Outlaws

The Profile

Outlaws are a southern rock band from Tampa, Florida, known for a three-guitar lineup and rich vocal harmonies. Reviews highlight guitarist Hughie Thomasson as a central figure and praise the band’s 1970s output—especially extended live performances and the epic “Green Grass & High Tides”—while describing later decades as more uneven but still active.

From the reviews: the band is from Tampa, Florida; they are associated with the live moniker “Florida Guitar Army”; key members discussed include Hughie Thomasson, Billy Jones, Henry Paul, bassist Frank O’Keefe, drummer Monte Yoho, and later guitarist Freddie Salem. Thomasson joined Lynyrd Skynyrd in the mid-1990s and later reformed Outlaws; Thomasson died of a heart attack (2007 per reviews). Billy Jones died by suicide (1995 per reviews) and Frank O’Keefe died of an overdose (1995 per reviews). Albums reviewed span 1975–2020 and include the live peak “Bring It Back Alive” (1978 in review text).

Across these reviews, Outlaws are framed as a Tampa, Florida southern rock staple with big harmonies and a three-guitar “army” identity. The classic run (especially the first three studio albums and the 1978 live set) gets the strongest praise, with “Green Grass & High Tides” treated as a signature epic. Later albums are depicted as uneven: 1978–86 is criticized for production trends and filler, while the 1994 and 2020 records are respected late-career returns. Repeated emphasis goes to Hughie Thomasson’s Stratocaster virtuosity and the band’s live power.