90’s Country Trio ‘McBride & The Ride’ to Ride Once Again

photo: Jason Lee Denton

90’s country is one of the hottest things right now as most anyone with a semblance of country taste is tired of hearing trap beats and tractor rapping in today’s country singles, and is looking for something that actually sounds country. What a concept, huh? So what better of a time for the 90’s country music super trio McBride and the Ride to dust off the cobwebs and get the band back together.

For those that may not remember or maybe aren’t old enough to know, McBride and the Ride was made up of Terry McBride, who has written some 25 songs for Brooks & Dunn, as well as songs for Garth, Reba, and George Strait. He was joined by Ray Herndon, who has been Lyle Lovett’s lead guitarist since 1985, and has written songs for a bunch of folks as well, and Billy Thomas, who along with being the long-time drummer for Vince Gill, and is also the heartbeat of the Western Swing outfit The Time Jumpers.

McBride and the Ride nabbed four Top 5 singles in the early 90’s with songs like “Sacred Ground,” “Going Out of My Mind,” and “Just One Night” before going their separate ways. They reunited briefly in 2002 and released the album Amarillo Sky (yes, they cut the song before it became Jason Aldean’s possibly only good single), but have been pretty much dormant and busy with their other gigs since. Terry McBride released asolo record in 2020 called Rebels & Angels, and will be releasing an EP of acoustic versions of some of the songs called Live From The Castle on March 19th.

But now the trio has big plans in the future, booking a few tour dates, and hinting at new music on the horizon.

“Even though it’s been almost twenty years since we last toured and performed together as McBride & the Ride, the chemistry we once shared is still there and the three part harmony we were known for in the ‘90s is just as strong as it ever was,” says Terry McBride. “A lot of bands don’t get a second chance to come back, especially with all of the original members, so we’re going to make the most of it each time we take the stage. We can’t wait to hit the road and share our music with our fans again.”

One thing that makes this interesting is that McBride and the Ride were always a bit under-the-radar, having come up when the “Class of ’89 with Garth, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, Travis Tritt, and later Brooks & Dunn where sucking up everyone’s attention. This means the troika still has a little bit to prove—maybe a chip on their shoulder. They’re still hungry, and that’s come across in Terry McBride’s solo stuff.

“In the ‘90s McBride & the Ride had an incredible vibe, that vibe is even stronger and better twenty plus years later,” says guitarist Ray Herndon. “Singing these songs again with Terry and Billy is almost Zen-like. To say we are excited to ‘Ride’ again would be an understatement.”

Right now the outfit only has a few dates booked in Texas. But don’t be surprised if we hear a lot more from these dudes in the future.

McBride & the Ride Tour Dates:
April 9 – Royse City, Texas – Southern Junction
April 10 – Granger, Texas – Cotton Country Club
April 11 – Boerne, Texas – The Roundup
Oct. 10 – Plano, Texas – Love & War in Texas

Terry McBride Tour Dates:
May 6 – Ft. Worth, Texas – The Post
May 7 – The Woodlands, Texas – Dosey Doe
May 8 – New Braunfels, Texas – Freiheit Country Store
May 9 – Kerrville, Texas – The Cailloux Theatre
Aug. 5 – San Marcos, Texas – Cheatham Street Warehouse 
Aug. 7 – Bend, Texas – The Bend General Store
Aug. 8 – Plano, Texas – Love & War in Texas

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