Threet, the group brings the classic sound that fulfills the legend.
The Outlaws began their tour in May, 2005.
