Your TRMA Academy Members

Hailing from the upper Texas Coast, Jerry Diaz & Hanna’s Reef perform a high energy mix of original and cover Trop Rock tunes. Having performed from coast to coast many times over, the band has long been recognized for their longevity and professionalism. One of the first artists to write and record songs in the…

Donny Brewer is a Texas born and raised super fan of music, from rock and blues to country and jazz, but mostly Trop Rock. He also happens to be multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and touring singer of the music he loves, often with his band the Dock Rockers. He’s a 9 time TRMA award winner and persistent…

I’ve been playing guitar and singing as long as I can remember, usually just for my own benefit and enjoyment. Every once in a while I’d break out with a song or two at a talent show or a party and I found out that the guitar player singer guy quickly became pretty popular… well……

Howard is a native of the mountains of eastern Kentucky. His mother spawned his love for music by introducing him to the guitar at age five. While the love of music never did leave him, his career pushed him in a different direction. While building his business, he traveled to the Florida Keys, where he…

Born in New Orleans, John Reno is truly a child of the Mardi Gras. His stepfather owned the largest record store in New Orleans; his personal record collection covered a myriad of genres, so John grew up listening to the likes of Sinatra, Crosby, James Brown, Elvis, and the Beatles. Influenced by New Orleans legends…

From Singapore to Key West, Manhattan to the Caribbean, crowds of all ages and nationalities have seen John Patti bring the steel pan to the forefront of musical entertainment. Whether in a solo performance or collaboration with bands, John’s intriguing stories and skillful performance leaves long lasting and memorable impressions with any audience. With a…

John Friday, the Tropical Balladeer, is a singer/songwriter originally from Maryland, now living in Florida. After a back-breaking (literally) Army career, John settled in the Sunshine State where he pursues his musical dreams every night in the locals pubs and bars. An eclectic set of interests led John through the gamut of college majors, including…

A native Floridian and long-time Jacksonville resident, Jimmy’s been performing both as a solo act and with his band for nearly thirty years. After forming the Ocean Waves Band in 2000, his goal was to entertain audiences throughout the southeast with an island style tropical vibe. Armed with a combination of acoustic rock heavily influenced…

Dennis McCaughey of Tropical Soul plays music locally and also is frequently on the road playing in various spots across the country. The music genre, known as trop rock, includes many original tunes, and also a variety of covers ranging from Jimmy Buffett, Zac Brown, Bob Marley and many others. He has released six CDs.…

Grab your beach chair, your suntan oil, and your favorite drink, and get ready for a trip to the islands with the ultimate tribute to Jimmy Buffett. For more than 17 years, Jimmy and the Parrots have been playing to delighted crowds all over the United States as well as the Caribbean. Jimmy and the…

As a solo acoustic performer, Jimi provides a wonderful musical experience, with state of the art equipment and top notch musicianship. As a singer/songwriter his original tunes are a blend of Americana meets pop and brings out his love of tropical places. His covers and originals are influenced by the early 70’s singer/songwriter movement. Jimi’s…

Jim Hoehn is a career journalist/author/songwriter who has carved out a surprisingly successful niche as a performing songwriter since first stumbling out of the pressbox with a guitar. During his journalism career – much of it spent as a sportswriter – Hoehn has covered everything from plane crashes to murder trials to the Super Bowl…

Jesse Rice was reared in the historic river town of Conway, SC, about 15 minutes northwest of Myrtle Beach. He moved to Music City in 2002 and began honing his songwriting skills while working at EMI Music Publishing. He would quickly network with rising artists and writers and secured his first publishing agreement in 2007…

 A live performance by James “Sunny Jim” White calls up sea breezes, palm trees. sandy beaches and good tropical vibes. Audiences often end up dancing in conga lines and moving to the up-tempo rhythms of his original music, a blend of influences that range from the Caribbean to California, by way of Texas. Already a…

Jack Mosley, originally from Panama City Florida, is considered by many to be one of the best “TropRock” song writers and entertainers in the country. As an entertainer, Jack has performed all over the United States and the Caribbean and has opened shows for artist such as Johnny Cash, Tanya Tucker, Phil Vassar, The Warren…

In Memory of Joel Cook: JOEL THOMAS COOK…JT to most, was the lead singer, guitarist, and founder of Highway 1. He started the band in 2011 in Melbourne, Florida and passed away late 2021. Joel thought of himself as an entertainer first and a singer/musician second, which was evident in his performances. A vast selection…

Trained classically in college, Heather, while respecting the genre, never really embraced jazz and classical music the way she had always embraced her folk rock roots. Before college, she fell in love with the singer/songwriters of the day such as Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, Karla Bonoff, James Taylor, Stephen Stills, and the like. She originally…

When Dillard was growing up on a small farm in Thaxton, MS, he had limited access to a variety of music. An old vintage cabinet record player, a handful of Gospel and Elvis Presley records, and the best of Time Life’s 50’s/60’s rounded out the family collection. Perhaps the biggest musical influence, however, was the…

Donald James is a Texas Country and Beach Music, Trop Rock artist known as the Third Coast Cowboy. He loves to write songs, play music and fish. He says he’s a musician with a fishing addiction. DJ’s music is a blend of his Honky Tonk Hero’s, Rock and Roll fantasy’s and his soulful love of…

Don Middlebroook is considered by many to be one of the founding fathers of Trop Rock music. For more than twenty-five years, he has blazed a trail of over 175 tour dates per year all across the United States. Middlebrook’s musical journey has taken him from Michigan to Key West, and from Ocean City, MD…