The Black Lillies/Yarn

Those familiar with the background of Black Lillies frontman Cruz Contreras are often struck with a single question when the man opens his mouth to sing:Why?Why, given the rich baritone that can range from languid to intense, from reverently hushed to brashly bombastic, did it take so long?Obviously, he's no stranger to music. He is the man who loaned out his initials to Robinella and the CCstringband, which flirted with national fame a few years ago with a hit ('Man Over') on Country Music Television and an appearance on 'Late Night With Conan O'Brien' in 2003. Maybe it took a while for him to find his voice – not the literal one, the one that makes you think of Randy Travis or Dan Tyminski or even the great Ralph Stanley in his prime. We're talking about that other voice – the one steeped in regret, seasoned with pain and tempered in the fires of hard times.

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