WASHINGTON, DC (USO) - The USO, in partnership with Armed Forces Entertainment (AFE), will soon send rock/metal band
Drowning Pool to perform several shows for service members serving in the Persian Gulf Region. The band also will "meet and greet" troops, sign autographs and pose for pictures. The Texas-based quartet will be accompanied by Dallas radio station KDGE's afternoon disc jockey
Jessie Jessup, who will be on-hand to introduce the performances. Jessup also will interview troops and host her radio program during the tour.
The band's most recent album "Desensitized" was released in April 2004. Standout tracks such as "Step Up" and "Love and War" helped launch the album into the Top 20 on Billboard's albums chart. The group consists of drummer Mike Luce, guitarist C.J. Pierce and bassist Stevie Benton. Ryan McCombs, former lead vocalist for Soil, was recently chosen as Drowning Pool's new frontman. The group's original lead singer, Dave Williams, died in August 2002.
"Sinner," the band's powerful debut album, was certified platinum within six weeks of its release in June 2001. The first single, "Bodies" peaked at number six on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The video, revered by hardcore fans, was labeled "Buzzworthy" by MTV and played in heavy rotation. The success gave Drowning Pool the opportunity to tour with multi-platinum superstars Disturbed, two years in a row on Ozzfest and live during Wrestlemania XVIII.
This tour continues the USO tradition of bringing entertainment to troops serving in the Persian Gulf Region. Several celebrities have made trips for the USO so far this year, including Colin Quinn, Toby Keith, Charles Barkley, Jessica Simpson, Nick Lachey, Gary Sinise, Rascal Flatts and Adema.
For more than 64 years, the USO (United Service Organizations) has been providing morale, welfare and recreational services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by World Partners, AT&T Corporation, Avon Products, Inc., BAE SYSTEMS, Bass Pro Shops, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, Military Channel, National Football League, S&K Sales Company and TriWest Healthcare Alliance. Other corporate donors, including Walgreens and the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-0600), have joined thousands of individual donors to support the USO. For more information on the USO, please visit our Web site at https://www.uso.org
