Where Are They Now?: “Watermelon Crawl” Hitmaker Tracy Byrd

Tracy Byrd is a staple of ’90s country music. With hits “Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo,” “Watermelon Crawl,” “Holdin’ Heaven,” “The Keeper of the Stars” and more, Byrd’s voice helped define a generation of country music. Two of his hits, “The Truth About Men” and “The Keeper of the Stars,” each earned him a pair of ACM Awards and CMA Awards in 1995 and 2003, respectively.

Despite his chart-topping success, Byrd has been largely out of the spotlight for the past 15 years, residing with his family in Beaumont, Texas. So, what is he up to these days?

Where is Tracy Byrd Now?

Byrd released his ninth studio album, Different Things, in 2006 and didn’t head back into the studio again for several years. However, in 2008, he appeared in the independent film Noble Things alongside fellow country star Lee Ann Womack. In 2015, he was inducted into the Texas Music Hall of Fame, an honor he said is a result of hard work and sheer luck.

“I just wanted one hit and that came along and then a bunch more came along,” Byrd said at the time. “It’s kind of just a progression of hard work and some luck and being in the right place but it’s wonderful. I didn’t know it would ever come, but I’m glad that it’s here.”

In 2016, Byrd returned to the studio at Rosewood Studios in Tyler, Texas, for his first album in a decade, the independently released All American Texan. In 2019, he released his first live album, Tracy Byrd : Live at Billy Bob’s Texas, accompanied by a DVD of the show that featured interviews with Byrd. This made him the 51st artist to record a live album at the beloved venue in Fort Worth.

The singer also uses his platform for charitable work, which he remains active with to this day. Previously the national spokesperson for the Special Olympics, Byrd now hosts the annual Homecoming Concert that combines his passions for music, golf and fishing in his native Texas. The yearly show benefits the March of Dimes, the Children’s Miracle Network, and Tracy Byrd Hyperbaric Medicine and Wound Care Center at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Beaumont. The most recent event was held in March 2023.

“The Children’s Miracle Network, I’ve been their spokesperson and raising money for them with my Homecoming Weekend,” Byrd explained in a 2009 interview with Country Zone. “I’ve been doing that for a decade now. They’re my main charity of choice. I love Children’s Miracle Network and all the hospitals, all over the world now.”

Byrd is also a regular at Billy Bob’s, his next show is slated for April 21.

(Photo by Paul Natkin/WireImage)