We had the good fortune of connecting with Rafael Espinoza and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rafael, why did you pursue a creative career?
Because music is always there for me. It’s the closest thing to magic I have. The feeling of adrenaline I get when performing live is what I would like to imagine is as equivalent as a slam dunk. There’s nothing quite like it though.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started using the name Rafael Espinoza and The Rockabilly Railroad to set my band apart from others. I had always thought we were a Blues Band and at the root we still are but we were trying to get in at Blues Festivals and I felt like we weren’t getting the chances we should’ve gotten as just The Rafael Espinoza Band and after winning the statewide Heart of Texas Blues Challenge at the famous Antones in Austin, TX in 2013.

So I decided to hit the Rockabilly genre head on so that more people would be inquisitive and want to discover what we’re all about.

Our sound & look didn’t change a whole lot, but we may have started using a little more hair gel & hair spray. Haha!

Since moving in a “Rockabilly” direction we have had way more offers to events such as Viva East in Boston, MA and Rockabilly Reunion in Lake Havasu City, AZ among others.

Our most recent album was recorded at the legendary Sun Studio in Memphis, TN in the very same room Elvis, Johnny Cash & Jerry Lee Lewis all recorded their early hits in.

I feel like I could just keep going but I hope you check out all this info and more on our website at www.RafaelEspinozaMusic.com

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take them to some of my shows of course. Haha! And take them to my music academy where I teach and build custom guitars!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
God, family, educators & musical heroes.

Website: www.RafaelEspinozaMusic.com

Instagram: @rafaelespinozamusic

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rafaelsrockabillyrailroad

Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/rafaelespinozamusic

Image Credits
Emmylou Espinoza

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.