Bryan and Melissa met in 1999 at a job site they both were working at. Melissa had a cleaning contract and Bryan was painting. Melissa overheard Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Riviera Paradise" coming from Bryan's juke box. The two struck up a conversation about blues music and music in general. They both soon learned that Bryan played guitar and sang and that Melissa was a vocalist. They made arrangements to hang out by the river and jam. With guitar in tow, they jammed on "Me and Bobby McGee". She blew Bryan away and he knew that she had something special and he decided that he wasn't going to let her get away.

After a few weeks of working out parts and songs, they played their first "gig" at a hotel /restaraunt in Melissa's hometown, Rocksprings, Texas. The gig went well, but Bryan had something bigger in mind.

Off to Kerrville...

Bryan knew that in order to get heard, they had to relocate where music is a part of life. So they landed in Kerrville, home of the largest and best folk festival in the country. They went by the name of Patched and started to play small gigs anywhere they could and sang at open mikes around town. Soon they were packing the house at these places and they were quickly embraced by the musician community. They started to get a following, but they were limited as a duet. Bryan knew what they needed to do next.

The birth of the Sol Patch Band..

Bryan and Melissa knew that they needed a band to accomplish a fuller sound. Using their connections, they met Joe Coronado.

Joe had been a drummer for some years, but had put it to a side for awhile. At their first rehersal together, they clicked right out of the gate and had a great time. He's been with the group ever since. Joe keeps a great backbeat and has created a solid foundation for the group to rely on. He is one of the top percussionist in the area and his playing will speak for itself.

Next, they needed a bass player. After playing with some talented bassist, they finally found the right one. Fellow Texan and Dallas Cowboys fan, Mr. Wilson Fisher came with a lot of years experience playing with a lot of different and talented groups. When he jammed with the group for the first time, they knew he was their man. Wilson keeps the band and all those around him in stitches with his off beat humor and sarcastic wit. So don't take him too seriously!

And the band marches on...

Sol Patch plays just about every week all over the Hill Country. They please their crowd on a constant basis with their renditions of "great B-side songs" and original music. With strong, hard to match vocal harmonys and big hearts full of soul , they always leave a crowd wanting more. Recently, in 2005, they were voted Best Cover Band in the Readers Poll for the Hill Country Happenings magazine. So do yourself a favor,next time you want to hear a glorified diversity of music, and you want the music to bleed your heart, go check out one of their shows and let them patch your soul.

Information courtesy of SolPatchBand.com.