As a native of the Texas Gulf Coast, Jerry Diaz has lived the songs he writes and sings. Drawing on influences such as The Beach Boys, Jerry Jeff Walker and Jimmy Buffett he takes listeners on a musical journey to places like New Orleans, Pensacola, Key West, and the Texas beach bars he knows well. Personal experiences from a life spent in places like Crystal Beach and Galveston Island along with tales handed down from sailors, fishermen and beach lovers all combine to give Diaz a firsthand outlook on a place others claim to know well. Diaz started his musical journey in 1993 as a founding member of Key West the Band. Key West spent nearly a decade touring the Gulf Coast, building a strong fan base from Corpus Christi to the Florida Keys. Those early days along Interstate 10 provided a creative spark that continues to this day. What started as a tropical cover band quickly morphed into an outlet for his own songwriting. As a band, Hanna's Reef draws on a diverse musical background to produce an original style they call "Texas Beach Music." A veteran rhythm section provides a rock-n-roll beat that accompanies the tropical sounds of steel drums and congas. Diaz rounds out each song with his own personal brand of storytelling that has been winning over fans for nearly 17 years. Named after a popular fishing spot in Galveston Bay, Hanna's Reef was formed by Diaz in the summer of 2002. The band has undergone a few personnel changes since then, the most notable of which saw Diaz switch from a backing vocals/lead guitar role to his current status as lead singer. The current lineup has been together since 2006 and routinely plays more than 100 shows a year. Diaz is joined onstage by Mark Mireles on steel drums and lead guitar, percussionist Bud Byram, and drummer Chuck Willingham. Fellow singer/songwriter Troy Allan rounds out the band on bass guitar. Diaz plans to release the band's third album, Home on The Gulf Coast, in late October. Hanna's Reef has a busy fall planned for 2009 with dates in Alabama, Lousiania and Florida along with numerous Texas shows. The band's previous albums Reef Madness (2002) and Deja View (2004) are available on Itunes, CD Baby, Amazon and at every live show. For more information on Jerry Diaz & Hanna’s Reef please visit www.jerrydiaz.com Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.