Ray Wylie Hubbard’s Son Lucas Defends Father from Redneck During “Redneck Mother”
Usually these stupid little videos are fun for a laugh and then you move on with your day. But this one seemed especially worthy of pulling out of the herd and shining a spotlight on as not just a cool sign of personal courage, but life imitating art.
At a show on Friday, May the 4th at Love and War in Lindale, TX (hometown of Miranda Lambert), Ray Wylie Hubbard was singing his iconic, signature song “Redneck Mother” made famous by Jerry Jeff Walker on Viva Terlingua. Right as Ray Wylie was spelling out “mother,” and extending the ‘R’ for “Rrrredneck,” a real life redneck decided it was the perfect time to crash the stage.
Luckily Ray’s son Lucas, who plays lead guitar in his father’s band, was there to push said redneck back before anything else worthy of reporting ensued. A Ray Wylie Hubbard show at a restaurant in rural Texas is not exactly where you expect to encounter mosh pits and stage crashers. The quick actions of Lucas were rendered even more timely and poetic since after the ‘R’ in “redneck,” the song mentions the “mother who has raised a son so well.”
Ray Wylie’s wife Judy—who is often referred to as Mother Hubbard—must be proud. She posted video of the incident where Ray—always the Wylie Lama—explains to the redneck yahoo that the loving nudge back to where he belonged was, you know, for his own personal safety. It’s not only warming to see Lucas playing in his dad’s band, but willing to defending his 71-year-old pops from the same would-be rednecks that inspired Ray Wylie’s “Redneck Mother” in the first place.
“So Lucas’s new nickname is ‘Keef,'” Hubbard later said about the incident. “He didn’t exactly deck a guy with his guitar but when this man tried to jump on stage. He pushed him back off between the one and and the next measure and never missed a lick. Now probably the guy was just excited and wanted to sing with me or dance or just show off for his friends but because of situations that have happened to other bands where there were terrible consequences and the fact that he could have tripped on the pedal board wires or knocked a mic over or no telling. Young keef jr. did the right thing. I mean the rest of the audience was just great and fun and just one guy went overboard..well, actually over stage.”
Ray Wylie Hubbard’s latest album Tell The Devil I’m Getting There As Fast As I Can was released in 2017. For years he’s been revered as a songwriter, guru, and legend in Texas and Red Dirt music, and beyond. He was recently inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters’ Association Hall of Fame, with Eric Church flying to Austin to participate in the induction.
This is what happens when you try and Crash Lucas Hubbard’s stage. @raywylie #rednecks pic.twitter.com/84gF8naqLL
— Judy Hubbard (@AskMuthaHubbard) May 6, 2018
May 6, 2018 @ 11:12 am
As a big fan of Ray Wylie Hubbard, I’m glad to see Lucas stepping up to protect his dad. These little town gigs can often get out of hand – makes me think of that old Toby Keith video for “I Love This Bar” where they’ve had to stretch chicken wire across the stage to protect the performers.
May 14, 2018 @ 11:21 am
Just saw the guys in Plymouth, MA on the 12th. Very small venue with excellent acoustics. It was the most unbelievable concert I’ve ever been to, and I’m 65 and been around. Ray Wylie was awesome, but Lucas can play like crazy. In honor of the Plymouth “Puritans”, he played God Looked Around…. Crowd loved it!
Thanks for coming to see us here in Plymouth, Ray Wylie. I’ll be forever to you and Judy, Lucas and Kyle.
November 5, 2020 @ 8:34 pm
I missed the show, and just this idiot was just too excited. Please come play in the 903 again.
May 6, 2018 @ 12:04 pm
I like they didn’t make a big deal of it. Just pushed him off the stage, say they didn’t want him to get hurt, and continued with the song. Didn’t escalate the situation, just stopped it and moved on. Life would be so much better if more people could just handle their shit like this.
May 6, 2018 @ 9:32 pm
Good observation!
May 7, 2018 @ 7:33 am
because of situations that have happened to other bands where there were terrible consequences
Yup. See “Abbott, Dimebag Darrell.”
Beyond that, I can see why people would get excited, but jumping up on stage to possibly interfere with a live show, even if it’s for benign purposes, is a really jerk thing to do.
May 7, 2018 @ 7:39 am
Hey Cody Johnson, take some notes from a pro here, kid.
May 7, 2018 @ 8:54 am
Completely different situations, especially when a woman is hit to the floor.
May 7, 2018 @ 8:33 am
Good man, Lucas.
May 7, 2018 @ 8:49 am
Been Watching Lucas Since He Was 15 With Ray Ray! They Are Badass Rockers!!!
May 7, 2018 @ 4:25 pm
RWH. One of my biggest hero’s. There will be a day that Lucas will fill his dad’s shoes. RWH appears to have done a good job heading him in the right direction. God bless RWH and Texas.
August 23, 2021 @ 2:02 pm
Lucas, Your solos are top notch! I listen to a lot of great guitar players and your solos are among my favorites. One of the reasons I like them so much is you can hear a thread of the melody of the song in your solo playing. So many good guitar players these days get to showing off with riffs that abandon the song completely. You are so right in not falling for that cheapness. Please, just keep up the amazing style you are playing with now!!!
August 12, 2019 @ 11:28 am
Got to see Ray, Lucas and Kyle this past Saturday in Maryville, Tn. for like the 5th time.
The shows never grow old, always a little twist from the previous show. In fact Saturdays show, there was not a single acoustic guitar on stage(nothing wrong with acoustic) but The show was turned up a notch with a little grittier country screaming blues and it was GREAT. Even Snake Farm had a twist that would make any RWH fan grin real big. Loved it Ray!