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"DESTINATION UNKNOWN"

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It was Sunday afternoon and Rusty Graham had his feet propped up in his den, watching a NASCAR race on television. His son Josh, a founding member of the band Smokin' Armadillos, ambled in and dropped a CD in the stereo.

"Josh, I'm watching the race," he snapped, "Go listen in the other room." "Dad, you gotta hear this," said Josh. Rusty huffed again, "I mean it, Josh. Get out!" Josh disobeyed and cranked the volume on a kickin' country song. Five bars into it Rusty turned off the TV. "That's great! Who is this guy?" Josh smiled, "It's Victor."

Victor Sanz finally got a green flag. He had been running under caution around Bakersfield for years writing his own songs and gigging with numerous country bands. But until 1999, Victor Sanz wasn't ready to try to make it alone. Now with more determination and a more mature voice, it was time.

Growing up in the small farming community of Wasco, California, Victor dreamed of being a performer. His parents, first generation immigrants from Mexico, listened to Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson and Buck Owens. But that was only when they weren't singing along with the hypnotic rhythms of Latin artists. As he grew up, those early twang and stomp influences were spiced with Victor's love for the smooth vocals of George Strait and the energy of Garth Brooks.

Victor chased his dream by playing county fairs and clubs. He rarely sang cover tunes, opting for his own original material. Charismatic and persistent, at the age of 19 he convinced Buck Owens' Buckaroos to play on his first-ever demo session. His band "Prairie Thunder" opened for Collin Raye, Sammy Kershaw, Lee Roy Parnell and Merle Haggard. Still, he didn't get the break he was looking for.

Victor was always a really good singer, and everybody told him so. He just wasn't a really great singer. So he did something about it.

"When I started my vocal training, I just couldn't believe the change," Victor says. "Just learning how to breathe correctly gave me so much more control over my voice, so much more power. Now I feel a lot more confident, and I enjoy singing much more."

With his instrument refined, Victor traveled to Nashville in the spring of 1999 to cut a 3-song demo CD, the one that sent Rusty Graham swerving off the couch and onto the fast track again. Graham was so impressed that he revived Gramac Records, his independent label, just so he could sign and manage Victor.

"When I heard the demo I was blown away," says Graham, "I'd known Victor for years, but I didn't think he was ready. He was always a great performer. Now with the strength of his voice, he's more than ready. He's a star."

So with the turn of the century comes the turn of the corner for Victor Sanz. His first album, titled Destination Unknown is set for release in fall of 2000. The album was produced by Nashville songwriter deluxe Max T. Barnes and Bob Bullock and features songs from "A list" writers Steve Wariner, Tom Shapiro, Skip Ewing, Tom McHugh and Victor himself.

Destination Unknown offers 11 songs that are full of young country groove and traditional twang. He even adds a little Latin twist with a bilingual rendition of the pop classic "I Go Crazy." Victor pledges allegiance to the Bakersfield sound, and kicks it up a notch by slinging the bass and kick drum right up front. His sing-along vocals and catchy melodies are sure to fill dance floors across the country.

Victor Sanz currently resides in California with his wife Josi, to whom he has been married for seven years. Josi and Victor have two daughters: five year old Brianna and eight month old Christina.