Becky Priest will start 2009 as Bandleader,, and Keyboardist/Background Vocalist for Neal McCoy, former Entertainer of the Year Award Winner, and Academy of Country Music's Humanitarian Award recipient.
Priest was a founding member of the all-female band Cowboy Crush, originally signed in 2003 to Curb/Asylum Records in Nashville, Tennessee. While a member of Cowboy Crush Priest performed all high harmonies, and the majority of the piano, Hammond B3 and synthesizer tracks on Cowboy Crush's eleven Curb/Asylum recordings. During the five years Cowboy Crush was signed to Curb/Asylum and touring, Becky also held the positions of bandleader, main harmony vocalist, keyboardist and acoustic guitarist. Priest's vocal arranging skills are attributed to earning Cowboy Crush their nationally televised appearance on the NASCARBudweiser Shootout to perform her arrangement of "The Star-Spangled Banner", live in Daytona, Florida in February 2007. Event attendance numbered approximately 100,000 with television viewership estimated at over 8 million. As a member of Cowboy Crush, Priest gave numerous performances overseas for members of the U.S. military. Cowboy Crush's recording of "He's Coming Home" was received highly by the United States Army which chose to fund, cast and film the accompanying video. The video was released internationally and Priest has stated publicly that it was "...one of her proudest moments to have participated in a recording and video that helped raise the morale of our wonderful Men and Women of our Armed Forces". Additionally, Priest with Cowboy Crush opened shows for some of the best known names in country music, including Charlie Daniels, Trace Adkins, Reba McEntire, Rascal Flatts, Big & Rich, Dierks Bentley and others.
Following her years with Trisha Yearwood, Priest performed nationally with Grammy Award winning, Pam Tillis in the United States and toured in Australia. Television performances with Tillis included Grand Ole Opry Live, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and additional Symphony dates. Recently, Priest rejoined with Pam Tillis for a six-week engagement with Pam Tillis, sister Carrie April Tillis, brother Mel Tillis, Jr. and legendary Country Music Hall of Fame Member, Mel Tillis. Priest will also perform with The Tillis Clan in their first , year end 2008.
Video appearances
Priest has appeared in several videos including Patty Loveless' video, Lovin' All Night, and Neal McCoy's video, Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On, with actor Rob Schneider and famous 'animal guy', Jack Hanna. Becky also appeared in her first video as a 'signed Artist' in the summer of 2005, when Cowboy Crush premiered their video, Nobody Ever Died of a Broken Heart. It made it to the number 17 spot on GAC's Top Twenty Countdown.
