After Hillbillies’ breakup, Higbee comes into his own

By John Benson

The fiddle player says he was ‘completely blindsided’ by the breakup.

If there was one regional outfit that seemed destined for country music stardom, the Pittsburgh-based PovertyNeck Hillbillies appeared to be it.

But when the act suddenly split up a few months ago, the “Mr. Right Now” band almost overnight became the “What Could Have Been” band.

Having opened for plenty of big name acts (Clint Black and Dwight Yoakam come to mind) and grown a large regional fan base throughout Northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania, the PovertyNeck Hillbillies seemed poised for success.

But the act came to a crashing halt in January when four members of the band — singer Chris “Abby” Abbondanza, bassist Jeff Volek, guitarist David Guthrie and keyboardist Dave Cramer — abruptly quit.

Chris Higbee, the band’s founder and fiddle player, was basically left alone. But he wasted little time in picking up the pieces, and is moving forward as the lead singer of his new solo group, The Chris Higbee Project.

“I was completely blindsided,” Higbee said of his band mates’ defections. “We had a lot of good hopes for it but some of the guys wanted to do some other things with their lives.”

In reflection, Higbee sees the break-up as a learning moment. It’s also given him a clear vision for the future.

“Since I was 7 years old, I was playing the violin. I was born to play on stage and be involved in music,” said Higbee, calling from his Dawson, Pa., home. “I have my degree in music education, and it’s just been my life and my passion. The best way I can explain it is someone came up to me and said, ‘Chris, this whole thing made you come into your own. You need to be singing, you need to be on stage, you need to have that charisma.’

“So it’s all about expression and it’s about letting people know who you’re all about and by golly, that’s what we’re going to do.”

Though 2008 was supposed to be an important year that could have seen the PovertyNeck Hillbillies gain national attention, Higbee said it’ll now be important for him in a different way. He said he’s still raw from the breakup but looks forward to establishing a solo career, which ostensibly began last week with the release of his first single, “Break Me Down.”

Considering the energetic tune features the chorus, “I ain’t going to let them break me down,” Higbee is obviously channeling his PovertyNeck Hillbillies angst into his music, which, although similar in style, perhaps has more vocal range than his former band. A full-length CD is tentatively due out by the end of the year.

In the meantime, it’s back to a familiar place for Higbee, playing out with The Chris Higbee Project as much as possible. That includes building a new fan base and possibly rebuilding relations with the PovertyNeck Hillbillies’ loyal following.

The five-piece band, which won’t be playing any PovertyNeck Hillbillies material, makes its Youngstown debut Saturday at The Cellar.

“From what I’m understanding from the fans, we have a lot going for us and it seems like I’ve never left the stage,” Higbee said. “The response has been tremendous. So I am really confident — that’s a good word — that they’ll come back.”