OIL COUNTRY
SONGS OF THE OIL FIELDS

In 1938 oil was discovered in southern Illinois and “before you knew it, the boom was on” and “men came from the wild four corners,” to find jobs and seek their fortunes - quoting a song from Alex Zanetis’s classic country album Ballads of the Oil Fields. In 1939 Zanetis’s father, Steve Zanetis arrived in southern Illinois with the oil boom. He found work as a roustabout and roughneck and ten years later he was drilling his own wells and hitting oil when he died in a car accident on his way home from a wellhead early one morning. Steve Zanetis had four sons who worked alongside their father; however, his son Alex would soon follow his first love music. Alex was singing opera on the Chicago stage when the accident brought him home. Alex rejoined his brothers in the oil business and performed concerts on the side. He was soon nicknamed the “singing oilman.” Alex had also been writing songs and a chance meeting with country star Faron Young prompted Alex to write the song “Backtrack.” In 1962 the song became Alex’s first #1 hit on the Billboard Country Music chart as recorded by Faron. Drilling for oil is a 24-hour job and Alex would write his songs in the middle of the night revealing years later that he found the solitude and inspiration he needed among the constant rhythms of the derricks and pumpjacks. Other singers and Nashville record producers quickly embraced Alex’s unique melodies and strong story lines. He would ultimately enjoy a 30-year career writing songs for George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Brenda Lee, Jim Reeves, Dean Martin, Charley Pride, Dottie West, Dolly Parton, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ronnie Milsap and more than 40 other artists. In 1964 Alex wrote, sang, and produced the Ballads of the Oil Fields. Fifty years later in 2014 Alex’s brother Charles’ son Chris, an oil well developer like his father and Alex’s son Eric, a music producer like his father, decided it was time to bring Ballads of the Oil Fields to new audiences - the men and women who work in the oil and gas industries today. Together they formed Zanetis Music Company. Nashville singer Billy Davis enthusiastically joined the project along with a select group of professional Nashville studio musicians. Billy Davis is no newcomer to music. He was the featured singer and guitar player in the award-winning Country Tonight Show in Las Vegas, toured Europe with The Texas Country Music Show, and was nominated for a Dove Award for “Above and Beyond” as a songwriter. Billy sang on Disney’s “O Mickey, Where Art Thou?” and “Finding Nemo: Ocean Favorites” soundtracks. Billy also performs regularly with Rockit City featuring Teddy Gentry from Alabama. In Nashville Billy is an in-demand background singer. He has also performed on recordings with Charley Pride, Randy Travis, Don Williams, Dolly Parton, John Michael Montgomery, Lorrie Morgan, Collin Raye, and Amy Grant. OIL COUNTRY is a musically updated version of Ballads of the Oil Fields carefully preserving the traditional country sound that Alex loved so much.