Kansas City, MO (Top40 Charts/ Head First entertainment) Friday, the 11th of April is a day that will live on in Tyson Leslie's mind for quite a while to come. That's the night the multi-instrumentalist was bestowed with a Lifetime Achievement Award by Project Backstage as part of the 4th annual Midwest
Music Awards ceremony.
"What an absolute honor and evening of surreality!" exclaimed Leslie. "It's been one incredible weekend being among so many outstanding musical peers all in one place. The awards show was unlike anything I'd ever performed, and I was proud, but greatly humbled as well to be a part of something so extraordinary!"
Leslie began making a name for himself throughout the Midwestern United Stated, and in Kansas City in particular, when he was just a teenager. Getting his feet wet by playing guitar in local metal bands which, in turn led to a keyboard stint with another local act before playing various instruments in different bands, often at the same time.
"Music is pretty well all I've known and all I've done with the majority of my life," relates Tyson, who has gone to be a sideman role for the likes of
Corey Taylor (Stone Sour),
George Lynch (Dokken / Lynch Mob) and Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big / Racer X), amongst others. "I have zero limitations when it comes to genre exploration. Hell, I'll even play a polka if you ask me to. There's something to be found in every style out there. There's always something to love if you dig deep enough."
In 2014, Tyson
Leslie released his first solo album, 'Train Wrecks, Havoc & Heartbreak,' mostly a power pop affair, which has traces of
Butch Walker,
Cheap Trick and
Tom Petty sprinkled throughout. "I love my metal and some R&B and funk, but when it comes to writing my own songs, this is where it's at for me," he says. "I love a good pop rock song and hopefully people think that I have about fourteen of those on this album."
'Train Wrecks, Havoc and Heartbreak' is out now.
Relevant Links:
www.tysonleslie.com
https://www.facebook.com/tysonlesliemusic
