The Reverend Horton Heat

Biography

The Reverend Horton Heat is the stage name of American musician James C. Heath (born 1959) as well as the name of his psychobilly trio from Dallas. Heath is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. A reviewer for the magazine Prick called Heath the "godfather of modern rockabilly and psychobilly".
The group formed in 1986, playing its first gigs in Dallas' Deep Ellum neighborhood. The core members are Jim "Reverend Horton" Heath on guitars and lead vocals, and Jimbo Wallace on the upright bass. The band signed to Victory Records in 2012, and released its 12th studio album, Whole New Life×Whole New Life30 November 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Whole New Life2:342Hog Tyin' Woman3:113Hate to See You Cry3:474Got It in My Pocket2:445Don't Let Go of Me4:436Ride Before the Fall4:067Tchoupitoulas Street2:578Sunrise Through the Power Lines3:329Wonky3:2710Perfect2:2611Viva Las Vegas2:52, on November 30, 2018.
The band plays rock and roll with influences from 1950s country music, surf music, punk, big band, swing, and rockabilly standards.

Early career

Heath was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he grew up with an appreciation of rock, electric blues and rockabilly. He was influenced by country music artists including Junior Brown, Willie Nelson, and Merle Travis. He began his career played in local bands until 1985 when he established the Reverend Horton Heat, based on a moniker bestowed by the owner of the Deep Ellum nightclub where he played.
Hiring bassist Jimbo Wallace and drummer Taz Bentley in 1989, the Reverend Horton Heat were signed by Sub Pop and recorded their debut album, Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em (1990), at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle and Crystal Clear in Dallas. For their next album, The Full-Custom Gospel Sounds of the Reverend Horton Heat×The Full-Custom Gospel Sounds of the Reverend Horton Heat20 April 1993 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Wiggle Stick3:002400 Bucks3:103The Devil's Chasing Me5:224Livin' on the Edge (of Houston)2:535You Can't Get Away From Me2:276Beer:303:007Big Little Baby2:328Lonesome Train Whistle3:239Bales of Cocaine2:1210Loaded Gun4:1811Nurture My Pig!4:0012Gin and Tonic Blues3:40 (1993), the band recorded with Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers producing at Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee.

After the success of their first two albums, the Reverend Horton Heat signed a deal with Interscope Records to co-release the band's third album, Liquor in the Front×Liquor in the Front5 July 1994 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Big Sky3:082Baddest of the Bad2:283One Time for Me3:304Five‐O Ford2:305In Your Wildest Dreams2:596Yeah, Right2:457Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’3:208I Could Get Used to It1:589Liquor, Beer & Wine3:2610I Can’t Surf2:4211Jezebel3:1212Rockin’ Dog2:3913The Entertainer1:14 (1994), with Sub Pop. Al Jourgensen of Ministry produced the album.

