It’s often been said about Sandy Stringfellow that his vocal
timbre has the resonant feel of a modern day Johnny Cash.

“I've heard that before, but it puzzles me a bit,” he confided in
a recent interview.
"I can see how people might make that connection after
listening to "Don't Fade Away" or "The FairTax Reveille", or
even "Jesus On The Air", but I think it's a superficial
comparison at best".
“Johnny Cash has been a musical influence and inspiration for
me since high school, but his voice has a deeper pitch than
mine. I've got a good vocal range, but there's nobody that
sounds like Johnny Cash”.

That may be true, but if you listen to him it’s quite clear that
Sandy Stringfellow means what he sings about in his collection
of songs.
His fascination with songwriting was evident from the age of
seven, when he would compose simple self-taught piano
instrumentals. Since his early teens, songwriting has Sandy's
professional goal.

“I enjoy writing songs that tell a story. As a songwriter, it’s
more interesting to write about different people, places,
events and concepts instead of focusing exclusively on first
hand encounters.”

Sandy Stringfellow began taking piano lessons at age nine,
drum lessons at age eleven, and guitar lessons at age
thirteen. Born and raised in Gainesville, Florida, he played
electric guitar and drums in various local bands. Looking back
on his formative years, he recalled the wealth of regional
talent.

“When I was a teenager in Gainesville, there were some
exceptional bands in that area of Florida. The Maundy Quintet
had two members end up in the Eagles. Mudcrutch became
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Duane and Greg Allman, Lynyrd Skynyrd; it was a rich musical
environment.”

Having played in local groups since junior high, he began to
understand the considerable difficulty of forming a band
unified in musical direction.

“The seventies were a frustrating time for me musically. I
learned that musical synergy is an elusive thing. I was earning
my living by alternating between commercial carpentry and
retail audio and musical
instrument sales. I listened to rock ‘n roll and country music
mostly, along with some bluegrass and R&B".
"Most of the musicians I met in Gainesville back then were
immersed in glam rock, new wave, heavy metal or punk. I
remember going to various band auditions where the
objective was to see who could play the loudest".
"I found it equally frustrating that nobody I knew of was writing
songs or even interested in trying, except for Tom Petty. The
thing about Tom was that his song writing was so exceptionally
good, even back then, that it was somewhat intimidating to
engage in musical discourse with him. Not that he was
condescending or anything like that. He simply had a
remarkable and intuitive sense of how songs were put
together".
"I’d been around super talented musicians before. Benmont
Tench and I played together in our first band. He's been an
incredible musician since childhood. Bernie Leadon used to
show up at some of the local bluegrass picking parties. Mike
Cambell is another one, a true guitar virtuoso and creative
giant."
"But I’d never been around anyone who seemed to know
much about song writing, and here was this local cat writing
better songs than most of what was being played on the radio".
"In my senior year of high school I used to hang out at the
infamous farm house just to listen to Mudcrutch practice
sessions. It was obvious to me that Mudcrutch was a band that
had something special. There was a definite musical synergy
born of talented musicians, excellent songs, and a common
creative direction".
"I tried for some years to find or cultivate the musical vibration
that existed with Mudcrutch. In reality, they were so far above
and beyond what was reasonable to expect. And yet, I
continued to dream. It finally became apparent that, for me at
least, it was time to do things differently.”

Since then Sandy Stringfellow has been writing and recording
songs in his home studio. He’s a songwriter that covers a lot
of ground.
Don’t be surprised if he takes you from a song about political
commentary to one of humorous romance, from heart rending
ballad to an up tempo rocker.
His unvarnished down to earth style, originality, and common
sense are a refreshing change from the predictable and worn
out renditions that remain the standard fare for many acoustic
guitar-toting entertainers.
The irresistible qualities of hope, understanding, humor, and
love that permeate his songwriting provide for a memorable
musical experience.