Energetic trio Trick Pony got its start when guitarist Keith Burns called his friend Ira Dean. Burns was touring with Joe Diffie at the time, and Dean was working with Tanya Tucker.

When Burns heard Heidi Newfield’s demo tape, he knew he’d found the band’s third vocalist. The trio landed a steady gig at Nashville’s Wildhorse Saloon and later signed to Warner Bros. Nashville.

Gaining a foothold in early 2001, Trick Pony’s upbeat hits include “Pour Me,” “On a Night Like This” and “Just What I Do.” Despite their newcomer status, both Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson have sung on their albums. Trick Pony’s second album, On a Mission, released in 2002, produced a hit single by the same name