Somewhere on an airfield outside of Houston, TX, a current Los Alamos engineer flies military-grade RC planes and rehearses harmonies for a show at the local saloon. That engineer is none other than country music class act Brian Keith. Armed with the mind of a scientist, Keith meticulously studied the likes of George Strait, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, and Garth Brooks. In the early 2000s, he formed Brian Keith and the Sons of Buck, a harmony-driven country western group named in tribute to local fiddle maestro and World War Two hero Buck Sloan. Over the years, they’ve released multiple albums of hand-picked, original songs from top Nashville songwriters. Keith’s special ear for arrangement springs a new life in each song, which – produced by the likes of Vince Gill – results in homey masterpieces that hit as delicious as a slice of peach cobbler on a summer day. With a new set of eight instant classics, Keith is poised for another round of recording in Nashville before replicating the musical gold live on stages across the South.
Keith’s new hit “So Long Emily” (written by Jeff Penning and Michael Lunn) is a longing ballad to the one that got away. Over a steady kick-thump of drums and shimmering guitar chords, Keith wails out his longing for his absent object of admiration. Emotion mounts with expert harmonies and windswept fiddle flourishes, creating a nearly palpable atmosphere of nostalgia. It’s a song for young and old to relish or reminisce in the throes of heartache.
Keith enlisted sons Ross Fontenot, Ryan Keith, and Chad Mitchell to direct the video for “So Long Emily”. In the light-hearted episode, we celebrate with the sultry singer as he disembarks a private jet to reunite with his true love—his black 1979 Trans Am named – you guessed it – Emily. The video lends an atmosphere of fun to the heart-wrenching tune—so don’t be surprised if you find yourself smiling amid sadness as Keith and his car drive off into the sunset.
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