Rick Monroe

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Origin:	Sarasota, Florida
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Phoots comi...

Halfway to Hazard was an American country music duo composed of singer-songwriters David Tolliver and Chad Warrix. Though Tolliver and Warrix grew up in different towns in southeastern Kentucky, their band's origins are in Hazard, Kentucky, which was halfway between their hometowns.

Their debut single, "Daisy", was a Top 40 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts in 2007. The song was also featured as iTunes' single of the week on August 6, 2007. In addition, they toured as Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's opening act on their Soul2Soul 2007 Tour. McGraw helped to produce the album.[1]

On October 14, 2007, the duo performed the national anthem prior to the Green Bay Packers' home game against the Washington Redskins.[2] Later that season they performed again at Lambeau Field for the Packers NFC Championship game against the New York Giants.[1]

In May 2008, they were nominated by the Academy of Country music for their "Duo of the Year," award. Halfway to Hazard toured again on the Live Your Voice tour with Tim McGraw and Jason Aldean.

A single from their second album, "I Know Where Heaven Is," was released on July 20, 2009. The album, Come on Time, was released on October 19, 2009. Neither charted.

On January 20, 2010, Tolliver announced he was taking an indefinite leave of absence from the duo via their website. All future tour dates were indefinitely postponed. The future of the act is unknown.

A native of Sarasota, Fla., Rick Monroe released his album, Legend's Diner, in 1997, with Shame following in 1999. Six years later, he returned with Against the Grain.

Monroe has an extensive touring history, both domestically and internationally. In addition to his U.S. concerts, he has played in Russia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Hungary, Honduras, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Bahamas, Germany and England.

With an invitation from Pete Peterson, the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam at the U.S./Vietnam Embassy, Monroe performed at the weeklong Fourth of July celebrations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. He sang the U.S. national anthem to mark the five-year anniversary for the re-opening of diplomatic relations between the countries. It was the first time the anthem had been sung in Vietnam at a public event in 25 years.

Monroe followed that with a command performance for the former President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev on the U.S.S. Sequoia presidential yacht in Washington, D.C. This performance led to a trip to Russia, where he performed for the children at several orphanages and was a featured performer on REN TV's Bulat Okudzhava Festival in Moscow. He has also played hundred of shows across the U.S., including support dates for the Marshall Tucker Band and others.