Growing up to be the "King of Grownfolks Music" is a satisfying accolade for Texarkana's Southern soul artist Avail Hollywood, so much so he wants to remind everyone he's "Still King," to coin the title of his new CD.
Hollywood got his start performing at a young age and served as drummer for fellow Texarkana-area Southern soul crooners like Carl Sims and Donnie Ray.
This former Army man and Liberty-Eylau High School student, whose real name is Christopher Estell, sees himself heading in a slightly new direction, putting a little more flair into these songs. "Still King" is available via retailers like iTunes and CDBaby, while hard copies are available at BluesCritic.com.
Hollywood just finished a new video for the album, and as always he's busy out on the road, taking his music across the Southern circuit.
"The album is called 'Still King.' A lot of folks call me 'The King of Grownfolks Music' so my personal deejay, DJ Trac, he said, 'Man, you need to let the people know that you're still the king of grownfolks music,'" Hollywood said. "So I said well we'll do the CD."
The 35-year-old Hollywood says it's traditional soul and blues, but there's a fresh aspect, too. He's known for his blues and Southern soul sound. "This CD right here has got a lot of newer sounds, like the sub kicks, like the 808s and the synthesizers. So a lot of that stuff is going to be totally different from the traditional blues sound," he said.
The digital influence inspired this new direction for Hollywood, upgrading the sound to fit the times, he said. "We're trying to bring the Southern soul sound up a little bit, to another level." It's a pop sound added to the soul, which his contemporaries are doing, too, he says.
Hollywood's songs regularly attract thousands of views on YouTube, such as "Sinking in Quick Sand," a number about troubled romance that came from his 2018 album "Good Whiskey" on his label Nlightn Records. His song "Twenty Five and Up" has racked up nearly 3 million views.
Nightlife, romance, love and just plain sexiness are common lyrical tropes. "Unbelievable Booty" is the opening track on "Still King."
The beautiful women he meets at concerts, they're also an inspiration, he admits. "That's always a plus when it comes to writing," he said. "There's nothing like writing about the beautiful ladies. Probably my most favorite part of writing."
The stage name Avail Hollywood has unmistakable panache to it, and it has a connection to another king, "The King of Rock and Roll."
It's a name Hollywood adopted right before he went into the Army, all based on a poster. Signed by Elvis himself, it read, "Elvis, now available in Hollywood." Mulling over his own name for himself, an idea struck him, inspired by that poster: Avail Hollywood.
And what does he enjoy about his "grownfolks music"? He makes it sound smooth and laid-back. "I like it because of the atmosphere," Hollywood said, noting it sets more of a civilized mood. He writes all his own music and has a downtown Texarkana recording studio, pretty much where it all happens.
"Just everything that's going on," Hollywood says about what inspires his songs. On TV and elsewhere, he finds that inspiration to write. At night is when he can sit down and do it, or when he's out on the road. In addition to following what used to be called the "chitlin' circuit," he'll be heading up north to Michigan and elsewhere in the Midwest soon.
"I pretty much do everything right here, right here in Texarkana," Hollywood said about his home base.
At his Facebook page, Hollywood's shows are promoted. He also posted a few little known facts about himself, such as his love for country music, the color black, the singer Freddie Jackson, Walmart and chocolate pretzels.
When he takes his Southern soul to the Midwest, audiences take to it pretty well because it's rarer there, he said, noting the music has an audience overseas, too. Although he's not fond of flying, he'd take his music overseas if the money's right.
"When we take it up north they look at you for a minute," Hollywood said. But they dig it. "They tend to get with it," he said.
Thursday through Sunday, all year long, Hollywood hits the road. That's how he sells most of his CDs. "I would say that's the best way to get it out," he said.
His YouTube presence also brings him CD sales, and he pays attention to the number of views. "It really generates that streaming," he said. It also gets a buzz going around his name.
Wherever he goes with his music, Avail Hollywood won't simply do the same thing over and over again. Looking ahead, he said, "I might start doing it more bluesy." That's a darker, rockier sound, he says: something different to give the fans who love their Avail Hollywood.
It's those fans who've kept him going these 18 years in music. He's thankful to impact someone's life in a musical way. He's also driven to keep going, to keep telling his "grownfolks stories," by seeing new artists on the scene.
"I just thrive on having fans. If all I have is one, that would be enough for me, man. Just to know somebody is smiling when they see me or hear me sing. That's amazing to me," Hollywood said.