Growing up in Texas City, Texas, it was so easy for the likes of Willie Nelson, Gary Stewart, and George Strait to get inside his blue collar beginnings and go right for his heart. As a student at the University of Texas at Austin, Derryl became exposed to this brand of music that would become his lifestyle. He learned to play the guitar and would spend weekends back home during the summers performing at small clubs and performance halls with a band well versed in traditional country and Cajun music. It was at this time he was first inspired to compose his own songs.

After graduating, Derryl moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and got caught up in the corporate world by day and graduate school studies by night. This frantic schedule led to the musical and spiritual void which became the catalyst for his plunge back into the country music scene.

Derryl then picked the guitar back up and went on a singing and song writing labor of love that is still going strong. He began performing with the band "Silverado" in the highly competitive Dallas area circuit as a lead vocalist and rhythm guitar player. He also performed original songs as a solo act at some of the local opry shows in Texas and Louisiana. In order to improve his craft, Derryl began making two and three day treks to Nashville and formed co-writing relationships with hit songwriters. After a couple of years of white collar days and honky-tonk nights, he decided it was time to pursue the dream full time and move to Nashville.

This should be the first of a long line of works from an impassioned country artist who thrives on picture painting with lyric and melody.