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June 28, 2007

This Time a Headliner

Country music artist King Cone returns in July as part of a music series, this time without his mascot

Story by: Barbara Gelinas

The Shorthorn staff

The Shorthorn: Kyle Clothier

Country music artist King Cone will perform for the second time at the university for the EX.C.E.L. Campus Activities Summer Concert Series.

We regret to inform you that Barclay Squire “EL ROD” Wilhelm III has died.

The papier-mache penguin melted while floating the Guadalupe River with his bandmates, leaving only his head intact.

That is how country music artist King Cone lost his mascot. The penguin’s obituary, written by Cone, is on the musician’s Web site at http://www.kingcone.com.

Therefore, King Cone will perform solo at the university during his fourth visit July 9 in the University Center Bowling and Billiards as part of the EX.C.E.L. Campus Activities Summer Concert Series.

“He was given to us by a fan,” Cone said. “We started putting him on stage. We never explained why he was there, but people started taking pictures with him during our concerts.”

The Decatur native toured the state with The Tailgate Philharmonic and EL ROD for the last year and a half. Cone was promoting his CD Gallery. EL ROD was just along for the ride.

Named after his father and grandfather, Thomas King Cone IV developed a sense of humor about his name and points out that at least it’s easy to remember.

— Courtesy art

King Cone will perform July 9 in the University Center Bowling and Billiards to promote his latest album, Gallery. Cone donates $1 from the sale of each of his CDs to the American Cancer Society.

Cone began performing with peewee football team members at age 12, when his father, a former blues player, taught him to play the guitar and encouraged him to sing because, he said, there was no money in only playing guitar.

Cone and his teammates played fairs around the state and did benefit concerts for his mother and his wrestling coach, who each had cancer.

“It’s amazing how it affects everybody,” Cone said, referring to the disease.

His mother survived breast cancer when he was in eighth grade. Cone donates $1 from the sale of each of his CDs to the American Cancer Society.

Cone said he almost stopped playing music when he attended UT-Austin. He even graduated with a business degree, but he realized that being a musician was the only thing he really wanted to do.

“When you really love doing something, you have to keep doing it,” he said.

After graduating, Cone said he spent six months doing nothing but writing music.

Eventually he went on tour, opening for acts like Alabama and Willie Nelson, and for Switchfoot at UTA’s Springfest earlier this year. July 9, he will be the headline act.

It’s a shame EL ROD will miss it, but he’ll be there in spirit.