Chart success

Scott Churilla replaced Bentley as drummer in the mid-1990s, and the band released It's Martini Time in 1996. The album brought the band its first Billboard chart success, reaching number 165 on the Billboard 200. The band covered the boogie standard "Rock the Joint", and the song "It's Martini Time" was a minor hit. Later that year, Heath brought his street preacher style to the television series Homicide: Life on the Street on NBC, and he appeared on The Drew Carey Show on ABC in 1997. The band performed on the R.O.A.R. Tour in 1997. The Reverend Horton Heat would release their final Interscope album, Space Heater×Space Heater24 March 1998 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Pride of San Jacinto3:132Lie Detector3:243Hello Mrs. Darkness3:114Jimbo Song2:215Revolution Under Foot4:296Starlight Lounge2:487Goin' Manic4:278Mi Amor3:059For Never More2:5210The Prophet Stomp3:0211Native Tongue of Love3:1712Couch Surfin'4:0213Cinco de Mayo2:1114Texas Rock-a-Billy Rebel2:4715Baby I'm Drunk3:1116Space Heater9:47 (1998)
Their sixth album, Spend a Night in the Box×Spend a Night in the Box21 March 2000 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Spend a Night in the Box3:072Big D Boogie Woogie2:553Sleeper Coach Driver3:244The Girl in Blue3:525Sue Jack Daniels3:236Hand it to Me3:327I'll Make Love2:208It Hurts Your Daddy Bad4:049The Bedroom Again3:2310King2:4111Whole Lotta Baby3:4312The Millionaire3:5713Unlucky in Love4:3314The Party in Your Head3:55 (2000), was released through Time Bomb Recordings, with Paul Leary producing. The style was a return to straight-ahead rockabilly songs similar to their first two albums. The album rose through CMJ's charts to peak at number 2 in May. The song "Like a Rocket" was the theme for the 2002 Daytona 500 autosports race. The band featured the song on their seventh album, Lucky 7×Lucky 72001 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Loco Gringos Like a Party4:492Like a Rocket2:443Reverend Horton Heat’s Big Blue Car3:364Galaxy 5003:175What’s Reminding Me of You2:566The Tiny Voice of Reason3:317Duel at the Two O’Clock Bell5:528Go With Your Friends3:309Ain’t Gonna Happen3:5210Suicide Doors2:5611Remember Me2:4512Show Pony1:4413Sermon on the Jimbo2:4114You’ve Got a Friend in Jimbo5:36.
Victory Records signed Reverend Horton Heat in 2012, and Scott Churilla returned to the band as drummer, playing for the next five years. An album titled Rev was released on January 21, 2014. A YouTube video for a single on the album, "Let Me Teach You How to Eat," preceded the album on November 12, 2013. Rev rose to number 111 on the Billboard 200, becoming the band's highest-charting album. The band toured as the opening act for Motörhead, and recorded rock and roll songs with Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister, though the tapes are unreleased. Reverend Horton Heat also backed a number of other artists including Unknown Hinson, Jello Biafra, and Deke Dickerson. In 2017, drummer Churilla was replaced by Arjuna "R.J." Contreras, formerly of the band Eleven Hundred Springs. Matt Jordan of West Virginia joined the band playing piano and organ as well as supporting vocals. They released the album Whole New Life×Whole New Life30 November 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Whole New Life2:342Hog Tyin' Woman3:113Hate to See You Cry3:474Got It in My Pocket2:445Don't Let Go of Me4:436Ride Before the Fall4:067Tchoupitoulas Street2:578Sunrise Through the Power Lines3:329Wonky3:2710Perfect2:2611Viva Las Vegas2:52 in 2018.
In 2021, Heath and Wallace teamed with drummer Slim Jim Phantom from the Stray Cats to form a side project: The Jimbos. The trio was set to release a live album on called Live In Houston×Live in Houston8 September 2023 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Reverend Horton Heat’s Big Blue Car3:442Now, Right Now2:423I’m Mad3:204Ain’t No Saguaro in Texas6:095Drinkin’ and Smokin’ Cigarettes3:516Don’t Take the Baby to the Liquor Store3:027Death Metal Guys3:028Psychobilly Freakout3:429Baddest of the Bad2:2910400 Bucks3:0111Jimbo Song3:3312The Devil’s Chasing Me5:4213Big Red Rocket of Love8:58 on December 22, 2023.

Commercial appearances

"Psychobilly Freakout", and later "Wiggle Stick", were both featured in video segments on the show Beavis and Butt-Head. The song "I Can't Surf" was part of the soundtrack of the video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, published in 2001. “In Your Wildest Dreams” was used in the NBC drama Homicide: Life on the Street, episode “Full Moon” (season 4, episode 17, aired April 5, 1996), in which Reverend Horton Heat appears. "Psychobilly Freakout" was used on a commercial for Buell American Motorcycles and a slightly altered version was featured in the game Guitar Hero II and later on Guitar Hero Smash Hits. Their song "Baddest of the Bad" is featured on the soundtrack to Tony Hawk's Proving Ground. The 1997 video game Redneck Rampage also includes two of their songs, "Wiggle Stick" and "Nurture My Pig!". The song "Big Red Rocket of Love" is featured in the video games The Sims 3, MotorStorm and Need for Speed: The Run, and a slightly altered version of the song was featured in a 1999 television commercial for the Mazda Miata. The song "Pride of San Jacinto" is featured on the video game Hot Wheels Turbo Racing. The song "Let Me Teach You How to Eat" was featured in a 2017 Subway commercial. The song "Mad, Mad Heart" is featured in the video game Far Cry 5. The song "Scenery Going By" is featured in the Route 66 add-on of the game Trials Rising. The band appeared in the film "Love and a .45" performing the song "Loaded Gun". In 2025, at the request of actor Billy Bob Thornton, the band wrote the song "I Found Blue" for the Paramount+ television series, Landman. The song appears in the series and also on the soundtrack for the show.

