Born Jeff Ruff, Cody Bryant was raised in Whittier, CA. The son of Bob Ruff, a member of the Square Dance Hall of Fame, Cody grew up around the music business since his father also founded Wagon Wheel Records and Windsor Records, two California labels that not only provided square dancers with the calls and tunes they needed, but periodically recorded other artists as well.
Impressed at an early age by Jimmy Bryant, an early mentor rumored to be a relative of the Ruff family, the boy who would grow up to be Cody Bryant took to pickin'. Playing sometimes all through the night in his bedroom, the Ruffs' youngest child soon developed a style of his own. As high school beckoned, so did more and more bluegrass festivals as well as playing in some heavy metal bands. Hitting the road after he finished school, Bryant spent some time in Colorado learning more about playing and songwriting from an old cowboy singer, J.B. Tankersley. Picking up the banjo and eventually the fiddle, Bryant's smooth and clean style of guitar playing became his calling card.
Moving back to California, he was befriended by Hank Cochran. Again, Bryant absorbed everything he could. Settling in, he put together two bands, the Caffeine Dream Bluegrass Band and the Cody Bryant Western Band. Playing coffeehouse and acoustic gigs with his bluegrass outfit allowed Cody to delve back into some of the old mountain and hillbilly tunes he was introduced to as a youngster. His Western band gave him the format to develop his singing style even further. Often compared to Marty Robbins, Bryant quickly became a known talent on the L.A. scene.
Working with greats Brantley Kearns, Rick Shea, Doug Livingston, and Rick Dunham encouraged him along. For a time he hosted a monthly honky tonk showcase in Hollywood that featured the Losin' Brothers, Shea, Kearns, Patty Booker, Barry Holdship and many other roots, bluegrass, and country & western artists. After putting out several indie cassettes, 1996 was the year Bryant pulled out all the stops, investing in himself and his career and putting out a CD. Big Dose of Country was launched with a celebration at Jack's Sugar Shack that included friends the Losin' Brothers, Barry Holdship, and the now-defunct Plowboys. Moving beyond Los Angeles, Bryant quickly made a place for himself in Bakersfield after attaining the approval and friendship of Red Simpson. Working at the Golden West Casino in Bakersfield and sitting in with Simpson gave Bryant the courage and the conviction to move forward with his career. ~ Jana Pendragon, Rovi
