BRAD HORN/Nevada Appeal Beans Sousa entertains diners at the Carson Station Grille on Thursday evening. Sousa, a singer/songwriter/guitarist, has been performing at the popular Carson City restaurant for more than eight years and is about to release his third album, "Best of Beans Sousa."
Duane "Beans" Sousa is about to release his third album, "Best of Beans Sousa."
Sousa, 55, known to fans from the Station Grille, where he's played for more than eight years, said the album will be out in a few weeks.
Already, one of the songs, "Reno and Me," is being played on a local radio station, he said.
"It's a duet with Lacy and I," Sousa said.
Sousa was once part of country musician Lacy J. Dalton's opening band and toured the country with her.
But he found it difficult to raise his son on the road, so 10 years ago he moved close to his mother in Carson City.
Sousa released two albums previously - "You Don't Know Beans" in 1995 and "Into the Blue" in 2000. He also worked on "Wild Horse Crossing" released in 1999 by Dalton, whose career began in the 1980s. She's released more than a dozen albums and now lives in Virginia City.
"I learned how to write songs (being on the road with her)," he said. "I learned a lot of business marketing tactics; how to love people; how to deal with anger. She's a very calming person."
Not long after moving, he saw a newspaper ad that the Grille was looking for a professional guitar player. Grille owner Clark Russell hired him.
The gig was solely to play guitar, but that changed when Russell heard him sing.
"I don't know what the occasion was," Russell said, "but he did start harmonizing and singing, and he's got a great voice. From then on in, I told him whenever he had the opportunity to get up and sing, he should."
Sousa, a Castro Valley, Calif., native, plays the bass, classical guitar and some piano. His nickname came from his dad, who was called Beans, but Duane isn't sure of the origin.
"I'm probably one of the few people that call him Duane," said Grille General Manager Carole Conklin. "Everyone else calls him Beans."
Sousa performs Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, starting at 6. He takes requests from patrons or plays some of his own favorites.
"We give comment cards out with every bill," said Conklin. "Seven out of every 10 comment cards mention Beans, and how good his music is."
By the end of the evening - around 9 p.m. - Sousa goes into the lounge to entertain there.
"He's got a great following," Conklin said. " Later in the evening, it becomes the Beans show."
For information on any of Sousa's albums, see www.shoprecords.com.