Current members

Jim Heath – guitars, vocals (1985–present)
Jimbo Wallace – upright bass (1989–present)
Jonathan Jeter – drums (2020–present)

Former members

"Swingin'" Jack Barton – upright bass (1985–1989)
Bobby Baranowski – drums (1985–1989)
Kyle Thomas – drums (1989)
Patrick "Taz" Bentley – drums (1989–1994)
Tim Alexander – piano, keyboards (1996– Jun. 2017)
Paul Simmons – drums (2006–2012)
Scott Churilla – drums (1995–2006, 2012–2017)
Matt Jordan – piano (Sep. 2017– Feb. 2019)
Arjuna “RJ” Contreras – drums (2017-2020)

Collections

Holy Roller: 24 Hits (Sub Pop, 1999)
20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of The Reverend Horton Heat (Interscope, 2006)
25 To Life [live] (Yep Roc, 2012)
Live in Houston [Live] (Cleopatra Records, Inc., 2024)

Singles

"Big Little Baby" (1988)
"Psychobilly Freakout" (1990)
"400 Bucks / Caliénte" (split with The Supersuckers) (1994)
"One Time for Me" (1994) No. 40 Alternative songs
"Lie Detector×Lie Detector1998 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Lie Detector3:272Starlight Lounge2:48" (1998)
"King" (1999)
"It Was a Very Good Year" (2000)
"Let Me Teach You How to Eat" (2013)
"It's a Rave Up!/Beer, Write This Song" (2015)
"Hardscrabble Woman/Lying to Myself" (2016)

DVDs

Live and In Color (2003)
Reverend Horton Heat: Revival (2004)

Soundtracks

Film
Love and a .45 – "The Devil's Chasing Me" (1994)
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls – "Watusi Rodeo" (1995)
Bio-Dome – "Psychobilly Freakout" (1996)
Free Willy 3: The Rescue – "Big Sky" (1997)
Major League: Back to the Minors – "Baby I'm Drunk" (1998)
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas – "Rock the Joint" (2000)
Auto Focus – "Real Gone Lover" (2002)
Television
Homicide: Life on the Street (episode #4.17 "Full Moon") – "In Your Wildest Dreams" (1996)
Cleveland Rocks! Music from The Drew Carey Show – "Now, Right Now" (1998)
Dexter: New Blood (episode #8 "Unfair Game") – "Baddest of the Bad" (2021)
Landman – "I Found Blue" (2025)
Video games
Redneck Rampage – "Nurture My Pig" and "Wiggle Stick" (1997)
Space Bunnies Must Die! – "In Your Wildest Dreams" (1998)
Hot Wheels Turbo Racing – "Pride of San Jacinto" (1999)
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 – "I Can't Surf" (2001)
Guitar Hero II – "Psychobilly Freakout" (2006)
MotorStorm – "Big Red Rocket of Love" (2007)
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground – "Baddest of the Bad" (2007)
The Sims 3 Fast Lane Stuff – "Big Red Rocket of Love" (2010)
Need for Speed: The Run – "Big Red Rocket of Love" (2011)
Steep – "Chasing Rainbows" (2016)

Film appearances

Love and a .45 (1994) "Loaded Gun" was performed by the Reverend Horton Heat in the film, but does not appear on the soundtrack album.